Those Pentagon UAP videos - just how were they obtained?

Background

Todate, the To the Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences  (TTSA) has uploaded copies of three videos to its website, showing US Navy pilots encountering UAP. Just how these videos, dubbed "FLIR1;" "Gimbal;" and "Go fast" by the TTSA, were obtained has not, until today, been supported by documentation. Prior to today, perhaps the best source of information about the usual process, is a blog post dated 3 March 2018 written by my Melbourne colleague, Paul Dean. I would suggest you read it via the provided link, before resuming reading the rest of this post.

Just to be certain, I listened again to the interview which Paul cites, dated 25 February 2018, between Las Vegas journalist George Knapp, and former manager of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), Luis Elizondo. In part of that interview, Elizondo says:

"..very briefly go through the DoD process of how these things work. So, in essence, lets take the videos for example. There's a collective decision within the office that these videos should be placed on a community of interest, unclassified community of interest, with Defense industry partners and anybody and everybody to look at and figure out if this is something that they've seen before.

So, basically there's an approval process that goes through the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, that we refer to as DOPSR. That is the one stop shop for the release of information that has to be reviewed to make sure its no longer classified. There's an internal mechanism within that office where they go back to the original classification authority, and validate whether or not, that information is indeed classified, and if it is, is it still classified and should it be released?

There are, as you could imagine with an organization like DoD there are lots of policies you have to follow. But two policies in particular are the DoD directives and instructions, in this particular case DoD directive 5230.09 and DoD instruction 5230.29. In there it gives you, if you will, the prescription of what you are supposed to do to get the information released. To include by the way a Department of Defense form 1910 which was indeed executed for the purposes of creating a community of interest for these videos. So that process was followed, and what most people aren't aware of, there were also emails. It wasn't just a form that was submitted.  And a week later the DoD officially came back and said this is allowed,  these videos are allowed to go out for unrestricted release."

KLAS-TV News item

Last night, Las Vegas time, George Knapp presented an item about the actual release process. Firstly, he opened the piece by referring to the recent US Navy statement about promulgating guidelines to its personnel to report unusual sightings, then he went on to say that there had been conflicting statements from the Pentagon "...about secret UFO research...and that the three videos weren't really released by the Department of Defense. Suffice to say we know know these Pentagon statements are not accurate..."

Knapp then revealed that he had secured a copy of the relevant DD1910 form "...the final step in a multi-step process issued by the Department of Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review. The request specifies the three videos, Gofast, Gimbal and FLIR...the document shows that authorization for release, was granted on August 24, 2017..." Knapp then stated he had also obtained a copy of the relevant directive, "...this form shows the videos were released by the book...after the I-Team obtained the paperwork, we asked Elizondo if this is the form he filed with the Pentagon? He said he is not authorized to comment, that it's up to the Department of Defense..."

Here is an image of the page displayed on the news item:

Update: 18 December 2019

In a blog post dated 15 December 2019, researcher Tim McMillan reports on correspondence between himself and Pentagon spokesperson Susan L Gough. One section of her response read:

"The two 2015 videos appeared in the New York Times in December 2017. At that time, AFOSI conducted an investigation, focussing on the classification of the information in the video. The investigation determined the videos were not classified. That in itself (being unclassified) does not automatically approve material for public release."

Note by myself: The NYT article featured two videos. The 2004 FLIR1 and the 2015 Gimbal. It did not feature the two 2015 videos - Gimbal and Go Fast.

Update: 27 April 2020

The US Department of Defense issued a media releas.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos

APRIL 27, 2020

---

The Department of Defense has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017.  The U.S. Navy previously acknowledged that these videos circulating in the public domain were indeed Navy videos.   After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena. DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as "unidentified."  The released videos can be found at the Naval Air Systems Command FOIA Reading Room: https://www.navair.navy.mil/foia/documents.

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/

French Intelligence, Gilbert Payan, and UAP

Introduction

In recent times, I have been focusing on learning more about a number of individuals who are mentioned in Jacques Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume Four." The astute blog reader will have noticed that I have only been writing about U.S. researchers in this series. Now, Vallee, being born in France maintained a network of French individuals, as well as those in the United States.

Source: Amazon Books

I therefore thought, it only fair to take a look at  French researcher, namely, Gilbert Payan. In fact, Vallee's interactions with Payan go back to 1986, which Vallee recorded in his previous book, "Forbidden Science: Volume Three." I take up the story of Payan from 1986.

Source: Amazon Books

After the quotes from Vallee's latest book, concerning Payan, I will add some commentary about Vallee's view on Payan's contacts with US researcher Richard Niemtzow, and French attempts to get Niemtzow to go and work in France - but on what?

(Diary entry dated) 25 April 1986

Vallee talking to Jean-Jacques Velasco.

"He told me of his recent visit to Alain Esterle, whom he describes as entirely focused on his career goals. They went to see Gilbert Payan, an industrialist from Compagnie Generale des Eaux who secretly serves as the Gray Eminence of French ufology: his factory makes the diffraction gratings for Gepan, which they hand out to the Gendarmes in hope of getting a UFO spectrum, to no avail so far (26.)

Payan is from Ecole Polytechnique, so he immediately addressed Esterle: 'which promotion are you from?' Then he turned to Velasco, asking him the same question. But Jean-Jacques didn't graduate from Polytechnique; he is a simple technician who studied to become an engineer. After that all the conversation was between Esterle and Payan."

In note 26, Vallee provides a biography of Payan, which will assist understand Payan's role in French UAP research.

"Gilbert Payan, a graduate (1948) of Ecole Polytechnique and a specialist in power lasers, pursued parallel careers in industry and on the fringes of French secret military services. After postgraduate studies in Germany (1951-52) and at Cornell University (1952-53) Payan worked as a civil engineer, joining ENSA (now Technip) in 1959, developing a petro-chemical plant in Shiraz (Iran.) From 1968 to 1971  he worked at Creusot-Loire as project leader on the Rapsodie nuclear plant, becoming head of R & D in the Mechanical department.

In 1976 he was president of the Mechanics division of the DGRST (a military research center.) From 1978 to 1981 he served as Chief Operating Officer, then CEO of Instruments SA, a company developing military optics. He became president of a franco-soviet group for scientific instrumentation in industry.

In 1982 Payan was director of the Mechanics-robotics -optical department at the Ministry of research and Technology, a position he left in 1985 to become advisor on power laser development under the Eureka program. He became CEO of Jobin & Yvon about 1986. After 1990, he continued to work as a private consultant."

My notes:

1. Alain Esterle was the head of GEPAN between 1979 and 1983 - Groupe d'Etude des Phenomenes Aerospatiaux non-identifies which ran between 1977-1987.

2. Claude Poher was the head of GEPAN  between 1977 and 1979.

Source: http://minotb52ufo.com/poher/cpb.php

3. Jean-Jacques Velasco was head of SEPRA  between 1984 and at least 1999) - Service d'Expertise des Phenomenes de Rentrees Atmospheriques. 

Source: IUR V25 n4. 

13 June 1989

Talking about visiting Velasco.

