What did the declassified documents reveal?

COLD OPEN. This is a declassified record titled “1954‑07‑8715097‑S Lakewood, New Jersey.” It was filed by the United States Naval Air Station Lakehurst on the twenty‑third of July, nineteen‑fifty‑four, and it documents an unidentified flying object sighting that was reported later that month. The record is hosted on the Black Vault archive at the URL https://archive.org/download/1954-07-8715097-SLakewood-NewJersey/1954-07-8715097-SLakewood-NewJerseydjvu.txt. PROVENANCE. The document was released to the public through the Black Vault, a repository of government records. It appears there is no specific Freedom of Information Act case number attached to this release, and the declassification authority is not listed. The release date is not indicated on the archive page. The canonical PDF can be accessed at the same URL provided for the text file. THE DOCUMENT. Project one hundred seventy‑three, record card one. Date: twenty‑third of July, nineteen‑fifty‑four. Location: Lakewood, New Jersey. Date‑time group: local time unknown, two‑three zero zero Zulu, twenty‑four hundred Zulu. Photographs: none. Type of observation: visual, ground radar, air visual, air intercept radar. Source: civilian. Length of observation: thirty minutes. Number of objects: nine. Course: flying circle in south‑west. Conclusions: [four lines redacted under exemption B1]. Brief summary of sighting: Definite square‑win shape, one hundred foot diameter, lime white color – three objects in line, each rhythmic, varying speeds up to seven knots per minute (four point two miles per hour). Flew in a circle of two miles radius. Observation at night. Estimated distance of objects from observer, three miles, at five thousand five hundred feet altitude. One portion of the circle a brilliant white light was observed for five seconds. Comments: Report made August ninth, submitted August thirteenth. Insufficient data, manner of disappearance not included. No reason for delay in reporting object given. Form 279, RSV thirty‑six, September, S three. United States Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. To: Commanding Officer, Director of Intelligence, Headquarters, United States Naval Forces, Atlantic. From: Commandant, Fourth Naval District, United States. Subject: Unidentified flying object: reporting. Sketch of unidentified flying object attached. CCM2AD T32A7 SON INST three thousand three hundred twenty. CNI M CCMFCU: IN‑ST three thousand three hundred twenty. X FLYOBRPT X A3I‑2 X SCU AR2. VINO SHAPS X ESTIMATED LOOJCT X COLES LIM2. LIGHT IN CIRCLE OF TWO MILES RADIUS X. DISSOLVED AFTER SPECTACLE X. LIGHTED TWO THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TWENTY‑FOUR ZULU, twenty‑third of July

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Declassified Case File

◆ BLUF — The short version

COLD OPEN. ” It was filed by the United States Naval Air Station Lakehurst on the twenty‑third of July, nineteen‑fifty‑four, and it documents an unidentified flying object sighting that was reported later that month. txt. PROVENANCE. The document was released to the public through the Black Vault, a repository of government records.

Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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COLD OPEN. This is a declassified record titled “1954‑07‑8715097‑S Lakewood, New Jersey.” It was filed by the United States Naval Air Station Lakehurst on the twenty‑third of July, nineteen‑fifty‑four, and it documents an unidentified flying object sighting that was reported later that month. The…

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What was Declassified Case File about?: COLD OPEN. ” It was filed by the United States Naval Air Station Lakehurst on the twenty‑third of July, nineteen‑fifty‑four, and it documents an unidentified flying object sighting that was reported later that month. txt. PROVENANCE. The document was released to the public through the Black Vault, a repository of government records.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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