A change of direction

Since the inception of this blog in 2009, it has provided much information, including on the contents of Australian government UAP files; the UAP interests of employees of aerospace companies; Australian sightings; and details of the findings of numerous global UAP researchers. In particular, it has focussed on what is known about AAWSAP, AATIP and BAASS. Todate, the blog has published 1,238 individual posts, ranging in length from 100 to 10,000 words. However, blog posts take time to prepare. Firstly, there is a need to research a topic of interest, and then time to write, and edit each blog post, hoping to produce an informative and factual article.

Over time, other aspects of my own UAP interest have been neglected, in order to keep publishing blog posts. Today, keeping across the wealth of information about UAP coming in through various inputs, is simply beyond one individual's available time; a complaint I hear many of my Australian colleagues making. 

So, after 13 years, I have now decided it is the right time, to re-focus my available time on some of these other aspects. For example, I want to make time to go through my extensive electronic files on Australian sightings, such as Westall (1966); Valentich (1978); and Mundrabilla (1988) plus more recent events. I want to make time to review classic global UAP cases, for which we have various bits of unexplored data. I intend to then share these files with other interested researchers. In addition, I will take time to carefully and slowly re-read/listen to, a number of books; article, podcasts; and other blogs, taking more than the superficial glance which so many of them originally received. Most importantly, there is a need to simply spend time thinking about the topic, away from the distraction of time sensitive blog posting. 

So, effective immediately, I will be closing the blog to new posts; although, naturally the existing blog posts will remain accessible to readers. I wish to thank both long-term, and more recent, blog readers for their support; and hope that you will understand my decision. I am not certain when I will return to blogging, as these other aspects of the subject will be time consuming in their own way.

Best wishes,

Keith. 

The CSIRO and those 22,500 items

My CSIRO FOIA request

On 29 August 2022, I submitted an FOIA request to the CSIRO, as follows:

"I seek all emails, sent to/from or cc'd, CSIRO staff, including any attachments, for the period 1 June 2021 to 29 August 2022; which contain keywords "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena;" and/or "UAP" and/or "UAPs" and/or "Unidentified Flying Object" and/or "UFO."

A response letter, dated 20 September 2022, FOI 2022/46, included the following reply:

"CSIRO's FOI team has conducted internal enquiries to ascertain how many potentially relevant documents CSIRO might hold that relate to your request and the work required to search for, identify and collate those documents, prior to reviewing them and preparing a decision in response to your request.

Given the amount of work we estimate that would be required, I have decided that I need to send you this notice of an intention to refuse access to the documents you have requested...

The results of our searches todate indicate that CSIRO is likely to hold at least approximately 22,500 items including emails and attachments, that may be relevant to your request...

This amount of items concerning a topic about which the CSIRO says it does not research or investigate, seemed excessive, and I wondered how this volume of items could  be possible?

Grant Lavac

In October 2022, Melbourne researcher Grant Lavac submitted his own FOIA request, ultimately scoped as:

"...a copy of all emails and supporting file attachments (excluding media clippings); sent to/from or cc'd CSIRO staff for the period 1 July 2022 to 5 October 2022 (inclusive) that contain any of the following keywords: Unidentifed Aerial Phenomena, Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena, Unexplained Aerial Phenomena, Unexplained Aerospace Phenomena, Unidentified Flying Object, UFO, Unidentified Flying Objects, UFOs, Unauthorised Aircraft Movement, Unauthorised Aircraft Movements, Unusual Aerial Sighting.

The CSIRO, in a letter dated 18 November 2022, in part responded:

"I confirm that electronic searches were conducted by CSIRO Information Managment and Technology staff of all CSIRO email accounts...The searches resulted in a very high volume of documents being captured, including emails containing numerous media feeds that were addressed to multiple employees...From the roughly 7,000 items captured...CSIRO's FOI team identified four documents that fall within the scope of your request due to the inclusion of one of the keywords..."

Four documents

1. An email dated 1 July 2022 from [redacted] to [redacted A&F, Black Mountain] Subject: Whata headline. "I wonder what they were going out there? Sounds suss. And where is the wheel? UFO country out there."

There was a link shown of https://duchetridao.com/two-men-mired-and-lost-on-south-african-outback-dirt-road-for-two-days-rescued-by-police

2. An email dated 28 September 2022 from [redacted L&W, Sandy Bay] to Green Acres Hydroponics, "...unfortunately one of our 200w UFOs we bought off you has spontaneously stopped working..."

3. An email dated 5 October 2022 from [redacted A & O Hobart to [redacted] subject Re: Freezer UFO13." "...freezer in constant alarm." Unless this is a repeat of the 2013 story of an "alien kept in a freezer," then it is of no value to us. 

4. An email dated 5 October 2022 from [redcated\ to [redacted] subject freezer in alarm. "The upright -80 freezer UFO13..."

So, of the 7,000 items captured between 1 July and 5 October 2022, we end up with four documents. Compare this to the approximately 22,500 items captured for my request between 1 June 2021 and 29 August 2022, and we do not know how many actual relevant documents would have resulted if they had gone through the 22,500 items. However, given the nature of the four documents provided to Grant Lavac; it is reasonable to deduce that the approximately, 22,500 items would have produced may be a dozen documents. If these dozen were of the same quality as the four released to Grant, then they would have been of no value to us.

UAP questions asked in 2022 Australian Senate Estimates hearings

 At a recent hearing of the Australian Senate Estimates; Senator Peter Whish-Wilson asked a number of questions relating to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. This is the second year in a row, that the Senator has raised this issue. The questions were posed at the 9 November 2022 hearing for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. 

https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=195565

Melbourne researcher Grant Lavac has been closely following the Senator's interest in the subject of UAP; and following the exchange in Senate Estimates, published a series of tweets which may be read here, including video clips of the questions and answers.

Transcript

On18 November 2022, the official Australian Parliament Hansard transcript of the 9 November 2022 Senate Estimates Hearings, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, became available. This is the Committee on which Senator Whish-Wilson sits. I extract the UAP relevant section of the transcript below.

Air Marshal Chipman: I started at ADFA in 1989.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: I graduated from there in 1988, so I was interested if you were there while I was there.

About a year ago, I asked the previous Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Hupfeld, about the release of a US defence intelligence report, a preliminary report on UAPs, unidentified aerial phenomena. I've just got some follow-up questions for you. There's obviously been a lot happening in this space in the last 12 months, and, of course, you've taken over the role. Just to fill you in briefly: following the release of that preliminary assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, there was a defence legislation amendment in December 2021 that required the ODNI organisation to report to congress every year on any updates in relation to UAP. There was a series of congressional hearings in May this year, and then, actually only a few weeks ago, NASA set up their UAP study team or taskforce. I was hoping that, by the time I got to ask you these questions, they may have released their first preliminary assessment to congress, which was due last week, but we are waiting for that. So, with that kind of rough time line used as context, could I just ask you: since you've taken over as Chief of Air Force, in what capacity, if any at all, have you been briefed on the UAP phenomena since you've taken over the role in July?

Air Marshal Chipman: I haven't had any specific briefings in relation to UAPs since I've taken over.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Have you followed it on a personal level, just as a matter of interest?