"We went  over to Neron Data in the afternoon to fix some bugs in the Ovnibase expert system, and Jean-Jacques gave me a copy of the Gepan database. He confirmed that some of the French teams interested in microwave weapons wanted to talk to Niemtzow, notably the shadowy Gilbert Payan who works with ETCA (Etablishment Technique Central de l'Armement.)"

18 June 1989

Vallee talking to Richard Niemtzow.

Niemtzow: "Veyret tells me I should meet with Gilbert Payan, have you heard that name before?'

Vallee: "Jean-Jacques did mention him, behind the scenes guy, especially interested in microwaves." I didn't tell him that Jean_Jacques had told me, in the plane, going to Boulder, that Payan was working closely with the military at ETCA, like our friend Francois Louange...'Payan aime le secret' were Velasco's exact words..."

" 'Payan is a consultant with the Defense Nationale' Niemtzow went on. 'Apparently he's highly respected. They say he can get me a position in France...' According to Richard, Payan is in contact with a Monsieur Cannon, or Cannone, supposedly with French Intelligence at the Embassy in Switzerland who traveled to the U.S. to see Niemtzow on a mission hurriedly arranged by the Quai d'Orsay last year."

My notes:

1. "Veyret" is Dr Bernard Veyret, of the University of Bordeauz. Vallee writes,that Veyret studies the bioeffects of microwaves, non-ionizing radiation and plant biology. Veyret's name crops up first in "Forbidden Science: Volume Three" page 399. Vallee speaks to Richard Niemtzow:

 Niemtzow: "I've just had another call from Dr Bernard Veyret, who is doing research on electromagnetism at the University of Bordeaux. He's the one who is trying to validate the Priore machine and the use of microwaves in cancer treatment...well, this Veyret is open-minded about UFOs, but I don't think that's his real interest. He mentioned it might be possible for me to work half time at  Sepra in Toulouse and half time in Bordeaux...Veyret tells me I should meet with Gilbert Payan..."

2. Quai d'Orsay refers to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

30 July 1989

Vallee talking to Niemtzow, who had just returned from a trip to France to visit 'people within the hierarchy representing the French government's interest in the UFO question.'

"He went on to Paris where he met Gilbert Payan and Jean-Jacques Velasco. Payan invited them to lunch at his apartment so there were no witnesses to their discussions of UFOs and physiological effects of microwaves. Although Payan represented himself as a high ranking official of the Ministry of research, Richard suspected he was a specialist in scientific intelligence using the research ministry as a cover. He kept Richard and Jacqueline most of the afternoon, asking many questions but providing few answers himself. He was evasive when asked about the future of the French program at CNES.

During the lunch, which was formal, with Payan keeping his jacket and tie in spite of the sweltering heat (I joked that he could not take them off because his tape recorder was inside his breast pocket, his tie hiding the wire) Payan mentioned that France was making progress on ionic propulsion systems. He had also been associated with Poher's project to camouflage automated UFO detection devices into atmospheric monitoring station, an effort that went nowhere.

Payan asked Richard numerous questions about microwaves: would they interfere with recording equipment? No, replied Richard with the impression Payan already had the answers. The apartment held an excellent UFO library. Payan knew my work and had read all of Niemtzow's papers. He clearly occupied a position of clout in the administration, from which he plans to retire in a few months, but Richard had the impression he did not know much more than we did on UFOs, while he was very up-to-date about the aerospace industry both French and American. Space travel seemed to be his dominant interest, along with sophisticated weapons: his interest in UFOs is linked to the desire to manufacture a "ray" that could paralyze people at a distance like these objects do. Dr Cannone, of French intelligence, was again mentioned as his "collaborator." And Payan considered the idea of hiring Richard as a consultant on these issues.

Whenever they discussed UFOs it was the medical aspect that came back. Would certain types of radiation be useful in paralyzing muscles? What was the effect of microwaves on tissue? At what frequencies? Those were the topics he wanted to discuss. They correlated closely with those asked by Dr Bernard Veyret of Bordeaux University Medical School, himself an expert on radiation impact on human tissue who recently visited Richard in Texas.

This brought up an interesting point about Velasco that did not escape Richard's attention. At one time Velasco said that he had only spoken to Payan once or twice, and that he did not know of Veyret's visit to Texas until it happened. Yet during lunch he mentioned earlier conversations with Payan about Veyret's imminent visit. Richard felt sure that Velasco and Payan had in fact spoken of it frequently.

Another incident threw their relationship into a different light, when Payan casually mentioned that both CIA and KGB had gone through Gepan files in Toulouse. Velasco's mouth opened in shock: 'What do you mean?' he managed to say. His question was answered by another question: 'What did you expect them to do' asked Payan..."

23 August 1998

Visiting with Richard Niemtzow.

"Richard showed me the latest letter from Gilbert Payan (from Boulogne) inviting him to France. It suggested that he contact a woman named Annie Wolff who seems to be his assistant. As he had told me before, it hinted that they could help him secure a job at Hoffman-LaRoche while he would be supplementing his income working for 'them' as a consultant. But who is 'them?'

Another document Richard gave me answered the question: it was an excellent summary of biological effects of weak microwaves written by three scientists from Bordeaux University on behalf of the SGDN, the General Secretariat for National Defense.

'Clearly the French are moving towards he development of what they call MOPAP weapons. Anti-personnel Pulsed Microwaves,' he said. 'Do you think I should go there and join their project? See where it leads? My wife is French, we could easily move back, Payan has hinted I could work with Velasco in Toulouse. I could become active in their UFO work...I have good contacts with amateur groups in France...'

The notes from Payan indicate that the Pentagon review, Soviet Military Power repeatedly stressed that the Soviets had studied MOPAP weapons and were in a position to manufacture them. An ETCA mission to the U.S. (arranged in part by Niemtzow in July 1987) brought back data on American progress in this area. Payan quotes articles from IEEE Spectrum and Heracles International that indicate that microwave beams can paralyze or injure fighting troops by acting on the nervous system...Payan is no dummy. He must know quite well that Niemtzow has to report on such contacts..."

19 October 1989

"Velasco has seen Payan again: 'The more I know this man, the stranger he seems,' Jean-Jacques said."

27 October 1989

Vallee is in Paris. "I am eating a snack before my appointment with Payan at the Armament's technical center."

28 October 1989

Discussing the Voronezh case.

"When I mentioned that the object may have sported the Ummo symbol on its side, Velasco and Payan said this confirmed their suspicions about KGB influence over the saga of the friendly Ummites....next we talked about Trans-en-Provence. I gave them the results of our micro-analysis of the soil samples, which proves that Nicolai told the truth and the traces were truly unexplained. We talked about Niemtzow and Poher. Payan clearly has some latitude in military research and is close to the French secret service..."

Forbidden Science: Volume Four

29 June 1990

"This morning I met with Gilbert Payan for breakfast at Le Depart on place Saint Michel. He was still fuming about a new book by physicist Jean-Pierre Petit. Payan thinks that Ummo is a brainchild of the KGB, designed to steal advanced ideas in science. Like Martine, he suspects a connection to LaRouche's Fusion group, one of the KGB's operations in the West...He seemed astonished when I told him that MHD (magneto-hydrodynamics) was known in the US, long before Petit's research."

