CIA Claims 1950s UFO Reports Were U-2 Spy Planes
On July 2, 2014, the CIA posted a controversial tweet claiming that 1950s UFO sightings were actually caused by U-2 reconnaissance aircraft operations. Subsequent FOIA-released documents revealed this statement was not based on any research or evidence analysis. The tweet was approved spontaneously as part of a social media campaign.
Background
Via TheBlackVault.com (FOIA). The Central Intelligence Agency published a controversial Twitter message asserting responsibility for unusual aerial activity reports from the 1950s by attributing them to classified U-2 spy plane missions. This claim suggested that legitimate unidentified flying object observations during that era were misidentifications of high-altitude reconnaissance operations. Documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests subsequently demonstrated that the assertion lacked any supporting research or factual verification. Internal agency communications revealed the message was conceived and approved informally without scientific review. The tweet utilized hashtags #U2Week and #UFODAY to promote historical awareness of aerial surveillance programs.