Air Marshal Chipman: I do not follow it on a personal level.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: At the US Congressional hearing on UAP back in May, the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, Scott Bray, confirmed that, since the release of this preliminary report in 2021, they now had 400 case reports they were considering. Most of them were from pilots like you. He was quoted at those hearings as saying that the US had brought many allies and international partners into their discussions on UAP. Given how close we are to the US, have there been any discussions with Australian intelligence services or the Air Force in relation to their approach—

Air Marshal Chipman: I'm not aware of any formal discussions that we've held with the US.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: You're 'not aware'; does that mean that this just hasn't come across your desk, or can you say categorically there haven't been any?

Air Marshal Chipman: I imagine it would have come across my desk if those discussions were held in the last four months, but I can take that on notice and see if there were any other discussions that have been held.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Thank you. You are a pilot yourself. When our military aviators or defence personnel spot something they don't understand or can't identify in our airspace, what encouragement and reporting mechanisms are afforded to the men and women of the ADF in relation to that?

Air Marshal Chipman: We have a really strong reporting culture. If there's anything related to safety or airworthiness issues, then we strongly encourage our pilots to report those. There are also mechanisms through standard operational means: our air traffic control, and also our air defence personnel, who maintain constant surveillance of our airspace.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Back at the congressional hearings on UAP in May, the same Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence stated that Navy and Air Force crews now have step-by-step procedures for reporting on UAPs on their kneeboard in the cockpit and in their post-flight debrief procedures. Does that surprise you?

Air Marshal Chipman: We've seen no reason why we would institute those measures in Australia.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Would you understand why they are implementing—

Air Marshal Chipman: No.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Is there a reason you haven't had a discussion with our chief ally about why they're implementing those procedures?

Air Marshal Chipman: I was not aware of those procedures.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: As Chief of Air Force, would the establishment of a comparable reporting procedure be relatively straightforward to implement in Australia?

Air Marshal Chipman: I think so, if we saw the need. If there were issues that we became aware of that affected our safety or security of our operations in our airspace, then yes, it would be a simple matter for us to implement those procedures.

Wednesday, 9 November 2022 Senate Page 56

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Lastly, in the context of our strong alliance with the US, the recently executed joint vision statement with the US Air Force, would you be prepared to make a commitment to establishing comparable reporting procedures, and what process would be required for that to occur?

Vice Adm. Johnston: We have routine practices across all of our defence capabilities. If an operationally significant event occurs, including those they might be able to explain or not, there is a reporting practice that is not limited to UAPs but anything that would accrue, whether on a vessel, aircraft, in the field, who might see something, there is an obligation to report those.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Obviously, incursions in defence training ranges by unidentified objects, intrusions by an unknown aircraft or objects would represent serious hazards to the safety of flight and potential threats to security of our operations. You obviously have strategies in place to do that here. I did raise this with the previous Air Marshal as well but are you aware of reports of US military exercises being cancelled because of concerns around air safety and observation of UAP's?

Senator Wong: Is this a UFO question?

Senator WHISH-WILSON: You could call them UFOs, if you like, Senator Wong. They are now technically known unidentified aerial phenomena.

Senator Wong: Just so I am clear.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Do you think it is funny?

Senator Wong: I haven't been here before. I don't think I have been asked questions about this. Can we assist at all, the senator, with this line of questioning?

Air Marshal Chipman: What I would say is I am not aware of that. I am aware there is a report due in the United States. If there is anything in that reporting that raises anything that would be of concern to us in our air space then we would take that seriously.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: Thank you for that. Perhaps this is the last question for me and I will put some other questions on notice. I understand in 1996 the Air Force ceased handling reports on UAPs. It determined there was no scientific or compelling reason to continue to devote resources to that investigation. I mean, part of the reason these US structures have been set up is to provide an evidence based or a data based, including NASA's involvement, approach to: Can we eliminate this as a potential threat to national security? Are these foreign flying objects from other places? Who knows? Are you aware of any documentation around the process that led the Air Force to move away from devoting resources to investigating it?

Air Marshal Chipman: There is a history of that. We have confidence in the reporting mechanisms that the vice chief mentioned before so that if there were any issues of concern to us then they would be reported.

Senator WHISH-WILSON: But if there was new data, that would shift your determination to investigate this as a potential issue such as the US reports?

Air Marshal Chipman: If there are issues raised that we thought were relevant to the safety and security of operations in our air space then we would be seriously concerned about it.

The DOD's interest, if any, in UAP

For my summary of what interest, if any, the Australian Department of Defence has in UAP, please take a look at my review article here. 

ASIO and DIO on distribution list for FBIS material

UFO Twitter

Thanks to the eagle eye of Twitter user @tploft2008, it has come to light that some distribution lists of the former Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS); where the subject matter was UFOs, had the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the Australian Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) on that list. 

What was the FBIS?

The FBIS was an open source intelligence component of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Directorate of Science and Technology. Its role was to monitor, translate and distribute the contents of foreign broadcasts to various components of the US government. The FBIS was dissolved in November 2005, and became the CIA Open Source Center (OSC.) For some of its life, its headquarters was in Reston, Virginia, USA. In 2015, the OSC became the Open Source Enterprise, which monitors radio, television and online. 

Documents

@tploft2008 located a number of such documents including the following examples:

1. A document dated 16 November 2000, where the subject was "Azeri Security Ministry denies Russian reports of UFOs flying over border." Here the distribution list has a line "To RAYWAP/Attorney General."

2. A document dated 25 August 2001, subject "Azerbaijan Aerospace scientist says aliens have 'resesarch base' in Caspian." This distribution list has "To RAYWAP/Attorney General D Branch Canberra ACT AS. Note that the Attorney General D Branch is just another name for ASIO. 

3. A document dated 10 October 2005, subject "ROK's YONHAP watcher reports sighting hundreds of UFOs over Korea." Again this went to Attorney General D Branch.

4. A document dated 25 October 2010, subject "Turkey:Retired general says encountered UFO over Western Aegean 1983." This list contains both Attorney general D Branch, and DIO Canberra. 

Why were they on a distribution list?

So, one question is, why was ASIO, and then ASIO and the DIO, receiving copies of FBIS messages where the subject matter was UFOs, in the period 2000-2010? Did these organisations, ever have an interest in UFOs?

ASIO

There are indications from some sources that ASIO was interested in the topic of "flying saucers" from 1952. In 1956 the Commonwealth Investigation Service, held a file, (NAA file series A1533, control symbol 56/2773 titled "The Australian Flying Saucer Research Society.")

ASIO maintained a file ( NAA file series A6122, control symbol 2155 titled "Queensland Flying Saucer Bureau Volume 1") between 1959-1963. From the contents of these files it became clear that ASIO was interested in individuals within Australian UFO groups who exhibited "Communist tendancies" and monitored them, writing reports on their activities. It is also known that ASIO, inter alia, was keeping an eye on sightings of unidentified aircraft in Papua New Guinea, in 1959. 

DIO

The foreunners for the current Defence Intelligence Organisation (1989-today) were the Joint Intelligence Bureau (1947-1969) and the Joint Intelligence Organisation (1969-1989) . During a search of the NAA I located the following file:  NAA file series JIO63, control symbol 3092/2/000 "Scientific Intelligence - General - Flying Saucers." Date range 1957-1972.

It is also known that the JIB investigated the 1954 "Sea Fury" radar/visual case. 