12 June 1993

Phone conversation between Vallee and Kit Green, about crop circles being formed by the use of infrared and microwaves.  "So at least we agree on that: he's come around to the conclusion Velasco and Payan reached a year ago, based on their own lab work."

17 May 1994

"An executive from a French company came over for lunch today, bringing Gilbert Payan, so we ended up talking about microwave weapons and Russian energy research. Payan is close to Monory, a powerful French politician, President of the Senate. He promised to send me a paper about the new weapons, which he said the US had been trying to convince the french to develop for the last eight years.

'Microwave weapons are of two kinds,' he said, 'those that act against electronics, either frying circuits or confusing them, and those that act against personnel, especially at the alpha frequency. An entire region can be exposed, with the inhabitants rendered confused or sick. The exact effects are debated but not denied.So that's how the joint project developed, about the crop circles.'

Payan told me that Poher had become marginalized. 'It's tough to fight, all alone, for so long. He's disgusted with the scientific community. He's become stuck in dubious theories.'

Intrigued by my references to microwave weapons in Confrontations, he asked if I'd gotten the information from Niemtzow who he said was an expert in the field. So that's why Gepan was so eager to work with him; ufology was just an excuse."

25 May 1994

Vallee and his wife dined with Alain Boudier. "Boudier said that Payan suggested that the CNES should demand from Les Americains a piece of the material from Roswell. A French general named Pouliquen, attached to the embassy in Washington, has a mission to establish liaison with the Pentagon about this. Boudier suggested I contact him in Washington to see if I could help."

4 September 1994

"Over dinner at his home last night Gilbert Payan told us the full story of the PK tests done by Crussard and Jean-Pierre Girard. I asked him about the Gateau sample, which he remembered well, 'We did analyze it,' he said. 'It turned out to be a combination of metals, the result of an odd series of heatings and coolings. But what good is a case like that? No piece of the actual propulsion system is available."

"Payan argues that an Alien race may live in the asteroid belt, from which smaller ships come, using antimatter propulsion. 'That may not explain everything, but in France you have to present a believable theory, before academics will deign to look at the data,' he said astutely as he drove us back to the Latin Quarter after midnight. He thinks that the Council on Foreign Relations is behind a plot to create a one-world government along with the Trilateral Commission.: the 'far right connection again?'"

1 November 1994

"Payan, who has no concept of a scientist who can be a free spirit, told me the other day, 'You'll never have the same high position in France, given your open interest in the paranormal.'"

6 November 1994

"Sipping tomato juice at Deux Magots Gilbert Payan, 'the man in the shadows,' told me that he thought the dwarfish beings at Roswell were artificial biological specimens and that the "craft" had been dropped from a real UFO to deliver a Fourth of July warning to the United States, at their first atom bomb site: an idea worth pondering.

I reminded him that I had entered the field because of Aime Michel and Guerin, and late Hynek, but I certainly wouldn't enter it now, repelled as I am by the blatant hoaxes and the pseudo-religious squabbles that stain the field.

I showed Payan the Melvin Laird correspondence with Les Aspin, which amazed him. he would have given anything, he said, to keep a copy.

He told me that upon her arrival in France Mary Galbraith had gone straight to the CNES where she was received courteously but learned nothing, naturally."

25 November 1995

"French Defense consultant Gilbert Payan, with whom I had lunch at Punjab yesterday, continues to believe that an Alien spaceship crashed in Roswell. He is only interested in classical physical models. Anything that doesn't fit he ascribes to 'magical tricks.'"

26 November 1995

Pierre Lagrange: "...told us that Payan had inspired most of Velasco's latest book, which hypothesizes that UFOs were antimatter spacecraft flying from a base within the asteroid belt, a bizarre idea with no bases."

24 April 1996

"Industrialist Gilbert Payan just explained to me with some humour why the French General Staff dislike non-lethal weapons. 'You can't walk proudly down the Champ-Elysees brandishing a pot of glue,' he observed wryly. 'Besides, the Americans aren't sharing their microwave secrets with us, and they also keep secret the use of magneto-hydrodynamics in their missiles.' He blames Jean-Pierre Petit for the disrepute into which MHD research has fallen in France."

27 April 1996

"It is sad that the French - even the best informed intellectuals like Payan or Therese - know nothing about scangate, still classified. Yet they pretend to be fully informed about what goes on in America."

29 June 1997

"Defense consultant Gilbert Payan believes the Roswell crash was a setup on the part of extraterrestrials who influence our destiny. He did provide valuable background on Bernard Veyret and Francois Louange, whom I plan to invite to a new workshop planned by Peter Sturrock under Laurance Rockefeller's sponsorship..."

My commentary:

Firstly, I will extract some quotes from Vallee's book:

1. Jean-Jacques Velasco "confirmed that some of the French teams interested in microwave weapons wanted to talk to Niemtzow, notably the shadowy Gilbert Payan who works with ETCA (Etablishment Technique Central de l'Armement.)" (13 June 1989.)

2. Payan tells Niemtzow that he can get Niemtzow a job in France (18 June 1989.)

3. A French Intelligence officer went to see Niemtzow in the USA. (18 June 1989.)

4. "Richard suspected he was a specialist in scientific intelligence..." (30 July 1989.)

5. Re Payan: "...his interest in UFOs is linked to the desire to manufacture a "ray" that could paralyze people at a distance like these objects do. Dr Cannone, of French intelligence, was again mentioned as his "collaborator." And Payan considered the idea of hiring Richard as a consultant on these issues." (30 July 1989.)

6. Re Payan: "Intrigued by my references to microwave weapons in Confrontations, he asked if I'd gotten the information from Niemtzow who he said was an expert in the field. So that's why Gepan was so eager to work with him; ufology was just an excuse."

In short, by 1994, Vallee had concluded that the French were interested in working with US citizen Richard Niemtzow, not because of any mutual interest in UAP, but because of Niemtzow's speciality in the area of the effects of microwaves, which apparently the French were looking to develop as a weapon.

To my knowledge, Niemtzow never did go to work in France on this area of microwaves.

Revelations re the US Navy and UAP

Background

On the 16 December 2017, Politico magazine in the USA, along with the New York Times, broke the story that the U.S. Department of Defense had run a "secret" study of UFOs between about 2008 and 2012.

Today, one of Politico Magazine's articles was titled "U.S. Navy drafting new guidelines for reporting UFOs," which is a very interesting development indeed! The article deserves to be quoted in full, to which I will add my own comments.

The article

The article, written by Bryan Bender and dated 23 April 2019, is as follows:

"The U.S. Navy is drafting new guidelines for pilots and other personnel to report encounters with "unidentified aircraft,' a significant new step in creating a formal process to collect and analyze the unexplained sightings-and destigmatize them.

The previously unreported move is in response to a series of sightings of unknown, highly advanced aircraft intruding on Navy strike groups and other sensitive military formations and facilities, the service says.

"There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and /or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years," the Navy said in a statement in response to questions from POLITICO. "For safety reasons and security concerns, the Navy and the [U.S. Air Force] takes these reports very seriously and investigates  each and every report.

