Investigative adventures in Brazil

Introduction

With an area of 8.52 million square kilometers, and a population of 215 million, the country of Brazil has a rich history of UAP and this is reflected in the number of both Brazilian and non-Brazilian organizations and individuals who have taken time to explore this history. There are dozens of local Brazilian UAP research groups who have contributed volumes of case studies over the years. However, in this article I wish to examine the American interest in the Brazilian phenomena, book marked by two individual Brazilian researchers. These are early investigator Dr. Fontes, and the current Rony Vernet. 

Dr. Olavo T. Fontes 

One of the earliest local Brazilian researchers was Dr. Olavo T. Fontes, who was the Brazilian representative for the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) between 1957 and his death in 1968. According to the May-June 1968 issue of the "APRO Bulletin" Dr. Fontes was a medical doctor specializing in gastroenterology and was a Professor of Medicine at the National School. A careful investigator, who documented his UAP research in an impeccable manner. 

Notable cases which he investigated include the 16 October 1957 abduction of Antonio Vilas-Boas: the Ubatuba "UAP fragments," and the 1957 Itaipu Fort incident. 

His work is recorded in numerous articles in the "APRO Bulletin" and in a number of Jim and Coral Lorenzen's UAP books including "Flying Saucer Hoax." (Lorenzen, C.E. William Frederick Press. New York. 1962;) "Flying Saucers: The Startling Evidence of the Invasion from Outer Space." (Lorenzen, C.E. Signet. New York. 1966;) and "UFOs Over the Americas." (Lorenzen, J. and C. Signet. New York. 1968.) There is also rare 1966 archival recording on YouTube of Fontes discussing the Vilas-Boas case. 

J. Allen Hynek

Professor J. Allen Hynek was one of the earliest academics who took an interest in UAP. Hynek was an astronomer at North Western University in Chicago, in the U.S.A. He was also a consultant to the United States Air Force's Project Blue Book. In that role he investigated a lot of cases occurring in the U.S. 

Hynek authored two classic books on UAP. The first was "The UFO Experience." (Regney. New York. 1972.) The second was "The Hynek UFO Report." (Dell. New York. 1977.) He also co-authored "The Edge of Reality." (CreatSpace. 1973.) with Jacques Vallee.

In August 1975, according to Vallee's "Forbidden Science Volume 2" in a diary entry dated 19 July 1975.

"Allen is elated because he'd received an invitation to Brazil that includes an opportunity to address the Brazilian Congress next month."

However, this visit did not go well. Vallee reports, in a diary entry dated 27 September 1975:

"The next day over a private breakfast Allen confessed his trip to Brazil was a fiasco. General Uchoa, who invited him, had no clout. The man who managed the much-advertised congress was a French journalist trying to make a quick buck. He must have lost a ton of cruzeiros, because in the end he begged Allen to give more lectures to balance his finances. As for his talk before the Brazilian Congress, that went flat: his interpreter was an enthusiastic lady who was big on ufology but short on linguistics. As for the official files, the military is keeping them under lock and key."

Bob Pratt

Image courtesy of Amazon Books

Robert Vance Pratt (1926-2005) was an American journalist who made ten visits to Brazil between May 1978 and July 1993. His detailed reporting on what he found in Brazil is in his 1996 book titled "UFO Danger Zone: Terror and Death in Brazil. Where Next?" (Horus House Press, Madison WI.) His first four trips between 1978 and 1980 were paid for by one of the U.S. publications in which he published his work. The other trips were funded by him as he was so interested in what he had found on these earlier visits.

In chapter after chapter Pratt describes his firsthand interviews with individuals who were chased by lights or distinct objects; hit by beams of light; suffered medical issues as a result of their encounters; were lifted off the ground; or were paralyzed. He even came across cases where individuals were said to have died as a result of their encounters. Pratt also interviewed medical staff who had seen for themselves the results of some of the medical aftereffects of the UAP incidents.

Although a number of the accounts had occurred years before Pratt's visits, some of them had reportedly occurred only days or weeks before Pratt conducted his interviews. Despite his lengthy stays in Brazil Pratt himself never reported having personally encountered any UAP. 

Chapter twenty of the book records events in Colares, at the mouth of the Amazon River. Pratt writes 

"UFOs have been deadlier in Colares than perhaps any other place in the world...in Colares alone approximately forty were burned and two of them died." 

The year was 1977. Pratt reports that the Brazilian military conducted a several months long investigation and interviewed hundreds of people. The Brazilian Air Force conducted Operation Prato in the area. Pratt relates that the data gathered was sent to the Air Force Headquarters. 

Pratt visited Colares for the first time in February 1979, then twice after that. He interviewed Captain Uyrange Hollanda, who had led the official investigation in the Colares region. Pratt was later able to secure brief summaries of 281 incidents in Colares and surrounding areas, plus maps, and twenty photographs. Hollanda told him his team "...took about three hundred photos and we photographed eight different types of UFOs."