So, historically,  we know that both ASIO and the DIO maintained files dealing with the UFO subject. However, these are at the latest finished by 1973. Nothing of more recent vintage has been found in the National Archives.

The Australian Department of Defence (RAAF) closed its own UFO investigations in 1996, and today maintains that it has no interest in the subject of UFOs/Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. 

Monitoring the subject

So, who in ASIO and the DIO was monitoring the UFO subject in the period 2000 to 2010? Did they continue to monitor the subject beyond 2010? Indeed, do they continue to do so today? Unfortunately, at present, the answer to this question remains unknown, and probably unknowable, as both these organisations are exempt from the Australian Freedom of Information Act.

Can any readers shed light on this mystery?

Update: 23 October 2022

A search of the Black Vault  using the keywords "FBIS DIO" revealed a number of FBIS documents using the initialism  "UFO" dated 1994 and 1995. In addition, to the distribution list stating "DIO Canberra AS; there is also mention of "ONA Canberra AS" which is the Office of National Assessment (1974-2018 when it became the Office of National Intelligence (ONI.) "ONI all-source intelligence assessments inform Government policy and decision making."

A similar search for the key words "FBIS and D Branch" found more documents in the date range 2000 to 2002. 

More details to add to the mystery. 

Update: 28 October 2022

I just came across a document titled "Routing Indicator Guide v 6.1" dated July 2013. This lists numerous routing designation codes for a variety of addresses. It icnludes the following:

RAYWAP = Attorney Genral D Branch Canberra ACT AUS

RAYBBK = ASJ Defence Intelligence Organisation/DIO/Canberra/ACT

The latest workshop of the official French government UAP study group

 Background

The official French government UAP study group, GEIPAN (Group for the study of information on Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena) last held a workshop (CAIPAN, Collection and Analysis of Information on Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena) dedicated to UAP, in 2014. This new workshop, was held in Toulouse, France, on 13 and 14th October 2022, with an interesting range of speakers and topics, relating to UAP. It is hoped, that as with the first workshop, that copies of the talks will be made available in due course.

Schedule for 13 October

The schedule of presentations was:

0930hrs The head of GEIPAN CNES, Vincent Costes welcomed participants and outlined the objectives of the workshop.

0945hrs Philippe Lay, Advisory Director CNES Technological & Digital Directorate spoke.

1000hrs "Research on UAP at the Julius-Maximillans University of Wurzburg, Germany" was the title of a talk by Hakan Kayal, Professor of Space Technology.

1020hrs Antoine Cousyn, a GEIPAN investigator talked on GEIPAN investigation and analysis.

1040hrs "Three emblematic cases solved with powerful image analysis software" was the title of a talk by Ruben Lianza, Commodore, Director of the Center for Aerospace Identification, Argentina.

1140hrs Jean-Marc Andre, a committee member of 3AF Sigma 2 spoke on "Use of data crossing in UAP investigations - Application on two cases."

1200hrs Ted Roe, Executive Director of NARCAP presented "Preliminary Findings of the National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena, NARCAP and Subsequent Developments."

1220hrs "Observing the sky, observing human beings" by GEIPAN investigator and expert, Gilles Munsch.

1410hrs Yann Vadnais, Director of GARPAN and researcher in History of Ideas & Ancient Literature, from Canada, spoke on "The next steps to consolidate rigorous researches in UFOlogy."

1430hrs Thibaut Alexandre, a GEIPAN investigator talked about an example of GEIPAN investigation and analysis.

1450hrs Jacques Vallee, Documatica Research, USA spoke on "TRINTY- back to a confidential case."

1610hrs From NASA's Science Mission Directorate and their UAP study group, Daniel Evans spoke about the NASA UAP study group.

1640hrs Synthesis of themes of the workshop, and debate.

14 October 2022 

0930hrs Vincent Costes introduced day two of the workshop.

0940hrs Laurent Chabin, GEIPAN investgator - "Augmented Reality for more fidelity in UAP reports and cognitive psychology studies."

1000hrs "Pairing Earth Observations and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Observations: Towards a new Method to Investigate UAP Scientifically" was the title of a talk by Philippe Ailleris. He is on the AIAA UAPCOI steering committee and founding member, from the Netherlands.

1020hrs GEIPAN expert-META CONNEXIONS, France, Michael Vaillant, and Vincent Costes spoke on "GEIPAN Methodology and Classification."

1040hrs Jean-Marc Wattecamps, Chief of the investigators COBEPS network, Belgium, spoke on "GEIPAN classification with text learning and machine learning."

1140hrs "Characteristics of the Hessdalen Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and methods of observations" was given by A L Kjoniksen and Bjorn Gitle Hauge, Ostfold University College, Norway.

1200hrs Edoardo Russo, Centro Italluno Studi Ufologici, presented a paper titled "Mass sightings as a tool for assessing UFO eyewitnesses' reliability."

1220hrs "Reliability of eyewitnesses during atmospheric reentries of meteorites and satellites" presented by Jean-Pierre Rospars, GEIPAN expert.

1410hrs Jacques Py, Celine Launay & Antione Mourato, GEIPAN experts talked on "How to get and identify useful data from UAP witnesses."

1430hrs "Clinical perspective for Unidentifed Aerial Phenomena" by Thomas Rabeyron and Helene Lansley from the University de Lorraine, Interpsy (Psyclip), France.

1450hrs Francois Louange, a consultant to GEIPAN addressed "Where are we with photos and videos?"

1550hrs Pierre Lagrange, GEIPAN expert talked on "Does the history of the debate on the existence of meteorites enlighten that of UFOs?"

1610hrs UFO FOTOCAT Manager, Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos from Spain spoke on "The Soucoupe Volante Problem: A radical pragmatic approach."

1630hrs Synthesis and debate on workshop themes.

1720hrs Conclusion.

Comments

1. As we can see from the above schedule, there are representatives from a wide range of countries - France, Germany, Argentina, the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Italy and Spain, among others.

2. Interestingly, there are speakers from official UAP study groups of a nation, i.e. France, the USA, and Argentina.

3. There are academics, aerospace specialists, and established civilian UAP researchers.

4. We all look forward to being able to view videos of each of the presentations.

Update: 28 October 2022

On the 28 October 2022, the debrief media outlet carried an article by one of the CAIPAN attendeees, Baptiste Friscourt.

Update: 13 January 2023

Videos of the presentation are now available.

CSIRO may have 22,500 relevant documents to an FOIA request re UAP

 Introduction

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is "Australia's national science agency."  Between 1952 and 1989 the CSIRO maintained files on the topic of UAP; e.g. National Archives of Australia (NAA) file series A9778 control symbol M1/F/31 (date range 1952-1957) and NAA file series A8520 control symbol HM1/30 (date range 1959-1989.) 

Freedom of Information request

On 29 August 2022, I submitted an FOIA request to the CSIRO, as follows:

"I seek all emails, sent to/from or cc'd, CSIRO staff, including any attachments, for the period 1 June 2021 to 29 August 2022; which contain keywords "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena;" and/or "UAP" and/or "UAPs" and/or "Unidentified Flying Object" and/or "UFO."

A response letter, dated 20 September 2022, FOI 2022/46, included the following reply:

"CSIRO's FOI team has conducted internal enquiries to ascertain how many potentially relevant documents CSIRO might hold that relate to your request and the work required to search for, identify and collate those documents, prior to reviewing them and preparing a decision in response to your request.