"As part of this effort,' it added, "the Navy is updating and formalizing the process by which reports of any such suspected incursions can be made to the cognizant authorities. A new message to the fleet that will detail the steps for reporting is in draft."

To be clear, the Navy isn't endorsing the idea that its sailors have encountered alien spacecraft. But it is acknowledging there have been enough strange aerial sightings by credible and highly trained military personnel that they need to be recorded in the official record and studied -rather than dismissed as some kooky phenomena from the realm of science-fiction.

Chris Mellon, a former Pentagon intelligence official and ex-staffer on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said establishing a more formal means of reporting what the military now calls "unexplained aerial phenomena" - rather then "unidentified flying objects" - would be a "sea change."

"Right now, we have situation in which UFOs and UAPs are treated as anomalies to be ignored rather than anomalies to be explored," he said. "We have systems that exclude that information and dump it."

For example, Mellon said "in a lot of cases [military personnel ] don't know what to do with that information-like satellite data or a radar that sees something going mach 3. They will dump [the data] because that is not a traditional aircraft or missile."

The development comes amid growing interest from members of Congress following revelations by POLITICO and the New York Times in late 2017 that the Pentagon established a dedicated office inside the Defense Intelligence Agency to study UAPs at the urging of several senators who secretly set aside appropriations for the effort.

That office spent some $25 million conducting a series of technical studies and evaluating numerous unexplained incursions, including  one that lasted several days involving the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in 2004. In that case, Navy fighter jets were outmaneuvered by unidentified aircraft that flew in ways that appeared to defy the laws of known physics.

Raytheon, a leading defense contractor, used the reports and  official Defense Department video of the sightings off the coat of California to hail one of its radar systems for capturing the phenomena.

The Pentagon's UFO research office, known as the Advanced Aerospace Threat identification program, was officially wound down in 2012 when the Congressional earmark ran out.

But lawmakers are now asking questions, the Navy also reports. "In response to requests for information from  Congressional members and staff, Navy officials have provided a series of briefings by senior Naval Intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety," the service said in its statement to POLITICO.

The Navy declined to identify who had been briefed, nor would it provide more details on the guidelines for reporting that are being drafted for the fleet. The Air Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Advocates for treating such sightings as a potential national security threat have long criticized leaders for giving the phenomenon relatively little attention and for encouraging a culture in which personnel feel that speaking up about it could hurt their career.

Luis Elizondo, the former Pentagon official who ran the so-called AATIP office, complained after he retired from government service that the Pentagon's approach to these unidentified aircraft has been far too blase.

"If you are in a busy airport and see something you are supposed to say something," Elizondo said. "With out own military members it is kind of the opposite: "If you see something, don't say something." He added that because these mysterious aircraft "don't have  a tail number or a flag -in some cases not even a tail-it's crickets. What happens in five years if it turns out these are extremely advanced Russian aircraft?"

Elizondo will be featured in an upcoming documentary series about the Pentagon ufo research he oversaw. He said the six part series will reveal more recent sightings of UAPs by dozens of military pilots.

Both Elizondo and Chris Mellon are involved with the To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences, which supports research into explaining the technical advances these reported UAPs demonstrate."

What are the key pieces of information here?

1. Let's first take a look at the wording of part of the statement from the US Navy to POLITICO. 

 "There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and /or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years," the Navy said in a statement in response to questions from POLITICO. "For safety reasons and security concerns, the Navy and the [U.S. Air Force] takes these reports very seriously and investigates  each and every report.

"As part of this effort," it added, "the Navy is updating and formalizing the process by which reports of any such suspected incursions can be made to the cognizant authorities. A new message to the fleet that will detail the steps for reporting is in draft."

So, the US Navy acknowledges the existence of a number or reports of 'unidentified aircraft'. A great step forward. Then "the Navy and the [U.S. Air Force] takes these reports very seriously and investigates  each and every report." This appears to be a new piece of information, both the Navy and the USAF investigates each and every report? This doesn't seem to fit with what we have previously known, and the USAF repeatedly has shown official disinterest in studying such reports in recent years.

However, I would like to wait and see what the USAF comment is, about this new move by the US Navy. Will they likewise, issue new procedures for reporting such "unidentified aircraft." If so, will a USAF body be established to analyse such reports? A number of questions remain unanswered.

Similarly, if the US Navy does promulgate new instructions about reporting such phenomena, who are the "cognizant authorities" to whom the reports will be forwarded? Will this be a new agency?

2. Next let's take a look at another part of the US Navy statement, namely:

"In response to requests for information from  Congressional members and staff, Navy officials have provided a series of briefings by senior Naval Intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety," 

We have been aware of moves to brief members of Congress, and this has been reported to have already occurred. Some researchers have been looking for formal Congressional hearings to be undertaken, however, the US Navy statement concerns "briefings" not hearings. Note the statement that there have been "briefings by senior Naval Intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety," It would be safe to assume that some of the already identified aircrew from the 2004 USS Nimitz incidents, and currently unnamed aircrew from the 2015 East coast will have provided testimony. What the "senior Naval Intelligence officials" spoke about of course, remains unknown.

Another question, and an important one, remains, will the general public get to hear of future military witness reports, and see the results of any analysis, or will we still be left in the dark?

In summary

An excellent first move by the US Navy in response to credible, and authoritative witnesses who have been willing to come forward. Together with the efforts of such journalists as George Knapp; the members of the To The Stars Academy and the team at the Scientific Coalition for Ufology who submitted their technical report to members of Congress. Well done.

Update: 25 April 2019

1. The Washington Post dated 24 April 2019 contained an article by Deanna Paul. Included in the text was the following:

"'Since 2014, these intrusions have been happening on a regular basis,' Joseph Gradisher, spokesman for office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, told the Washington Post on Wednesday.

'We want to get to the bottom of this. We need to determine who's doing it, where it's coming from and what their intention is. We need to try to find ways to prevent it from happening again.'"

The LinkedIn page for Joseph Gradisher shows that he is listed as a PAO, US Navy, Washington DC Metro area. Public Relations and Communications. With Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance (N2/N6) since October 2010.

An Internet search reveals that Vice Admiral Matthew J Kohler is the current Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, since July 2018. It would seem to imply that he must have endorsed the statement before it was released.

Source: https://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=653

2. Thanks to  a lead from twitter user D Dean Johnson, I obtained a copy of the full text of the US Navy's statement, from the US Navy itself.

"There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years.

For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the USAF take these reports very seriously and investigate each and every report. As part of this effort, the Navy is updating and formalizing the process by which reports of any such suspected intrusions can be made to the cognizant authorities. A new message to the fleet will detail the steps for reporting is in draft.

In response to requests for information from Congressional members and staff, Navy officials have provided a series of briefings by senior Naval intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety."

The statement attributed to Joseph Gradisher, Spokesman for Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare.

Update 31 May 2019

An article titled 'Remove the stigma:' Navy changes its guidelines for reporting UFOs by reporter Michelle Basch, appeared yesterday US time, on wtop.com.

It quoted a US Navy spokesperson:

"We are currently updating guidelines to be more aircraft specific in order to facilitate reports of unidentified aircraft/unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that support an objective data driven analysis," Joseph Gradisher spokesperson for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, wrote in a statement to WTOP.

