On 14 August 2020, the US Department of Defense issued a media release titled "Establishment of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force." This read:
"On Aug. 4, 2020 Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force (UAPTF.) The Department of Navy, under the cognizance of the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, will lead the UAPTF.
The Department of Defense established the UAPTF to improve its understanding of, and gain insights into, the nature and origins of UAPs. The mission of the Task Force is to detect, analyze and catalogue UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security.
As DOD has stated previously, the safety of our personnel and the security of our operations are of paramount concern. The Department of Defense and the military departments take any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each report. This includes examinations of incursions that are initially reported as UAP when the observer cannot immediately identify what he or she is observing."
Some comments
1. If the UAPTF was only approved for creation on 4 August 2020, what has the multi-agency group (MAG) mentioned previously; the successor to AATIP, been doing? Will the MAG cease, or will there now be a MAG and the UAPTF? This is unclear from the DOD statement.
2. It is now completely crystal clear that the Department of Navy will lead the UAPTF. Previously it was mentioned that specifically the Office for Naval Intelligence (ONI) will be the lead.
3. Where is the United States Air Force (USAF) in all of this? Presumably the USAF will have representation on the UAPTF?
4. In a blog post dated 27 July 2020, titled "An analysis of the latest Department of Defense statement on UAPs" I queried the use of a number of terms in the mission of the UAPTF, e.g. "detect" and "exploit." In a comment to that blog post, reader "John Doe" reminded me that these terms are used from the perspective of the US military. John Doe's interpretation is that you destroy a threat, then examine the pieces for technological knowledge. Thus the use of the words "consolidate" and "exploit." A military usage of the word "exploit" would be "Taking full advantage of any information that has come to hand for tactical, operational or strategic purposes."
5. Kudos to To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences, and specifically Luis Elizondo, for their work behind the scenes, in undertaking actions which has led to the formation of the UAPTF.
Update: 4 September 2020
Swedish researcher Roger Glassel was able to get Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough to address this question. Glassel's questions and Gough's answers may be read at https://www.blueblurrylines.com/2020/09/uap-task-force-pentagon-responds-to.html