Given the amount of work we estimate that would be required, I have decided that I need to send you this notice of an intention to refuse access to the documents you have requested...

The results of our searches todate indicate that CSIRO is likely to hold at least approximately 22,500 items including emails and attachments, that may be relevant to your request...

I estimate that we would need to review at least 22,000 documents before a determination could be made regarding relevant documents that fall within the current scope of your request. I estimate that this would mean CSIRO would need to dedicate at least 80 hours to process your request...

In accordance with s24AB(6) of the FOI Act, you have 14 days from the date you receive this notice to either:

a) withdraw your request

b) make a revised request (amend the scope of your request), or

c) indicate you do not wish to revise your request..."

My decision

This is the first time, in my years of using the Australian FOIA, that I have received an FOIA request response which looked to refuse access to documents based on the fact that my request would "substantially and unreasonably" divert the resource of an Australian government department or agency, from its other operations.

Given the nature of my request, I was totally surprised that in a 14 month period, the CSIRO might have 22,500 items relevant to a request about UAP. I can't imagine how one government agency, which overtly has nothing to do with UAP, could accumulate such a large number of items. However, the FOI response, in short, was that I was not going to be able to view any such documents. 

So, on 20 September 2022, I decided to reduce the scope of my request, to a much simpler one, namely:

"Copies of any internally generated CSIRO research/discussion papers, on the sighting of, and/or nature of; and/or origin of, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena between 1 June 2021 and 29 August 2022."

 In a response letter dated 28 September 2022, CSIRO advised that "Searches were conducted by relevant CSIRO staff in Space and Astronomy as well as staff within CSIRO's Records Department and Library, and it was confirmed that CSIRO does not hold any documents relevant to the scope of your request."

James Oke Shannon and the EWD notes - a new interview with Shannon

 Background

Oke Shannon's name came to prominence with the unveiling of the document titled "EWD notes", aka "The Wilson/Davis document" in mid 2019. In these notes, purportedly written by physcist Dr. Eric Davis, was a description of an alleged meeting, between Davis and the past immediate (1999-July 2002) Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director, Vice Admiral Thomas R. Wilson, on 16 October 2002, in Las Vegas, USA.

https://www.dia.mil/About/History/Directors-of-DIA/VADM-Thomas-R-Wilson-USN/

The short version of the story contained in the notes, is that Wilson had learnt that a reverse engineering project, involving alien spacecraft, was hidden within an unnamed, private US aerospace company. Wilson denied that the meeting happened, and denied the central thesis about this purported program. 

The EWD notes

Oke Shannon's name is mentioned a number of times in the EWD notes.

"TW: I received phone call from Oke Shannon in Fall (Aug?) '99. Big Oke Shannon fan! Go back years in navy before Oke left for LANL."

"TW: Oke talked 2 hours. Wanted to convince me to talk to me (EWD) about what he told Will Miller ca. June '97 and April '97."

"TW: Oke told all about JA (don't trust JA, a liar!)

- Oke briefed me on the whole BDM thing - talked about RV program for 10 min

- Oke said I (EWD) was a team player."

"TW: Told Oke it's a bad time...said Oke too difficult to contact anymore - heard he was in and out of hospital - extremely sensitive to stress/ heart sick - bad news - tried calling: Linda takes messages but none returned. She doesn't want much on Oke's plate for fear ...didn't say yes or no to request - I will think on it."

"TW: Gave serious thought - recalled Oke's call in '99. Oke really supported me (EWD) - had good arguments."

"TW: I'm taking risk talking to you - but trust Oke's word and it is good with me - we should meet Oke together - face to face - but present health problems prevent that - too bad! - So I'll take risk with you."

Billy Cox

In a 11 July 2019 article, US journalist Bill Cox advised that he had located, and spoken, to Oke Shannon. Cox wrote "Shannon wasn't keen on an extended conversation." "According to one abbreviated web profile, Shannon is a Navy veteran who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1966, returned to earn a masters in nuclear physics 10 years later, and was a program manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1988-2000."

"On the other hand, Shannon said he avoids The Great Taboo because of all the 'crazies' and 'hoaxers' and the danger these associations can work on a career. The idea that some people regard whoever's driving the phenomena as "space brothers come to save us is nonsense." And the F-18 video, he said, are lame evidence for unearthly tech."

About the EWD notes

"I don't know the provenence of that purported document - I don't know whether its real or not real," Shannon said. "Let's just leave it at the fact that I do know both of these gentlemen. Tom Wilson is an honorable man. And if this has embarrased Tom Wilson, I am really sorry." "

Billy Cox again

In another article, this one dated 10 August 2021, Cox advised that he had recently spoken to both Shannon and Wilson. "When contacted over the weekend about Wilson's confirmation that Wilson didn't know Oke Shannon, from well, Eric Davis, Shannon chose his words carefully. "I won't contradict anything the Admiral said," he responded from his home in Florida. "I really have no comment on the whole thing"...This time around, I asked Shannon if it was possible that he'd never met Admiral Wilson at all. Shannon preceded his pause with a chuckle,

 "Uhh. You know, you've heard the term 'no comment' many, many times in your reporting career." True enough. But I addded, you had no reason to fabricate your statement two years ago, and I just wanted to make sure I hadn't misquoted you. "Um. I know Admiral Wilson," he replied. "Or I did know him. I've been out of that world for, oh my gosh, two decades plus, so that's a past tense. I knew him." "

Further information

Shannon's LinkedIn page states that the attended the US Naval Academy between 1962-1966 where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Naval Engineering. Between 1973-1976 he attended the United States Naval Postgraduate School where he obtained a Masters in Nuclear Engineering.

Career wise. Between July 1988 and February 2000, he was at the Las Alamos National Laboratory TA-33 LANL Los Alamos, New Mexico  where he was Deputy Group Leader and Program Manager for Special Technologies (Retired.) Then between June 2002 to the present, he was a Managing Partner at Stryder LLC.

2022- Jay Anderson

Jay of Project Unity, recently, recorded and published an on-line interview between himself and Oke Shannon. The following is a transcription of the part of that interview which refers to the EDW notes. Thanks must go to Jay for his ongoing efforts to document the validity of these notes.

"JA: I would not expect you to be able to confirm the legitimacy of the transcript itself or whether the meeting actually took place, because the alleged meeting has nothing to do with you in a direct sense. However, your name is mentioned in these documents and so for the sake of clarification, I think it's important that we just get your side of this, on the record. So, I would just like to be able to ask you first of all, whether or not, you personally know Dr. Eric W. Davis?

OS: Yes. I didn't work with him day in and day out, but I did work with him, and I know him fairly well.

JA: May I ask how you first got to know him?

OS: In mutual projects. Mutual acquaintances. Meetings, things of that sort.

JA: And do you personally know Admiral Thomas R. Wilson?

OS: Yes, I do. But again, I know him; fortunately know of him. But I read somewhere that his response was "Oke, Who?" And, I thought that was kinda funny.  As I mentioned to you, I consider myself eminently forgetable. So, I'm sure that my memory of him is stronger than his memory of me; because he became a flag officer and I was off and did weird things on top of a mesa in New Mexico. So, and so, I would expect that he would not remember me as well as I remember him.

JA: Did Admiral Wilson get in contact with you in 2001 or 2002 enquiring into the background and overall trustworthyness of Dr. Eric Davis?