...Gradisher said "multiple Department of Defense and Intelligence Community organizations" could be involved. "The information obtained in these reports will be catalogued and analysed for the purpose of identifying any hazard to our aviators," Gradisher's ststement continues "...Furthermore, any report generated as a result of these investigations, will by necessity, include classified information on military operations. Therefore, no release of information to the general public is expected."

My comment:

The To The Stars Academy, released two US Navy videos on its website for anyone to view. The information provided with the videos lacked both the date the videos were taken, and the location of the aircraft involved. It certainly, seems to me, that the US Navy could release a redacted version of reports made under the new guidelines, if they so chose to do so.

Update 21 July 2019

In a Twitter tweet dated 19 July 2019, journalist Bryan Bender wrote:

"Audience member @Aspensecurity asks @INDOPACOM Commander about Navy reports on UFOs. Chuckles all round but Adm. Phil Davidson responded that there is now a reporting process for these unexplained sightings and says the encounters were during "a finite period.""

Update: 16 June 2021

It was announced today that the House Select Committee on Intelligence's sub-committee titled Counter terrorism; counter intelligence and counter proliferation would hold a classified briefing on UAP today. Chaired by Congressman Andre Carson. 

Dan T. Smith - UAP, and the "end times."

Introduction

Another of the numerous individuals who have inhabited the UAP landscape over the years, is one Dan T. Smith.

As blog readers will be aware, I am continuing to examine the vast amount of information in Jacques Vallee's latest book "Forbidden Science: Volume Four." Here, in Vallee's diaries, I found a series of notes about Dan T. Smith. I will quote Vallee:

(In a diary entry dated ) 22 January 1993

Vallee was talking with Linda Moulton Howe.

"One of her observations concerns the crop circles. She said the CIA had descended on the English fields since my conversation with Kit on the subject and hinted that Pandolfi may have sent George Wingfield along with Rosemary-Ellen Guiley, Robert Irving and Owen Lewis. 'They come straight from Langley,' said Linda. 'The group also includes Dan T. Smith and a Dr Schnabel.' I can't verify any of it."

20 June 1993

In conversation with Linda Moulton Howe.

"She gave me another view of Pandolfi: 'He runs a special project with an interest in crop circles, the paranormal...Rosemary keeps sending faxes to him. She and Dan Smith introduce themselves as 'working for the CIA' They ask questions like: How can Christians help in the coming Apocalypse?"

7 January 1994

"The enigmatic Dan T. Smith is setting up meetings all over the Bay Area, again claiming direction from Pandolfi. He dangles money and rumours, arranging luncheons with people, taking their photographs, taping conversations. He claims that Robert Frosch (former NASA boss, now at GM) ran a secret UFO study at the Johnson Space Center in the mid-1970's along with Kit, using microwaves to study their effects on human behaviour."

4 February 1994

"Kit urges me to meet Dan Smith: why is he pushing me into this mess? Should I mention that Smith spreads the rumour that Kit was involved in MK-Ultra and 'isn't somebody on whom you should turn your back?' Those games are too subtle for me."

11 February 1994

"Dan T. Smith phoned my office this morning, telling my assistant he was referred to me by 'his two good friends Fred Beckman and Kit Green.' I didn't return the call..."

27 February 1994

"Then I spoke with Scott Jones who was scheduling a meeting in Washington with various researchers and Dan Smith. I declined to attend"

25 July 1994

"Now I learn that the source of the rumour about the supposed 'assasination' of Ron Johnson is none other than Dan T. Smith. This episode illustrates of the confusion in the field. Much of it is being deliberately created, to what end?"

1 December 1994

Speaking about Heathen and Bootsie Galbraith.

"Dan T. Smith, too, claims his family was always close to the Galbraiths."

13 March 1995

Vallee is talking with Fred Beckman about Vallee's trip to Brazil and rumours that the military showed Vallee films of alien autopsies.

Vallee: "'Where are these rumours coming from?"

'From Durant, surprisingly, he confessed, 'And Dan T. Smith...Dan Smith got it from Ron Pandolfi at CIA...'

3 February 1996

Discussion between Vallee, Hal Puthoff and Kit Green.

"'Pandolfi's office has antagonized people in Washington' was the answer, 'Dan T. Smith continues to spread rumours and confusion.' 'Why did you push me to meet with that crowd?' I asked Kit. 'I was really impressed with them at the time,' he answered."

'Hal talks to Ron Blackburn, expecting his confidence but Blackburn brags freely to Beckman and McCampbell, who try to impress Dan Smith..."

A search for further information

An Internet search provided me with further information about Smith. 

2000

In a 15 September 2000 interview, reprinted on an Internet site, in 2013, Smith stated:

"My father was involved with the military in WW11 and was later in the government as an economist. He had no interest in UFOs, but was in contact with some influential people who I discovered later had unusual interests. After doing some graduate work in physics I turned to metaphysics. An extended psychic experience led me to contact MUFON and through them I came into contact with Tom [Ronald Pandolfi-KB] at the CIA in '91. He was known as the 'keeper of the weird.'

"...I wanted to find out what take the CIA might have on eschatology [See note below-KB] and possibly provide some input. Discussing the aviary and the UFO community was a good excuse for continuing contact with an intelligence officer who had relevant responsibilities."

"...I began to network with some folks in the UFO community who were interested in sharing information. Through Tom I was in contact with some other members of the aviary...At one point some of my UFO colleagues persuaded the CIA I/G (Inspector General) to conduct an internal investigation of Tom relative to his unusual methods of collecting information...well there was the fact that he was involved in domestic collections. He was making provocative statements to me about the possible presence of ETs. He spoke freely of his involvement with other members of the aviary. On several occasions we met in 'nightclubs.' He had 'indelicate' conversations with a female researcher. It was far from clear what was in the line of duty. He was interviewed by an IG officer..."

"...along with the rest of the UFO community , I believe that we have been visited. I believe that this visitation was in preparation for a messianic event which is imminent. That event will inaugurate our Millennium of preparation leading up to the Eschaton...I am suggesting that the Visitors could be playing several roles that would be relevant to a messianic event..."

My note:

I needed to look up what the word "eschatology" in a dictionary. There it was defined as "a part of theology concerned with the final events of history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity. This concept is commonly referred to as the "end of the world" or"end times."

2011

In a 22 June 2011 article.

Source: http://www.starpod.us/2011/06/22/about-dan-t-smith/#.XLxASzAzbIU

In part, the article read:

"Smith became interested in what the government knows about paranormal phenomena in the 1980's. In the early 1990's he joined Rosemary Ellen Guily, a famous paranormalist, in an investigation of crop circles in Britain.

Shortly after Smith began looking into government complicity in a cover-up of an eschatological phenomenon problem, he was introduced to a CIA analyst named Ron Pandolfi.

Smith and Pandolfi have been friends ever since, and Smith often blogs about the latest gossip passed on to him by Pandolfi.

Smith has shared numerous communications with Pandolfi and some of his associates, like Dr Kit Green, another former CIA analyst.

In 2006, Pandolfi shared Green's communications with Smith, to facilitate spreading the information to investigators."