Pratt's "Epilogue" chapter describes the then (1996) known facts about the Varginha live captured aliens who were reportedly sent to the U.S.A.

Here is a link to several hundred pages of Bob Pratt's own material, including many on Brazil. 

Jacques Vallee

Well known researcher Jacques Vallee made two trips to Brazil. The first in 1980 and the second in 1988. On the first trip in April 1980, Vallee and his wife Janine went to Argentina with a stopover in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, they met researcher and writer Irene Granchi. According to a diary entry dated 29 April 1980 in Valle's book "Forbidden Science Volume three" "...we spent most of the time talking about the 1966 Lead Mask mystery..." and met the pathologist who conducted the autopsies on the two dead men. Later that day they visited the site of the incident. 

The second visit in July 1988 had a much longer stay in Brazil. In "Forbidden Science Volume three" Vallee describes in some detail his research there with his wife Janine. They visited Fortaleza, together with an American friend Bill Calvert who had lived in Brazil, and a Professor, Agobar Oliveira, a local UAP investigator. Travelling on to Parnarama they interviewed firsthand witnesses to incidents. One such account which they attempted to verify was that of a man called "Ramon" who was reportedly killed by his encounter with UAP. Vallee wrote that there was no object in the sky at the time, no beam, and that the man had died of symptoms which fitted a heart attack. 

Vallee writes:

"We have brought back details of about twenty cases, two of them involving characteristic chupa injuries. So far there is no proven instance of any death related to the objects."

Continuing their investigations they travelled on to Balem, Brazil, gathering firsthand accounts. They met with Colonel Hollanda Lima, in the headquarters of the First Air Force region. He led the team sent to the Colares region during Operation Prato. Vallee was shown a military file which: "...held the military photographs, detailed aerial maps, trajectory analyses by the staff of Project Prato." The Vallees and party went on to interview the medical doctor from the island of Mosqueiro during the Colares wave, before returning to the U.S.A. 

Vallee published more details of his on-site investigations in Brazil, in both 1980 and 1988, in his book titled "Confrontations: A Scientist's Search for Alien Contact." (Anomalistic Books. Charlottesville, Virginia. 2008.)

BAASS

As part of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Systems (BAASS) sent a group of team members to Brazil in May 2009, with a second visit in October 2009.

In a 7 April 2020 blog article, French researcher Marc Cecotti and I told the story of the May 2009 Brazilian visit by BAASS. We communicated with a number of former BAASS employees and UAP researchers in South America. One such researcher Ademar Gevaerd, met BAASS members in Curitiba, Brazil. In part Gevaerd said: "They wanted artifacts from UFOs, such as metamaterials."

In a second blog article dated 17 April 2020 we reported that the BAASS team visited Fortaleza. Here, they photographed and filmed files and case notes of the local UAP organization, over several hours. Fortaleza based researcher Helio Loyola told us:

"Here in Brazil they didn't do any research. They took and photographed what the ufologists saw and documented."

BAASS members also visited other locations in Brazil. 

Image courtesy Amazon Books

One of the projects undertaken by BAASS was the creation of the CAPELLA data warehouse, conceived by Jacques Vallee. In the book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" (RTMA LLC, Henderson, Nevada 2021.) by Lacatski et al there is a list of products of AAWSAP. These include:

* BAASS March 2009 Monthly report - "The UFO Assault on Brazil with its Epicenter at Colares (1977-2003) by John Schuessler."

* BAASS August 2009 Monthly report - "Relations with South American organizations."

* BAASS July 2009 Ten monthly report - "Project Colares/Brazil, Outreach to South America."

The CAPELLA data warehouse was a collection of eleven individual data sets of which one was titled "Brazil."

Image courtesy Amazon Books

Chapter fifteen of the Lacatski et al book "Inside the U.S. governments covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations" (RTMA LLC, Henderson, Nevada. 2023.) says the following about the Project Colares database:

"Data base containing all UAP sighting events related to the 1977-1978, Colares, Brazil, UAP flap. Total records 346. Event timeline 1977-1978."

Rony Vernet

Rony Vernet is a Brazilian electronics and computer engineer, who has spent several years researching UAP. One of his areas of specialization has been that of documenting the UAP accounts of indigenous communities in Brazil. Recently, with the part sponsorship of the Australian Non Human Intelligence Research Institute, he travelled to a remote part of Brazil to document onsite accounts by people in an isolated village. While there, he encountered the phenomena for himself. 

Vernet reports:

"During my mission in Amazon, I witnessed 4 types of phenomena:

Type 1 - Poltergeist activity (sounds of heavy furniture against ground, sounds of people walking on forest, lamps blinking, battery drainage, radio communications, smartphone freezing, camera shut down.)