OS: Earlier than that.

JA: Earlier than that, my apologies.

OS: Well, we moved to Florida in 2000 and Linda is listening in the background, so if she can yell at me and tell me if I'm, wrong... 2001? 2001. I'd had an heart attack and actually died on the operating table, and had my own out of body experience by the way, ... but I was eventually forced to retire medically, because I could not get back in the saddle, even remote work; and I was at home; several complications out of that experience; out of that problem, kept recurring over the months. That was, like in May of 99 honey? 

LS: May 1999.

OS: May of 99. Throughout the summer I was having these other problems, cropping up for that; so I was at home. I was actually writing; trying to write a novel about the destruction of the twin towers and this was in 1999, and I had to trash that when it actually happened... But, I got this phone call; and it was from Admiral Wilson. He asked me; now this was not a short conversation, you know, I was recuperating. I was able to carry on this conversation on the phone, but I wasn't able to do much else at that point. And we had a discussion, and one of the things he wanted to know was; could he trust Eric Davis? And, I think he might have even mentioned Hal Puthoff, and one or two other people. And I mentioned that, yes I believed that Eric Davis was an honourable and conscientious scientist and that he would honor any restrictions the Admiral might put on him, and I thought it would be safe for him to contact him.

JA: Did he say at all, why he was seeking that background information during your conversation?

OS: No. He really didn't.

JA: No, but you did...

OS: Now to my memory. Not to my memory. I do not recall. I think I would recall that, if he'd said I wish to check on the Little Green Men; I would. ah, OK...

JA: He did call you up. He did ask about Eric Davis. And you did subsequently vouch for Dr. Eric Davis in response to his...

OS: [Indecipherable]

JA: ...Just one last question on these notes and to be fair you have already glossed over this, but I just want to get kind of, get it in a confirmatory statement. So in these notes that were recovered from Dr Edgar Mitchell's estate...it's mentioned within the transcript of that conversation, that you were difficult to get in touch with at the time because you were in poor health due to heart conditions and were not easy to get hold of. So, this is actually; this is true you were in of itself, that you were struggling with that?

OS: Yes. I was difficult to get in touch, and I might add to that I'm still difficult to get in touch with...."

An aside

One of the alleged participants in John Alexander's Advanced Theoretical Physics UAP study program in the 1980's, was Oke Shannon. 

My comments

1. So, in Oke's latest interview we learn that it was Admiral Wilson who called him to, amongst other things, discuss Eric Davis. This was almost three and a half years before the alleged meeting between the Admiral and Dr. Davis.

2. So, does this tell us anything about whether or not the meeting actually occurred? No. Does it tell us whether or not the EWD notes are a genuine record of the contents of such a meeting, if it indeed it occurred. No. However, it does increased the pressure on both Wilson and Davis, because the details regarding Oke Shannon, which are in the notes; have been confirmed as correct, by Shannon himself.

3. These matters are ultimately, unresolvable, unless either Dr. Davis, or Admiral Wilson, or both, come out and state that the meeting really did occur and that these notes are an accurate reconstruction of what was discussed. Of coures, there is always the remote possibility that members of the alleged involved aerospace company will come forward.

4. In May 1999, Dr. Davis was employed by the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS). Jaques Vallee, in his Forbidden Science series of books was recording in his diary, things to do with NIDS. I checked his 1999 diary entries for any indication of what projects Dr. Davis was involved with during that year, for NIDS. I found nothing. 

Upcoming French UAP Symposium

International studies

I have tried to keep across international studies, which explore the topic of UAP. In this blog, I have frequently reported on the activities of the French aerospace community's 3AF Sigma 2 Technical Commission on UAP. I recently, came across details of yet another upcoming French sponsored sysmposium and thought it worth sharing.

Presented by, and hosts

The international research symposium on unidentified aerospace phenomenon (PAN) will take place between 10am and 8pm on 16 October 2022, by videoconference. It is presented by Vertical Project Media, and hosted by Marie-France-Barrault, an aerospace engineer; Jean-Pierre Troadec, a member of IHEDN and Nagib Kary, Co-founder of Vertical Project Media.

Program

1000-1100hrs "UFOs and OANIs [Objects Aquatiques non-identifies] in the marine enviroment."

https://vertical-project.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/kit-press.pdf

Alexandre Sheldon-Duplaix. A French naval historian who graduated from the Institut d'etudes Politiques des Paris. He was a researcher at the Service Historique de la Defence (viocennes) between 1989 and a teacher at the Military School. He worked at the Department of Defence between 1987 and 1999. Has written three books on submarines and aircraft carriers.

1100-1200hrs "Statistics on PAN observations."

Michael Valiant. Independent consultant/creator of the company Meta-Connexions. A graduate of Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, he is an independent computer consultant; and an expert in statistics.

1200-1300hrs. "Disturbing cases of Sigma 2 in France and around the world."

https://vertical-project.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/kit-press.pdf

Luc Dini. Aeronautical construction engineer. Emeritus member of 3AF, and Chairman of the Sigma 2 Technical Commission on PANs.

1430-1500hrs. "The opinion of an astronaut on the question of UAPs."

https://vertical-project.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/kit-press.pdf

Jean-Francois Clervoy. French astronaut/engineer, at the European Space Agency. Veteran of three space missions with NASA.

1500-1600hrs. "UAP Technology Assumption."

Philippe Guillemand. Physicist/Engineer at CNRS. Graduated from the Ecole Centrale a Paris and the Globe Institute of Physics. He is a doctor of radiation physics. 

1615-1645hrs "What signs of extraterrestrial life?"

Avi Loeb. Faced with the appearance of an unidentified celestial object named Oumuamu, Avi Loeb opens a scientific controversy by stating that it could be an artificial object designed by a civilisation outside the Earth. Currently Professor of Astronomy, Director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at Harvard University. Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2012.

1700-1800hrs "Technological debris."

Jacques Vallee. Founder of Documentica Financial in Silicon Valley, a French-American scientist with training in astrophysics and AI. His research contributed to the creation of the first "social network" on the Internet as main investigator for DARPA. Co-founder of five international capital venture funds, including NASA's Red Planet Capital. His interest in the UFO phenomena and psychic research has led to a series of books and technical articles in several languages. He is the architect of the CAPELLA knowledge base, including 260,000 UFO observation reports for the AATIP classified project, revealed in 2021.

1800-2000hrs Roundtable.

Moderated by Jean-Pierre Troadec. Speakers will be: Alain Juliett (Senior Economic intelligence Officer) ; Alexandre Sheldon-Duplaix; Michael Valiant; Vincent Costes (Director of GEIPAN) and others. 

Australian investigative journalist Ross Coulthart interviews Dr. Garry P. Nolan

Background

Dr. Garry P Nolan has given a range of interviews over the last few years., concerning the topic of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. I have written about a number of these. Back in 2016, he was interviewed by journalist Annie Jacobsen, for her book "Phenomena" about his work with Dr. Christopher "Kit" Green.  In a June 2021 blog article, I presented details of three interviews with Garry Nolan. In February 2022 Garry Nolan was interviewed about his analysis of UAP related materials. He has also appeared, in more recent times, on a number of UAP related podcasts, providing his views on the phenomena.