Nick Redfern on Smith in 2016

I found a 24 November 2016 article by US researcher Nick Redfern, which mentioned Smith.

"And then there is Dan T. Smith whose father was Harvard economist Dan Throop Smith, the Treasury Department's number-one tax advisor during the Eisenhower administration. Researcher Gary Bekkum said of Dan T. Smith: 'His personal meetings have included former and present representatives of the US government intelligence community and their political associates, like Chris Straub, a former member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Researcher Vince Johnston, who had the opportunity to speak with Smith about his ufological views and insider contacts stated: 'According to Smith, UFOs are primarily a psychological/metaphysical phenomenon which are both preparing us and pressuring us to develop our own PSI abilities. Not that UFOs are a single type of entity; Smith asserts that there are 'powers and principalities' at work - presumably supernatural entities such as angels and demons.

Johnson added: '[Smith] reported that his governmental sources 'hinted at' an eschatological emergency... when I asked why the CIA was interested in eschatology, he replied that the ramifications of the eschaton event represented a serious threat to national security, and thus fell into the purview of the intelligence agencies. Smith also revealed that the eschatological issues he raised related directly to the biblical prophecies of the Book of Revelation."

Lt. Colonel Ronald F Blackburn and Roswell

Vallee and Blackburn

Over the years, some very interesting individuals have inhabited the UAP landscape. One of these individuals was Lt. Colonel Ronald F Blackburn (USAF-retired) as documented in Jacques Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume Three" and "Forbidden Science: Volume Four." 

Blackburn first surfaced in 1986, and I have documented what Vallee said about Blackburn's UAP interests in the period 1986-1989, in a previous post.  You may wish to read this former post before proceeding further. This post, also provided some information about Blackburn's activities during 2000-2005, where he appeared to fall from the UAP landscape.

Now, with the publication of "Forbidden Science: Volume Four" we can learn what Blackburn was up to in the decade 1990-1999. So, the following are quotes from Vallee's latest diaries, plus some comments by myself.

(Diary entry dated) 22 January 1990

"Now an Army officer named Ed Dames, one of Hal Puthoff's remote viewers, calls me from Maryland. He says he's a friend of Ron Blackburn and John Alexander. He 'has been psychically monitoring a site of paranormal activity' and wants my involvement."

12 February 1990

"At four o'clock Ed Dames came to my office for a quiet talk...the data points to a mesa outside Los Alamos, so Ed Dames wants us to go there in May with Dr Ron Blackburn, a  senior Lockheed scientist."

23 February 1990

"Over lunch today the enigmatic Colonel Ron Blackburn decided to come clean with me in anticipation of our trip to New Mexico. Ron gave me an impressive biography, with sanitized entries entitled 'Achievements in the field of national security.' He'd co-founded what I jokingly nicknamed the 'secret onion' group and co-organised a national panel on UFOs. In the first case, his co-founder was John Alexander; in the second case, it was none other than Kit Green, who never told me about this."

My comment:

I wasn't aware that Blackburn co-founded the Advanced Theoretical Physics project. Based on my previous reading, I believe it had been started by John B Alexander.

5 March 1990

"At the Perfect Recipe Ron Blackburn confirmed Major Ed Dames was arranging to meet us in New Mexico for a night drive to hunt for Aliens. I asked Ron about his involvement with Roswell. he assured me he knew a man who did radiation tests on the crashed material. 'It was amazing. He had a piece as big as this room, and he could lift it with one hand. The fellow is afraid to talk about it.'

'Where do you think the material is now?' Blackburn shrugged.

'It could be anywhere, since the Iran-Contra affair the folks in Washington don't take any chances that a Congressional staffer might stumble on the truth. It's all been farmed out.'"

16 April 1990

"Over lunch again with Colonel Ron Blackburn at the Gatehouse in Palo Alto he revealed that the 'secret onion' group started in 1985 in the classified tank located in his basement at the Lockheed Skunk Works. Colonel John Alexander had brought him a list of the people for the inner circle. They divided the world into layers of concentric trust and ability. John introduced Blackburn to Ed Dames. Blackburn and I have firmed up our plans to travel to New Mexico on May 4th up to the high mesa - supposedly to meet some Aliens."

4 May 1990

"Ron Blackburn is as tall as I am, younger by a couple of years. He walks stiffly and expresses himself hesitatingly without moving his head, his lizard eyes scanning in a subtle, disquieting way. We established a base of operations near Los Alamos. 'I am convinced the government is working on UFOs,' he told me.'What are the chances some witnesses are being fooled by special effects developed for psychological warfare?... 'They're pretty good,' he admitted.

Ron once developed magnetic UFO detectors at Kirkland Air Force base. They were stolen when he moved...In the evening Ron and I drove to Abiquiu, home of artist George O'Keefe...Eventually our leaders gave up the attempt to reach the top [of the mesa-KB.]

5 May 1990

Vallee attends a meeting of the 'secret onion' core group. Blackburn is present.

"Ron Blackburn gave the Lockheed viewpoint. When he joined the Skunk Works at Burbank he worked with a scientist named Paul Tyler who encouraged him to investigate UFOs from the point of view of 'energy, consciousness and form - where form is negotiable.' Ron believes that Roswell was a true crash, with bodies."

6 May 1990

"This morning, as we had just packed our suitcases, Ron Blackburn reached out dramatically to the telephone in his room, carefully took it apart 'in case someone had an infinity device plugged into the line.'...As out plane took off on the way back, Ron Blackburn pointed to a series of tall towers under the airplane. 'Those are the electro-magnetic pulse testing facility I built for the Air Force,' he said. 'Thousands of volts flow between those towers.'"

18 June 1990

"Colonel Blackburn was striding across the parking lot when I arrived at the Perfect Recipe in Palo Alto this afternoon. He handed me a historic paper from the second meeting of his group, dated 1985. It proposed a compartmentalized scientific approach, with a small research team composed of Peter Sturrock, Allen Hynek and myself receiving funding (some $150,000 for my own part of the research, although I was never consulted about what I would do) for specific phases of activity. But it also, contained an absurd map of alleged UFO centers, bases and hypothetical 'entry points' at Mount Shasta.'

2 August 1990

Speaking of Kit Green.

"He dismissed the 1987 report by Howard Blum about a secret group. Blum's book simply alluded to John Alexander and Ron Blackburn's proposed project I have nicknamed the secret onion. It went nowhere."

19 July 1994

"Over lunch at Orchids today Fred related a new rumour spread by Ron Blackburn, about the death of Ron Johnson at the SSE meeting. Blackburn claims that Johnson was losing vast amounts of blood by his nostrils, eyes and ears. I told Fred that none of this happened, but he would rather believe a lurid story spread by Blackburn, who wasn't there, than my testimony as an eye witness.

I've checked with a doctor who gave me his own data about Johnson's death, putting Blackburn's irresponsible claims in perspective. The doctor was in the room and saw Ron die. He even gave me photographic documents and confirmed Ron only lost a few drops of blood from his nose. So why should I trust Blackburn again when he tells me he's handled the hardware from Roswell?"

23 December 1995

News that Ron Pandolfi was the source of the leaks about the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS.)

"In my dismay I was glad to hear that Blackburn had commented 'With Vallee in there, it may come to something good...'

