Air Force Regulation 200-2, 12 August 1954
Air Force Regulation 200-2
The term UFO was coined by the Air Force in the early 50’s as a replacement to more commonly used other terms which failed to effectively convey the nature of various anomalies in the sky that could not be identified. Until 1953-54 the unidentified flying objects were popularly referred to as “flying discs” or “flying saucers”, failing to accurately describe the actual physical characteristics of the observed objects, as they came in various, multiple shapes and sizes.
Effected in 1953, with later amendments, Air Force Regulation 200-2 (AFR 200-2) established “procedures for information and evidence material pertaining to unidentified flying objects” and set forth ” the responsibility of Air Force activities in this regard.” For a while the term was UFOB which shortly got replaced by a shorter and thus more convenient UFO.
AFR 200-2 section 2a defined “Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOB)” as the term which “relates to any airborne object which by performance, aerodynamic characteristics, or unusual features, does not conform to any presently known aircraft or missile type, or which cannot be positively identified as a familiar object” with the “familiar object” being understood as including “balloons, astronomical bodies, birds, and so forth.”
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