Need to Know

In an 24 August 2022 episode of the podcast "Need to Know" with Ross Coulthart and Bryce Zabel, produced in conjunction with the Channel 7 television network in Australia, Garry Nolan was interviewed by Ross Coulthart. The following is a transcript of most of that conversation.

Ross: Professor, how significant is it that the United States government came out, a year ago, and admitted that Unidentified Aerial Phenomena are real. Whatever they are; they're a real mystery?

Garry: I think it tells us that, first of all, the government has been lying to us for the last 60 or 70 years. I think it gives solace to people who have been told that they were crazy to have been believing or seeing this...

Ross: I know this is speculative, but why do you think the US government's lied?

Garry: I think it's because, frankly, they didn't understand what it was, and no body wanted to admit that; first of all. But second that they didn't want to admit that they didn't have control over our airspace. We didn't have control over our own airspace.

Ross: So the government's been lying, but do you think there's been a coverup?

Garry: Absolutely. I mean there's been both a coverup, as well as a disinformation compaign to make people look like they were crazy.

Ross: ...Is it a dangerous thing for you to admit that you think these things about the phenomena?

Garry: I think its dangerously necessary. I think that this is the kind of thing that if we continue to ignore it; if we continue to ignore the potential danger of what it might represent, we are putting ourselves at risk, both to what it might do to us sometime in the future, but then ignoring the physics of what these things are capable of doing.

Ross: Let's talk about "it." What is "it?"

Garry: You know, I wish I knew, and of all the people that I've spoken with on the inside, there's really very little unanimity about what it is; except for, that there, whatever it is, appears to be so far advanced from us, that it beggars understanding.

Ross: So, you don't think its human?

Garry: I'm sure its not human.

Ross: Is it intelligent?

Garry: Yes. It certainly acts it. And in some cases, it seems to have a sense of humor.

Ross: ...You are suggesting there is a highly advanced civilisation, that is intelligent, and it's not human, and its real?

Garry: Yeh. I almost hesitate even to call it a civilisation. A civilisation implies a lot of interacting parts that are moving towards some sort of goal. I couldn't even say whether or not, what it is  that is being observed is something like that.

The Wilson/ Davis notes

Ross: Are you aware of a document called the Admiral Wilson document?

Garry: Yes.

Ross: Do you think its genuine?

Garry: Yes.

Ross: Wow!

Garry: I mean, I know Eric Davis, and you know, Eric is of a kind of character that is just impossible for him to lie.

Ross: The significance of that document is that the former immediate past director of the Defence Intelligence Agency Admiral Thomas Wilson, allegedly had a conversation with Dr Eric Davis, a renowned physicist, where he imparted his discovery that there was a secret UFO reverse engineering program going on inside the US government, where they were hiding recovered spacecaft, and it was being hidden in private aerospace, in a private aerospace corporation. The journalist in me, Garry, thinks Americans can't keep secrets, everything leaks in this country.

Garry: And this is an example of it.

Ross: Ok. So, you take that point. 

Garry: Yeah. 

Ross: Ultimately it did leak.

Garry: Ultimately, it leaked. But what was interesting, was how it was found. It was found in Edgar Mitchell's effects after he died. So, it wasn't like anybody went out of their way to put it out there.

Ross: Apollo 14 astronaut, Edgar Mitchell?

Garry: Right. Eric Davis had written it, and I don't know what the story was as to how Edgar, Dr Mitchell got hold of it, but nobody was looking to actively reveal this. It was the work of journalists who finally got hold of Edgar's materials who decided to release it.

Why would Eric Davis lie about writing something that he never intended to go public in the first place. He was just doing what an intelligent agent does on a regular basis, which is write reports on what it is they have been doing.

Ross: And Eric, quite conspicuously has never made any comment one way or the other about the veracity of the document.

Garry: Right. Well.

Ross: He can't; can he?

Garry: He can't; but well before this came to light I already knew of the document. So, because, you know, Eric was part of a group that I was associated with, around this.

Ross: The implications of that are mind blowing, Garry. This conversation; you told me that you believe, on evidence, that there is a non-human intelligence of advanced technology, on this planet?

Garry: Right. Advanced capabilities.Now, I don't know whether it is a technology per se. Because I'm leaving open the idea that it's some form of  consciousness that is non material. And I will say to my colleagues, out there, I know that all this sounds absolutely crazy, but if you've seen the things that I've seen, you would only be able to come to a similar conclusion. You know, and I know again my reputation takes a hit I'm sure, that there are, you know, prizes and other things that I'm never going to get because I'm talking about this. That's now where near as important as this subject matter to me. 

Some of Garry's personal experiences

Garry then spoke of a number of personal experiences:

1. Windsor, Connecticut. Around 1972/73. [Garry was born in 1961.] Around 5.30 am he was delivering newspaper in the dark. He walked through a copse of trees and became aware of a round object above him, with 4-5 lights shining down.

2. Windsor, Connecticut. 1967-1968. Woke up in his bedroom Saw little men in the room. Went on for a few weeks then stopped. Could have been a dream.

3. London. In a hotel, woke up in bed with his entire body "buzzing." Could hear that sound. At the pomt of waking up he heard words, though words is not the right term. He heard "This is how you connect."After 10-15 seconds, he thought to himself this has to stop and it did. He didn't think it had a physiological cause. 

Some comments

1. Statements by Garry Nolan have been becoming more definitive as time goes by. He has placed his professional reputation on the line by making the kind of statements which you have just read above. 

2. Although it has been a loosely kept "secret" for some time; Garry Nolan has now chosen to publicly describe some of his own personal experiences with the phenomena.

3. His comments re the Wilson/Davis document are certainly illuminating. He has no doubt that the document is genuine, i.e. that it is a true record of a meeting between Eric Davis and then Admiral Thomas Wilson. He states that he knew of the existence of the document before it hit the Internet. Click here to read the original document for yourself.

4. All in all, a revelatory interview. 

"The truth is out there" - Australian Department of Defence internal email - 13 May 2022

 Introduction

A further batch of UAP related Australian Department of Defence (DOD) emails has been provided to Melbourne researcher Grant Lavac, per DOD Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request number 003/22/23. 

Grant's request was:

"I kindly request a copy of all emails and supporting file attachments to/from/bcc'd/cc'd Gene Elliott, Flight Lieutenant, Staff Officer to Director Air Defence and Space (DGADS-AF), Staff Officer to Director General Space Domain Review (DGSDR) for the period 27 October 2021 to 30 June 2022 (inclusive) that contain any of the following keywords; Unidentified Aerial Phenomena; UAP; Unidentified Flying Object; UFO; Unidentified Flying Objects; UFOs; Unauthorised Aircraft Movement; UAM; Unauthorised Aircraft Movements; UAMs; Unusual Aerial Sightings; Unidentified Phenomena; unusual air traffic; Whish-Wilson. I also kindly request personal details be limited to the full names of individuals included in any applicable FOI response."

67 pages of responsive documents were released. Many of these papers concern various Senate Estimate Committee hearings, which have been covered in previous blog posts. Therefore, in this post, I will report only on what I consider to be new material.

Selected emails

1. Email dated 28 October 2021 From [redacted] To [ ] cc [ ]

Subject: 211028 - e-mail [ ] many - 21-1441 - ABC News - Report to US Congress of UAPs (fBP2974990)

"OFFICIAL

Here is the list of all UAP/UFO recent submissions

MC21-002479

MC21-00290

MC21-002222

MC21-004149

The response has been consistent across all returns.

