Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The DIA, FOIA, and the AATIP/AAWSAP


DIA request log

A while ago, I located a copy of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request log for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for 2018. This covered requests submitted between 1 October 2017 and 30 September 2018. The 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2019 log, is as of today, not yet posted to the DIA website.

The 2018 log is full of requests for information about the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). Later, when the alternative name, Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) was revealed by Melbourne researcher Paul Dean, individuals started to ask the DIA for information about AAWSAP.

As of today, I am aware of only one final DIA response to the dozens of AATIP/AAWSAP related FOIA requests.

Dr Steven Aftergood, of the Federation of American Scientists, in a blog post titled "More Light on Black programs To Track UFOs" dated 17 January 2019, advised receipt of a DIA response to his FOIA request dated 15 August 2018. He had requested [request 00239] a "copy of the list that was recently transmitted to Congress of all DIA products produced under the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program contract." The DIA provided such a list.

My own DIA FOIA requests

I have two outstanding FOIA requests with the DIA about this subject area. I received one letter from the DIA dated 10 December 2019 about one request which I submitted on 28 March 2018. This advised that this was an interim response, with a final response due on 28 December 2020. A while later, I received a second DIA interim response letter about my other request, submitted on 30 May 2018. Again this was dated 10 December 2019, and advised an anticipated final response date of 28 December 2020.

By asking around the UAP research community, I established that many other individuals had received such DIA interim response letters, one dated as early as 18 November 2019. Most letters cited an anticipated final response date sometime in December 2020.

Back to the 2018 log

https://www.dia.mil/FOIA/FOIA-Electronic-Reading-Room/FileId/216385/

I thought it worth while to look back through the 2018 request log, to see who submitted the first AATIP/AAWSAP request? It was request [0065] from Laurent Corbell and asked  "Requesting all documents generated as part of the Defense Department's Advance Aviation Threat Identification Program, including the 490 page report that was described in the December 16 article in the Washington Post." The request log does not show the dates for each FOIA request, but as this was [0065] in a date range commencing on 1 October 2017; it is reasonable to assume this request was submitted shortly after 16 December 2017.   For the full list of relevant requests, pleased take a look at the log for yourself. 

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who submitted a 2018 request, apart from Steven Aftergood,
who has indeed received a reply that we do not yet know about.

Update 21 October 2021

John Greenewald published an article  dated 21 October 2021 in which he stated he had a "no relevant records" response to his 2018 FOIA request ( FOIA-0260-2018) to the DIA "requesting a copy of records, electronic or otherwise, of the following: all documents pertaining to the outline, mission statement, objective etc of the following program which includes various versions of what the program name may be called..." John then went on to give a number of variations of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program name. 

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