7 January 1996

Robert Bigelow was looking to recruit for NIDS.

Bigelow: "I've also spoken to a fellow named Ron Blackburn, who's resume came through John Alexander, d'you know Blackburn? He's a technician, not a manager.' Here, I could only agree..."

3 February 1996

"I continue to worry about confidentiality of cases and witnesses. Hal talks to Ron Blackburn expecting his confidence but Blackburn brags freely to Beckman and McCampbell..."

In summary

Blackburn's UAP interests, seem to have started out as a classic "nuts and bolts" perspective; and then, over time, veered towards information obtained through remote viewing; and later into the more controversial debate about the existence of a hypothetical companion to the Sun and its effects upon Earth. By 2005, he was attending a crash retrieval conference, back to the physical.

Other researchers:

For my detailed blog post on the work of Dr Richard Charles Niemtzow who was researching the medical effects of close encounter, years before Christopher (Kit) Green, click here.

For my detailed post on the work of Dr Richard M Neal, who was interested in the abduction area of missing embryos, click here.  

More on C Richard D'Amato and 'black" UAP programs

Introduction

In a previous post, I discussed some brief observations on an individual named Richard D'Amato, who was the counsel for International and National Security of the US Senate's Appropriations Committee.

Now, thanks to Jacques Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume four" I have learnt more about D'Amato and his interest in the phenomenon. Below, I cite entries from Vallee's diary, and add a few comments of my own.

In a diary entry dated 18 June 1990

"Tonight, Whitley Strieber called. Pleased with our dinner in New York. He suggested that I meet with a senior Senate staffer, Richard D'Amato, convinced there was illegal Intelligence activity involving UFOs, but 'The spooks will circle the wagons as soon as they notice outside pressure...' D'Amato has been on the Senate staff for 16 years.

'This could be dangerous,' Whitley told me. 'D'Amato will only speak to you on conditions of secrecy, he doesn't want anything to do with ufologists.'"

My comment:

After speaking to author and experiencer Whitley Strieber and UAP researcher Jacques Vallee; D'Amato (see below) went on to talk to UAP researcher and author Timothy Good; journalist and UAP researcher George Knapp, and UAP observer Bob Lazar.  So, it seems to me that several of these individuals are the very UFOlogists that Whitley Strieber stated that D'Amato didn't want anything to do with. Seemingly, a contradiction to me.

21 June 1990

"'You must be Jacques Vallee. I'm Richard D'Amato.' The Counsel for International and National Security of the Senate Appropriations Committee is a solid man in his early 40's, at ease in the magnificent setting of hand-painted ceilings, soft red carpets strewn with gold stars, and Presidential portraits...D'Amato, who has read Confrontations, told me he was upset at the Intelligence community: 'These guys have been hiding their UFO data from the legislative branch for years: they behave as if they ran the country. They only come before us to get the appropriations for their secret projects like their latest discoid platforms, although they're not authorized to fool the American public, or to create hoaxes or UFO simulations using the taxpayer's money, as they do. I intend to find out what's going on.'

'Are you thinking of new congressional hearings?' I asked him.

'Not in the sense ufologists talk about Hearings as if they were a panacea. You can't setup such a process to find out the truth. In this town you must find out the truth first, and THEN you hold the Hearings'...I told him about Jim Irish, the closest I ever came to find a man who has been part of a large, secret UFO data-gathering operation."

My comments:

1. 'These guys have been hiding their UFO data from the legislative branch for years...' I would like to have seen the evidence upon which D'Amato based this statement. Vallee certainly doesn't provide any such evidence from D'Amato.

2. The statement: "You can't setup such a process to find out the truth. In this town you must find out the truth first, and THEN you hold the Hearings" is certainly an interesting perspective. Particularly, given that, in 2019, UAP researchers are looking forward to a Congressional Committee or sub-committee holding hearings on such topics, as the 2004 Nimitz encounters.

24 May 1991

"Flying back from Washington where I just met for three hours with Richard D'Amato at the Senate Appropriations Committee. When I told him about Kit's investigations he agreed the three of us should get together before he did anything about Doty. Since our last discussion he's met with Timothy Good, George Knapp, and Bob Lazar. He also mentioned Heineman, former CIA officer and now an independent consultant who may have access to UFO data. 'What that stealthy group is doing is a felony,' he pointed out. 'For a government employee to knowingly disseminate false information to the public is an offense that should send him to jail. The Government can't spend appropriated money on projects that Congress doesn't know about: it's an even greater offense, if they spend private money to do it.'

'That raises the question, would the President be told the truth?'

'Worse, it raises the question of who is running the country. If the men who sit in this chamber cannot find out about a project, we are no longer in a democracy. Is a private contractor, a Batelle or a Lockheed deciding the fate of the nation? Whatever that secret project, it must be controlled by an incredible level of fear, because nobody dares talk about it. I find no leaks anywhere."

My comments:

1. In my previous D'Amato post I mentioned what I found out about his dealings with Timothy Good.

2. "...he agreed the three of us should get together before he did anything about Doty." Does this refer to Richard Doty?

12 June 1991

" Yesterday the weather in Washington was hot and humid when Kit dropped me off at the national Airport after four hours of intense conversation with D'Amato. I had introduced them to each other at the Madison, having reserved a quiet, private table at the back of the restaurant.

We ordered coffee, pancakes, toast and the discussion began.

'I know where I've heard your name,' said Kit. 'You were involved in the review of the SRI psychic work.' Richard explained that he was now funding the project himself, had actually written the research into legislation and was hoping to get it signed before July.

'Did you ever ask the psychics to look into the UFO problem?'

'Many times Pat Price assured us there were bases on earth. He produced a map with four locations; we checked them carefully. They were technical facilities. One of them, in the French Pyrenees, was a government project, but it didn't involve anything out of the ordinary...D'Amato went on, more eagerly: 'What about crashes? Have you looked into them?'

'I've been told to go and see various authorities that will get me initiated. I've visited two previous directors of the CIA, John McCone and William Colby and Professor Eric Walker...'What did Bill Colby say?' 'He gave me advice. He said, go back to the people who sent you and tell them you're worthy of their confidence. And if they still won't tell you what its all about, drop it!'

'Why do you think he said that?'

'He thinks I'm being used.' he told me, 'Not too many people come and talk to me, face to face. They want me to know they exist.'

'It works like a Brotherhood, then, what are the parameters?'

'Ah, that's an interesting question,' said Kit, perking up. 'I think they belong to a project, but it's a small project, not a big one.'

'Its a small project made out to look like a big one?'

'Yes. And its hidden in a contractor's basement somewhere, not in the government. And all the Brothers, come to think of it, are people in their seventies, older gentlemen.'...

'What is their initiation process?' I asked.

'Apparently you get invited to go into the desert, near Sandia, in New Mexico, and there you see your first UFO,' Kit answered...'I heard the MD in the Brotherhood passed away recently, I was supposed to succeed him,' Kit added. 'Somehow it didn't happen.'

'You must not have passed the test,' said D'Amato. 'How do you think the information works?'

'You'd better ask Jacques,' said Kit. 'He's the expert on that.' We spent the next half hour discussing control systems...