The Department of Defence has no protocol for reporting or recording of UAP/UFOs."

Comment

MC stands for Ministerial Correspondence.

2. Email dated 5 November 2021 3:25PM From [ ] To [ ]

Subject: FW: For Action - Question on Notice - UFO/UAPs - RAAF

"Good afternoon [ ]

Army's response to QON..."

Email dated 5 November 2021 3:35:29PM From [ ] To [ ]

Subject: 21105-e-mail [ ]  - For Action - Question on notice - UFO/UAPs - RAAF

"They don't exist!"

Signature panel was [ ] Ministerial Liason Officer.

3. Email dated 17 February 2022 9:47:00AM From [ ] To [ ] CC [ ]

Subject: 220217 - e-mail [ ] Many - Emailing: Preliminary Assessment - UAP - 20210625

"OFFICIAL
Gents,

FYSA in case UAP comes up at estimates and we need a fast answer on something - this is the US Report that gets referred to all the time."

Comment 

This is the 25 June 2021 Office of the Director of National Intelligence "Preliminary Assessment - Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" report.

4. Email dated 28 February 2022 From [ ] on behalf of RAAF MILO To [ ]

Subject: 22028.1048 - E-mail [ ]/Multiple recipients - Senate Estimates - Question on notice (SQ22-000026)

Speaks about one Senate estimates Committe hearing  Question On Notice  from Senator Whish-Wilson. "The QON is from Senator Whish-Wilson regarding UFOs/UAPs; though has a greater focus on safety/reporting over space issues. As the responsibility of UFOs/UAPs is still a bit fuzzy; I am doing a little bit of a wide spread approach for general awareness..."

Comment

This appears to indicate that there is still no central place with complete responsibility regarding this topic.

5. Email dated 16 March 2022 From [ ]  To [ ] cc (multiple-KB)

Subject: 220316.0811- e-mail - [ ]/multiple recipients - RAAF Senate Estimates - April 2022 -16 March 2022 update

Discusses mock up pre-Senate Estimate Committee hearings where various DOD personnel pose questions and provide appropriate responses - one of the subjects is UFOs.

6. Email dated 22 April 2022 12:10PM From [ ] To [ ] CC RAAF FOI

Subject: FOIA 408/21/22 - Request for TPs

Please provide TP's

FOI Manager

Comment

Presumably, TPs stands for talking points. 

Email dated 22 April 2022 2:04PM From [ ]  To [ ]

Subject: FW:FOIA 408/21/22 - Request for TPs

"[ ] As discussed here are the TPs drafted ISO to the FOI request. AFHQ FOI Officer has gathered the date for the FOI paper (Binder 1 attached), our input is to provide TPs for MINDEF in the event this becomes a media sensitive issue - [ ] had previously had the hammer on this as DGSDR - but his direction is to transition this to Strat Plans - if we can't push further intentions of to Air Force or DASA."

Comment

Not sure what ISO is short for; but MINDEF is Minister of Defence. FOIA 408/21/22 was someone asking for the DOD's response to Senator Whish-Wilson's request Estimates hearings QON 29 and 90; where Senator Whish-Wilson followed up on his questioning of then, Chief of Air Mel Hupfield. The DOD was concerned that the Minister of Defence be briefed on Whish-Wilson's questions; in case the Minister was asked questions by the media. 

Email dated 26 April 2022 4PM From [ ] To [ ] CC [ ]

Subject: 220426 - e-mail -[ ] FOI 408/21/22 Request for TPs.

"TPs being provided to departmental vice ministerial due to careftaker government."

7. Email dated 13 May 2022 From [ ] To [ ]

"Subject: re - UAPs

I do know MECC/RAAF have prepared lines for UAP, be there any attention. Would you like me to pull these for you?"

Comment

MECC is short for Minsterial & Executive Coordination and Communications Division, DOD. 

Email dated 13 May 2022 From [ ] To [ ]

Subject: 220513 - e-mail - [ ]/Many - UAPs

"[ ]  - no need, I drafted all the UAP points for MECC/RAAF."

8. Email dated 13 May 2022 7:03AM From [ ] To [ ]

"[ ] wrote

Sir, All jokes aside, I think this might end up causing us some work.

This article calls out AUKUS directly regarding a more collaborative approach to this:

https://www.iflscience.com/Policy/first-public-congressional-hearing-on-ufos-in-50-years-set-for-next-week-heres-how-to-watch-63630

Email dated 13 May 2022 7:39AM From [ ] To [ ]

Subject: Re: UAPs

"[ ] you're right, it may trigger more UFO flavoured interest. The truth is out there, I'll just need to determine if interest in this sci-fi is a HAC or CDSpC lead."

Comment

HAC Is Head Air Force Capability. CDSpC is Commander Space Command.

Email dated 13 May 2022 7:49AM From [ ]  To [ ]

Subject: Re: UAPs

"Sir, ack. I know historically we have aimed to push the response off to Air Force, specifically DASA if the main theme of questioning is about aircraft/flight safety. Similarly we could aim to push the response to the Intelligence Community/Air Force if the main theme is national security/advanced technologies/control of the air.

The name is Unidentified Aerial Phenomena after all and the USSF isn't the lead agency in this [ ]"

Comment

USSF is short for United States Space Force.

9. Email dated 19 May 2022 7:19AM

Subject: 220519 e-mail -ABC News - US Congress holds first hrearing on UFOs in decades.

"Wait for it, wait for it...

US Congress holds first hearings on  UFOs in decades..."

10. Email dated 23 June 2021 From [ ]  To Various addressees

Subject: FOR RAAF ACTION -Priority 2 media query - 21-1441-ABC News - Report US Congress on UAPs

"Space Domain, Hi Sir and team,

As discussed would appreciate a draft response to subj ME - see q's from Matthew Eaton, ABC News below..."

What is all this FOIA material telling us about the DOD's interest in UAP?

It is simply reinforcing the view that the topic of UAP is of no interest to the DOD. However, as the DOD have no mechanism for the gathering of UAP reports from service personnel, they do not know whether or not there is a safety or national security issue.

Recent ABC Stories on UAP

25 June 2021 "US report on Pentagon-documented UFOs leaves sightings unexplained." 

27 Oct 2021 "Defence won't follow Pentagon to launch an investigation into UFO sightings or Unexplained Aerial Phenomena." 

DOD FOIA Disclosure log

There are now the following (more to come) UAP relevant entries on the official DOD FOIA Dislosure log

16 June 2022 - 408/21/22 Portfolio q's 29 & 90 -UFOs.

30 June 2022  - 425/21/22 Space Based Infra Red System and Australian Mission Processor.

1 July 2022 - 459/21/22 Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and Unidentified Flying Objects.

20 July 2022 - 002/22/23 Unidentified Flying Object (UFO), Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), Unauthorised Aircraft Movement (UAM) correspondence.

1 August 2022 010/22/23 Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Brief.

1 Sept 2022 013/22/23 Standard Operating Procedure 1 Remote Sensing Unit.  

Please click on any of the links above to view the relevant documents. You are encouraged to have a read, to see if you can pick up any further points of interest. 

