🌍 Special Series: The Geopolitical Dimensions of UFOs Coverage: The UFO military rivalry among the three major powers during the Cold War

The Cold War UFO Race

During the Cold War, UFOs were not just a civilian topic but also:

1. Military Threat: Both sides feared the other was using “UFOs” as cover for reconnaissance aircraft
2. Intelligence Gathering: Both sides had dedicated departments collecting UFO intelligence
3. Psychological Warfare: Using UFO phenomena to disrupt the opponent

Soviet UFO Archives

Although the Soviet Union publicly denied the existence of UFOs, it maintained detailed internal UFO investigation records:

• Ministry of Defense UFO Working Group: Established in the 1970s, known as the “Grid” program
• Famous Case: The Petrozavodsk phenomenon (1977) — a jellyfish-shaped luminous object enveloping the city’s sky
• KGB Role: The KGB also collected UFO intelligence

U.S. Military Response Mechanisms

During the Cold War, the U.S. military deployed:

• Continuous UFO monitoring by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
• Alert procedures by the Strategic Air Command (SAC)
• UFO sighting records at nuclear bases (e.g., the 1967 Malmstrom Air Force Base incident)

Chinese UFO Records

China also has a rich history of UFO records:

• Ancient Records: The “Song Shi” (History of Song) documents “heavenly fire” and “stellar anomalies”
• 1960s-1970s: Numerous civilian sighting reports
• Official Archives: The Chinese Academy of Sciences once conducted internal UFO investigations

Declassified Archives

With the end of the Cold War, some UFO-related military archives have begun to be declassified:

• U.S. CIA: Over 2,700 pages of UFO-related files
• UK MOD: “UFO files” have been gradually released
• Russia: Some Soviet archives have been declassified but not fully disclosed
• China: The lowest level of openness

Modern Revival

During the Russia-Ukraine war, both sides have reported mysterious drones and unidentified flying objects, reminiscent of the Cold War-era UFO military rivalry.

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📚 Sources: Declassified documents from various countries, intelligence collection archives, historical research 🕐 Article creation date: 2022-05-15