🇨🇦 📃 🛸CIRVIS/MERINT Instructions Creation – December 13 1957

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North American Air Defence Command
Ent Air Force Base
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Office of the
Deputy Commander-in-Chief

Chief of the Air Staff,
Air Force Headquarters,
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada.

13 December 1957

Standardized Canadian-United States Communications
Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence
Sightings (CIRVIS/MERINT)

1 On 4 Dec 56 the Canada-United States Joint Communications Electronics Committee (Can-US JCEC) approved a paper containing the Standardized Canadian United States Communications Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings (CIRVIS/MERINT). Concurrence has now been obtained from all agencies concerned with the exception of the Department of External Affairs. External Affairs recently replied to a letter of inquiry from the Can-US JCEC stating that the document is under active consideration. It has been suggested by USAF Headquarters, and NORAD concurs, that a further inquiry from the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee might have the effect of expediting, action on this important subject.

2 Attached is a draft letter to the Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs. It is requested that the necessary arrangements be made to have a letter, along the lines of this draft, forwarded to the Department of External Affairs through the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee.

C.R. SLEMON
Air Marshal, RCAF
Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

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FOR EARLY WARNING IN DEFENCE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT
CIRVIS-MERINT REPORTING PROCEDURE

1. MESSAGE IDENTIFICATION
(a) Reports made from airborne and land-based sources will be identified by CIRVIS (pronounced SUR-VEES) as the first word of the text.
(b) Reports made by waterborne sources will be identified by MERINT (pronounced MUR.ENT) as the first word of the text.

2. WHAT TO REPORT
Report immediately all airborne and waterborne objects which appear to be HOSTILE, are UNIDENTIFIED or are acting suspiciously. 

Submarines, surfaced or partly submerged. 
Surface warships positively identified as not Canadian or U.S. Other ships or boats acting suspiciously.
Aircraft or vapour trails which appear to be directed against Canada, the United States, their territories or possessions.
Guided Missles.
Unidentified Flying Objects or unidentified objects in the water

3. SEND TO ANY
Canadian Military Establishment,
RCMP Post,
Department of Transport or Fisheries Representative,
Hudson’s Bay Company Northern Radio-Equipped Store, or
The nearest open Canadian Telegraph Office. (By telephone if necessary.)
Use the quickest possible means to make your report.

4. SEND THIS KIND OF MESSAGE
(a) Begin your message with the word “CIRVIS” or “MERINT” as applicable.
(b) Give the identification of the observer, aircraft or vessel making the report.
(c) Describe briefly the objects sighted.
(d) Indicate where and when the objects were sighted.
(e) If objects are airborne, estimate altitude as “low”, “medium”, “high”.
(f) Give direction of travel of sighted objects.
(g) Estimate and give speed of sighted objects.
(h) Give other significant information.

5. SEND IMMEDIATELY
DO NOT DELAY YOUR REPORT DUE TO INCOMPLETE INFORMATION.

NOTE
There are no charges to the originator in the handling of CIRVIS or MERINT messages.

Authorized by Department of National Defence
Authorized for display in Post Offices by the Postmaster General

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RESUME
ON
CIRVIS/MERINT
COMMUNICATIONS INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPORTING
VITAL INTELLIGENCE SIGHTINGS

1 CIRVIS/MERINT instructions lay down procedures for reporting information on vital intelligence sightings, vis:
Hostile or unidentified aircraft
Missiles
Unidentified flying objects
Hostile or unidentified submarines, surface vehicles, etc

by

Aircraft
Naval, merchant and fishing vessels
Other”land based, airborne or waterborne” observers, etc.
Unless they are operating under separate reporting directives, ie, it is primarily for civilian use but can be used by the military on occasions when the use of their own procedures is impractical.

Appropriate military authorities.

BACKGROUND

2 Military Cooperation Committee – CIRVIS was originally prescribed in the US Joint Army Navy Air Force Publication, JANAP 146, and covered sightings from aircraft only. The US Joint Chiefs of Staff directed the US Section, Military Cooperation Committee to propose a combined Canadian/US procedure. This was done at the MCC meeting held 14-19 Feb 1954, when it was proposed that:

(a) A combined Canada United States procedure be developed,
and

(b) JANAP 146, issue B dated Sep 1951 be approved for use until a combined plan could be developed.