Further Australian Department of Defence emails re UAP

 "Near Sputnik moment"

A while ago, Australian UAP researcher Grant Lavac submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Australian Department of Defence (FOIA DOD 459/22/23.) This uncovered a multi-page DOD briefing paper re UAP, for personnel attending 2022 Senate Estimates committee hearings, in case questions were asked about UAP. In the briefing paper documentation, one individual identified as the "Contact Officer" was Air Cdre Nick Hogan, Director General, Space Strategic Plans. Grant Lavac submitted an FOIA request to the DOD (FOI 046/22/23) for emails to/from Nick Hogan.

Grant's request was:

"I kindly request a copy of all emails and supporting file attachments, sent to/from, bccd, ccd, Air Commodore Nicholas Hogan, Director General, Space Domain Review, Air Force, for the period 27 October 2021 to 2 August 2022 (inclusive) that contain any of the following keywords, Unidentifed Aerial Phenomena; UAP; UAPs; Unidentified Flying Object; UFO; Unidentified Flying Objects; UFOs; Unathorised Aircraft Movement; UAM; Unauthorised Aircraft Movements; UAMs; Unusual Aerial Sightings; Unidentified Phenomena; Unexplained Aerial Phenomena; Unidentified; Unexplained; unusual air trtaffic. I also kindly request that personal details be limited to the full names of individuals involved in any applicable FOI response."

Documents released under Defence FOI 046/22/23

Six responsive documents were released, either in full or in part.

1.  27 October 2021

An email from N. Hogan to [redacted] the subject was "Email-ABC News - Report to US Congresss of UAPs."

"For HAC's review before going through the QON process. I would add, UAP/UFO sightings occur in civil airspace and Air Services Australia are responsible for civil airspace reporting."

Comments

1. HAC is short for Head, Airforce Capability. In October 2021 this was Air Vice Marshal Denney. 

2. QON is short for Question on Notice where Parliamentarians submit a formal question in writing to the Department.

3. Earlier this year I submitted an FOIA request to Air Services Australia re UAP sightings. They estimated that the cost of processing my request would be about $500. I did not proceed with the request.

2. 28 October 2021

Email from Hogan to [redacted] Subject: "Email - ABC News: Defence won't follow Pentagon to launch an investigation into UFO sightings or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena."

"Good morning gentlemen,

Further to SE where CAF fielded a question UAPs/UFOs this article "Defence won't follow Pentagon to launch an investigation into UFO sightings or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" was in the ABC news this morning. The article title is slightly different to what is implied on the lead in link extract below from ABC News.

Given that Defence has nothing on UAPs/UFOs, we will refer to the information related to the 04 June 21 ABC News article, the above article, work with Navy and Army etc and the subsequent extracts cleared by you 23 Jun or added yesterday:

* UAP/UFO sightings occur in civil airspace and Air Services Australia are responsible for civil airspace reporting

* Army has no method for reporting and Navy uses the Aviation Safety Occurrence (ASOR) reporting methodology. No reported UFO todate

* Is there a similar move to gather information within Australia's Department of Defence? Defence does not have a protocol that covers recording or reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)/Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sightings

* Will you be taking an interest in the declassified report when it is eventually made public? No. There is no departmental interest

* Is this topic under active investigation by any arm of the Australian Defence Force? No: Defence does not have a protocol that covers recording or reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP/Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sightings

* Given many of the sightings of Unidentified Phenomena involve US Naval activity, have any similar sightings been reporteed by Australian Navy personnel? No: Any individual sightings/anomalies are investigated and reported through the standard Aviation Safety Reporting (ASR) process"

Comments

1. SE means Senate Estimates.

2. CAF is short for Chief of Air Force who was Mel Hupfield at that stage. 

3. 29 October 2021

Email from [ ] To [ ] Subject: "Near Sputnik moment.'

Consists of the words "And UAPs.." and the rest of the page is redacted entirely. 

Comment

The subject of the email is "Near Sputnik moment" but there is no available context for why these words were used.

4. 28 January 2022

Not an email but a page headed SPACE, then an area redacted, then:

* UAPs/UFOs are increasingly being discussed in the media, how much of a threat do they pose to national security?

* UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA

* UAPs/UFOs are increasingly being discussed in the media, how much of a threat do they pose to national security?

* If Defence member sees a UAP while flying/training etc how do they report that?

* When did the formal reporting of UAP stop, why?

* Do you see the need to create a task force like the United States to track and investigate these potential UAP threats?

* Are UAP a risk to our RAAF pilots or civilian aircraft?

* Are UAP super advanced weapons from other nations?

* Should we be doing more to take this seriously?

* Does Australia collaborate or share information on UAP with other nations, like our allies?

Comment:

The above dot points appear to be a self posed set of questions about UAP that the DOD consider might be asked at future Senate Estimates committee hearings.

5. 10 February 2022

Email from  Hogan to [ ]

"One amendment highlighted."

Email from  staff officer to Hogan

"Hi Sir, Please find SB on UAP as discussed."

6. Undated.

"CAF Pre-briefing Questions - session 3.1

Space and domain & policy [ ] 

* UAPs/UFOs are increasingly being discussed in the media, how much of a threat do they pose to national security?

General comment

The FOIA request date range was between 27 October 2021 and 2 August 20222. The DOD response contains nothing dated later than 10 February 2022, which appears to indicate that Hogan was only involved in making UAP comments regarding the Senate Estimates committee and for no other reason. 

Grant Lavac and DOD FOIA 044/22/23 - Denney

Grant submitted another FOIA request:

"I kindly request a copy of all emails and corresponding file attachments, sent to/from bccd/ccd R J Denney, AM, Air Vice-Marshal Head of Air Force Capability for the period 27 October 2021 to 26 July 2022 (inclusive), that contain any of the following any of the following keywords: Unexplained Aerial Phenomena, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, UAP, Unidentified Flying Object, UFO, Unidentified Flying Objects, UFOs, Unauthorised Aircraft Movement, UAM, Unauthorised Aircraft Movements, UAMs, Unusual Aerial Sightings, Unidentified Phenomena. I also kindly request that personal details be limited to the full names of individuals involved in any applicable FOI response."

The DOD response identified 14 responsive documents consisting of 15 pages which were released fully or partially. Rather than elucidate all of these in full, I will summarise them below:

1. In June 2022, Grant Lavac communicated with the Office of the Minister for Defence, and R J Denney replied on behalf of the Minister. Some of the 044/22/23 FOIA papers show the internal paperwork trail for the Ministerial response. 

2. Likewise, other documents are internal working papers for the Departmental reply to Senator Whish-Wilson who asked UAP related questions at the 27 October 2021 Senate Estimates Committee hearing.

3. Document 5 is an internal spreadsheet labelled "Forcast: June 2022 to August 2022" which is heavily redacted. However it has one area labelled "Information release." This shows two entries, (1) 30 May: Individual - Unauthorised Aircraft Movements and (2) 14 June: Activist-Keywords UFO (RAAF.) This appears to relate to FOIA requests made by myself (UAM) and Grant (UFO.)

4. An email, dated 15 February 2022 subject Pre brief  Senate Estimates. From [ ]  To [ ]

"Sir, FYSA, CH9 program Under investigation doing a program on UAP 2100 Wednesday night."

Comment

Someone in the DOD was keeping an eye on media items regarding UAP. 

Overall

These two sets of documents provide additional information regarding internal DOD processes around the topic of UAP.