In summary, The secret project is illegal, it isn't within a Government agency. It is small, it generated high-level 'leaks' designed to infect the research community with false data, and the cover makes it look bigger than it really is: not bad for one meeting.

After our quiet lunch, D'Amato left in a hurry to get back to the Hill. Kit relaxed, ordered more coffee and told me 'I know where I've heard of him at the agency. He's got a good reputation but he's typical of all those senate staffers, who think they know everything. The world just doesn't work that way."

My comments:

1. "Kit" is Christopher (Kit) Canfield Green.

2. For more background on Eric Walker please click here

3. "And all the Brothers, come to think of it, are people in their seventies, older gentlemen.' If this statement is true, then almost certainly all this group have now passed away.

22 May 1992

"Today my main meeting was with Richard D'Amato. He arrived on time, ebullient and dapper. He commented gleefully on on the media circus" 'This city thrives on chaos,' he added 'The abduction miniseries on TV has put people to sleep, but Senator Pell remains fascinated by UFOs.' There's a group within the American Federation of Scientists that investigates 'mystery planes' of the Belgian type.

Dick is convinced those are human and the project that makes them, illegal: 'No money was ever appropriated for it. Intelligence groups like AFOSI continue to cover, distort, destroy data, and generally make it impossible for Congress to find out what's going on.' I tell him could understand how a rogue group could keep the lid on data in the U.S., but what about other nations?"

My comments:

1. Although I have conducted an Internet search, I can't find any reference to "...a group within the American Federation of Scientists that investigates 'mystery planes' of the Belgian type." Can any blog reader assist with anything on this?

2. Upon what evidence, D'Amato deduced that the Belgian triangles, were of human origin, and why he thought that they originated in the US, is not explained in Vallee's diaries.

22 June 1992

"I am hoping that D'Amato, as a Senate staffer, can make the secret Batelle 'Pentacle Memorandum' available to the research community. The copy I have is stamped SECRET, so it can't be published in the absence of declassification. He told me he needed that copy, that it was historically important. I could mail it to him via 'any mechanical method that included a way to trace it.'

This way I can discharge my responsibilities as a loyal citizen, and leave it up to him to publish it, he has the proper clearance. If I sent the documents to the Executive Branch (the Air Force or the FBI) or reported it to SRI, the bureaucracy would make sure it never saw the light of day. Dick is going to Europe following a hearing in D.C.with Donald J Atwood, the DoD's number two man, who professed ignorance of anyone building flying triangles."

My comment:

I cannot recall that D'Amato ever published, or promoted, the 'Pentacle Memorandum.'

5 July 1992

"Tonight I found D'Amato's formal response on my fax machine. 'This is to acknowledge receipt of a document sent by you via Federal Express, dated January, 9, 1952, classified SECRET...The document has been placed in appropriate storage in the Senate.''

1 November 1992

"Dick D'Amato has returned from Belgium, where he met with Colonel De Brouwer, a 'very interesting fellow.' Dick's conclusion again , is that the triangular objects are very plain human craft."

29 November 1994

Talking about Ed May.

"After a 6-hour site visit, Dick D'Amato cut Ed's budget from $2 million a year, to $500,000, displeased with the DIA. The contract has now moved 'across the river' as Washingtonians say about the CIA...and D'Amato's job is hanging by a thread since Senator Byrd won't chair Defense Appropriations in the new Congress."

My comment:

Declassified documents, such as this example, and this one,  mention D'Amato and remote viewing project funding.

30 May 1995

"Hush hush meeting invite from TV producer Jacki Dunne. Dick D'Amato is supposed to be there."

19 August 1995

Speaking of the NIDS Science Board.

"Dick D'Amato has been approached by John Alexander."

3 August 1996

NIDS discussion re presentation to Senator Harry Reid.

Re Reid. "By the way he's close to Dick D'Amato."

20 September 1996

"D'Amato tells me that 26 boxes of remote viewing data have never been opened by the analysts, even though the CIA was supposed to 'Scientifically review the entire project,' before issuing its conclusions to Congress."

Vallee's diaries Volume 4 end in 1999.

Update: 25 May 2020

Giuliano Marinkovic, on the Omni Radio Facebook page stated:

DICK D’AMATO’s OFFICIAL POSITION ON UFO CRASHES INVESTIGATION

Recently, I discovered Dick D’Amato’s current official position on UFO Crashes. He was a senior US Senate staffer, who met numerous UFO researcher on the matter back in 1990s. According to archive.org

, the statement is present on his official website at least from 2013. It reads in full:

--- start of quote ---
1980'S INQUIRY INTO UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL CRASH IN NEW MEXICO
“In the 1980's and 1990's, I served on the staff of the Senate Democratic Leader, Senator Robert C. Byrd, and my responsibilities involved helping manage the budgets of the Department of Defense and the National Foreign Intelligence Program. My duties included responding to a Senators and committees request for information, analysis, and legislation on a variety of national security issues. In this context, a senior Senate Committee chairman asked me to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations that came to his attention regarding unidentified aerial crashes in the 1940's in New Mexico. I met with a number of people who had made public statements on the matter. I reported my conclusion to the Senator that the basis for such allegations did not appear to merit any further Senate investigation. Beyond this inquiry on behalf of the Senator, I have no personal opinion on the matter and consider the inquiry to have been closed for over 20 years.”
--- end of quote ---

Discovery happened while I was processing some leftovers on Dick D’Amato that I previously collected. Amato’s official page was located on this address:
http://cricharddamato.com/

However, that domain is now defunct but this one still works:
http://www.megalomediadesigns.com/dickdamato.html

His statement is positioned under the section “Downloads” where it leads to subsection titled:
Response to UFO Chronicles
http://www.megalomediadesigns.com/dickdamato_downloads.html

http://www.megalomediadesigns.com/dickdamato_response.html

I immediately contacted Frank Warren – author of the UFO Chronicles website - to double check if D’Amato ever submitted this response to him. It was not so but this article possibly triggered D’Amato’s to put his reaction on the website (article describes meeting between Jesse Marcel Jr and Dick D’Amato):
https://www.theufochronicles.com/…/on-road-to-roswell-2007-…

Although D’Amato’s statement on his website has a different tone compared to reported off the record meetings, it is still valuable to be aware about his official position on the topic.

Companion Material: Audio and Articles:
Articles by Keith Basterfield:
C Richard D'Amato and 'black" UFO programs
https://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/…/c-richard-da…

More on C Richard D'Amato and 'black" UAP programs
https://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/…/more-on-c-ri…

For additional context check my 2019 tweets too:
2006 audio interview between Thomas Horn and Jesse Marcel Jr
https://twitter.com/OmniTalkRadio/status/1106537247233449984

Whitley Strieber’s Novel (related to meeting between Marcel Jr and D’Amato)
https://twitter.com/OmniTalkRad…/status/1106860779326849024…

D'Amato, Stevens & Inouye
https://twitter.com/OmniTalkRadio/status/1261049207839956997

Stanton Friedman confirms in this UFO Updates 2006 post he was also present in secure room with Marcel Jr and D’Amato:
http://ufoupdateslist.com/2006/may/m25-005.shtml