MERINT Procedures, (no translation given in the file) were incorporated Sep 56 and cover procedures for “Waterborne” observers.

3 REVIS (CIRVIS) proposal coincided with the Joint Intelligence Committee’s decision to suspend action on a Canadian plan sponsored by RCAF DAI, which had similar objectives: “Reporting of Vital Intelligence Sightings” (REVIS).

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Joint Telecommunications Committee – The Joint Telecommunications Committee was assigned the task of developing a combined CIRVIS plan in conjunction with the US Joint Communications and Electronics Committee “as a matter of priority”. Ref CSC: 1124.2 (JPC) 15 Mar 54.

5 Department of External Affairs JANAP 146B contained many references to US agencies and procedures and was considered
unsuitable as a Canadian instruction. It was agreed therefore to draw up a new instruction. Later, this decision was changed and it was agreed to revise the latest issue of JANAP 146, issue C. dated March 1954. In the meantime, the US sought permission for US aircraft in flight over Canadian territory, to report sightings direct to US ground stations. This was granted provided that it was impractical to pass the report to an RCAF Station or radar. Reference Department of External Affairs Note No. D 189 dated
20 July 1954.

6 Department of Transport Despite repeated queries by MCC for progress reports and reiteration that the matter was important a considerable time elapsed during which details of the procedure were hammered out. The Department of Transport jibed at certain procedures such as use of PAN as a prefix to radio reports, and reluctantly approved in principle 28 May 56. A formal protest was submitted by DOT 19 Jun. The US disagreed and Secretary JTC observed that “the US position is not understood as, since these are international procedures, they do not fall wholly under the control of the US military. The USN, RCN and USCG (Coastguard) also objected to the
use of PAN but accepted its use in the interests of continental defence. Can JCEC(W) 27 July 56. It is implied that the DOT objection was overruled.

7 Publication Problem – Arrangements for a supply of copies of the amended procedure, JANAP 146(D) commenced in July 56. Normally this series of publications is reserved for US National use only. Although not recorded the RCAF Member on the Telecom Procedures Sub Committee of the JTC advises that another publication series ACP 146 which does not suffer from this disadvantage will be used. The decision is of recent date, ie, late 1957.

8 Denmark and Iceland – US State Department has obtained permission from the Danish government for CIRVIS Procedures to be carried out by US aircraft flying over Greenland; a similar agreement was reached with the Icelandic government..

9 Government Departments and Agencies – The following Government Agencies have been involved:

(a) Canadian agreement for US reports over Canada (para 5)
DND, COSC and Minister
DOT Deputy Minister
Department of External Affairs

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(b) Telecom Procedures – use of PAN, SECURITÉ etc
DND
DOT

10 DND Committees – the following DND committees have been involved:
Chiefs of Staff
Can Sec Military Cooperation Committee
Joint Intelligence Committee
Joint Telecom Committee the Committee charged with the development of combined CIRVIS/MERINT Procedure.
Joint Planning Committee

11 Personnel Currently Involved – The following personnel are actively involved at the present time:

(a) Department of External Affairs: Mr EP Black 2:0552
(b)Joint Telecommunications Committee:
L/Comdr GA Hoyte 2:5130
Methods and Procedures Sub Committee, RCAF Member
CTel /DCom/Com2-3 F/L LJ Drake 2:3670

12 Present Status
The outstanding item and apparently the last obstacle to publication of CIRVIS/MERINT is the use of External Affairs communications facilities. External has asked for detailed information:

(a) A list of missions to whom the instructions to accept CIRVIS/MERINT reports and forward them are to be sent.
(b) A sample of the sort of instruction these missions should receive, and
(c) Clarification of the credentials of persons who make CIRVIS/MERINT reports.

Two External letters, one reply from JTC and one enquiry from JTC to CJTEC (W) as yet unanswered, have dealt with this matter. The first External Affairs letter was received in June 57.

13 Recommendations

It is recommended that the Chairman COSC, be asked to approve an interim reply to the Deputy Commander NORAD, draft attached, and an expedite to the Chairman JTC, draft attached.

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Retrieved From: Library and Archives Canada

Retrieved By: 

Ryan Stacey 

The Experiencer Support Association