United States National Letter of Promulgation for JANAP 146 (E)

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington (D.C.) 20301, 31 march 1966

1. JANAP 146(E), CANADIAN - UNITED STATES COMMUNICATIONS INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPORTING VITAL INTELLIGENCE SIGHTINGS, is an unclassified non-registered publication prepared under the direction of the Canadian Defence Staff and the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff for Canadian and United States Joint use.

102. Scope. -

This publication is limited to the reporting of information of vital importance to the security of the United States of America and Canada and their forces, which in the opinion of the observer, requires very urgent defensive and/or investigative action by the US and/or Canadian Armed Forces.
The procedures contained in this publication are provided for:
1. US and Canadian civil and commercial aircraft.
2. US and Canadian government and military aircraft other than those operating under separate reporting directives.
3. US and Canadian merchant vessels operating under US and Canadian registry.
4. US and Canadian government and military vessels other than those operating under separate reporting directives.
5. Certain other US and Canadian vessels including fishing vessels.
6. Military installations receiving reports from civilian or military land based or waterborne observers unless operating under separate reporting directives.
7. Government and civilian agencies which may initiate reports on receipt of information from land-based, airborne or waterborne observers.

Cirvis Reports

General

201. Information to be Reported and When to Report.

Sightings within the scope of this chapter, as outlined in paragraphs 102b(1), (2), (6) and (7), are to be reported as follows:
1. While airborne and from land based observers.
  1. Hostile or unidentified single aircraft or formations of aircraft which appear to be directed against the United States or Canada or their forces.
  2. Missiles.
  3. Unidentified flying objects.
  4. Hostile or unidentified submarines.
  5. Hostile or unidentified group or groups of military surface vessels.
  6. Individual surface vessels, submarines, or aircraft of unconventional design, or engaged in suspicious activity or observed in a location or on a course which may be interpreted as constituting a threat to the United States, Canada or their forces.
  7. Any unexplained or unusual activity which may indicate a possible attach against or through Canada or the United States, including the presence of any unidentified or other suspicious ground parties in the Polar Region or other remote or sparsely populated areas.
2. Upon landing.
  1. Reports which for any reason could not be transmitted while airborne.
  2. Unlisted airfields or facilities, weather stations, or air navigation aids.
  3. Post landing reports (to include photographs or film if pictures were taken; see paragraph 104).

204. Contents of CIRVIS Reports.

When reporting unidentifiable objects:
1. CIRVIS Report.
2. Identification of reporting aircraft or observer as appropriate
3. Object sighted. Give brief description of the object which should contain the following items:
  1. Shape.
  2. Size compared to a known object (use one of the following terms: Head of a pin, pea, dime, nickel, quarter, half dollar, silver dollar, baseball, grapefruit, or basketball) held in the hand at about arm's length.
  3. Color.
  4. Number.
  5. Formation, if more than one.
  6. Any discernible features or details.
  7. Tail, trail, or exhaust, including size of same compared to size of object.
  8. Sound. If heard, describe sound.
  9. Other pertinent or unusual features.
4. Description of Course of Object:
  1. What first called the attention of observer(s) to the object?
  2. Angle or elevation and azimuth of object when first observed.
  3. Angle or elevation and azimuth of object upon disappearance.
  4. Description of flight path and maneuvers of object.
  5. How did the object disappear? (Instantaneously to the North, etc.)
  6. How long was the object visible? (Be specific, 5 minutes, 1 hour, etc.)
5. Manner of Observation:
  1. Use one or any combination of the following items: Ground-visual, ground-electronic, air electronic. (If electronic, specify type of radar.)
  2. Statement as to optical aids (telescopes, binoculars, etc.) used and description thereof.
  3. If the sighting is made while airborne, give type of aircraft, identifiction number, altitude, heading, speed, and home station.
6. Time and Date of Sighting:
  1. Zulu time-date group of sighting.
  2. Light condions. (Use one of the following terms: Night, day, dawn, dusk.)
7. Location of Observer(s). Exact latitude and longitude of each observer, and/or geographical position. A position with reference to a known landmark also should be given in electrical reports, such as "2mi N of Deeville;" "3mi SW of Blue Lake." Typographical errors or "garbling" often result in electrically transmitted messages, making location plots difficult or impossible.
8. Weather and Winds - Aloft Conditions at Time and Place of Sightings:
  1. Observer(s) account of weather conditions.
  2. Report from nearest AWS or U.S. Weather Bureau Office of wind direction and velocity in degrees and knots at surface, 6,000', 10,000', 16,000', 20,000', 30,000', 50,000', and 80,000' if available.
  3. Ceiling.
  4. Visibility.
  5. Amount of cloud cover.
  6. Thunderstorms in area and quadrant in which located.
  7. Temperature gradient.
9. Any other unusual activity or condition, meteorological, astronomical, or otherwise, which might account for the sighting.
10. Interception or identification action taken (such action may be taken whenever feasible, complying with existing air defense directives).
11. Location, approximate altitude, and general direction of flight of any air traffic or balloon releases in the area which could possibly account for the sighting.
12. Position title and comments of the preparing officer, including his preliminary analysis of the possible cause of the sighting(s).
13. Existence of physical evidence, such as materials and photographs.