Type 2 - Blinking orange spheres. A two-part object that blinks a huge orange light and flew low until enters the forest. 2 meters in diameter.

Type 3 - Steady orange sphere. A continuous orange to red light like a ball of fire that flew low until enters the forest. Around 1 meter in diameter.

Type 4 - luminous fog. Like a white aurora that becomes dense and forms a huge 3D shaped image. Paralyzed a boy and entered inside the forest at the same point of other lights.

A 5th type was not witnessed in person but recorded in multiple equipment. Types 2,3, and 4 also recorded.

Type 5 - A luminous entity with humming sound that illuminates the area and projects another oval shaped UAP near the ground. Silenced nature sounds before disappearing."

Rony was interviewed by Australian investigative journalist Ross Coulthart for Ross' show "Reality Check" where Rony provided further details on his own observations. He stated that he was intending to return to the remote locality later this year, but that in the meantime date was being remotely collected.

In conclusion

The work of all the above individuals and organizations details the ongoing nature of the Brazilian UAP phenomena. 

There is a growing awareness in the UAP community, that the next breakthrough in our understanding of UAP will come, not from governments, but from individual or collectives of civilian researchers such as Rony Vernet. 

Update: 16 February 2025

In January 2025 Anomalist Books published the sixth volume of Vallee's diaries. This book covers the years 2010-2019 and includes a third visit to Brazil by Vallee and his longtime friend Bill Calvert, who at one stage lived in Brazil. The trip took place in July/August 2015.

In Fortaleza, Brazil, they renewed their acquaintance with local researcher Agobar Peixoto. One item discussed was that back in 1988:

"At that time, we did an analysis of the massive UFO wave that had arisen from the south, moved up to the coast, and west to Colares. Operacion Prato was only a point of culmination."

Valle asked Agobar:

"Do you know that a research institute from Las Vegas has sent a sizeable team from the United States to obtain the data from Colares?" I asked: "Did they ever speak to you?"

"Sure, I met three Americans at a conference in Sobral," Agobr replied. "They were taking lots of notes trying to make contact with the group from Rio but looking in all the wrong places."

Vallee, Calvert and Agobar discussed new cases, and personally interviewed a lot of new witnesses during their time in Brazil. 

The Department of Homeland Security and a UAP SAP

Scientific American

On 19 January 2024, Scientific American published an opinion piece by the U.S. Department of Defense's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) former Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick. It was titled "Here's what I learned as the U.S. government's UFO Hunter," and covered a range of items. However, for the purposes of this article I wish to focus on the mention of Special Access Programs by Kirkpatrick.

Firstly then, a lengthy quote from the article:

"In 2009 then Senator Harry Rid asked the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to set up a SAP (special access program) to protect the alleged UAP/UFO material that AATIP proponents believed the USG was holding. The SECDEF declined to do so after a review by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSDI), and DIA concluded that not only did no such material exist, but taxpayer money was being inappropriately spent on paranormal research at Skinwalker Ranch in Utah. This is well documented in open sources, particularly in recently available on DIA's electronic FOIA Reading Room.

After the negative response by SECDEF, Senator Reid then enlisted the help of then Senator Joeph Lieberman to request that the Department of Homeland Secuity (DHS) set up an SAP for the same purpose. The administrative SAP proposal package was informed by the same individuals who had been associated with AATIP. AARO's archival research has located the administrative proposal for the DHS SAP, complete with the participants, which has been declassified and is being reviewed for public release..."

The 2009 Reid letter

Kirkpatrick, inter alia, wrote:

"In 2009 then Senator Harry Rid asked the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to set up a SAP (special access program) to protect the alleged UAP/UFO material that AATIP proponents believed the USG was holding."

I will provide the full text of the letter in order that the reader may make their own judgement as to whether or not, Kirkpatrick's assertion above is a correct reading of the content of the letter.

"Beginning this past September, the US Senate has mandated that the Defense Intelligence Agency assesses far-term foreign advanced aerospace threats to the United States. The scope of program interest covers from the present out to forty years and beyond. In order to further our effort in recognizing emerging disruptive aerospace technology, technical studies are being conducted in regard to advanced lift, propulsion, the use of unconventional materials and controls, signature reduction, weaponry, human interface and human effects.

Since the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) and study were first commissioned much progress has been made with the identification of several highly sensitive, unconventional aerospace related findings.

Given the current rate of success, the continued study of these subjects will likely lead to technological advancements that, in the immediate near-term will require extraordinary protection. Due to the sensitivities of the information surrounding aspects of this program, I require your assistance in establishing a Restricted Special-Access-Program (SAP) with Bigoted Access List for specific portions of the AATIP.

In order to support this national effort, a small but highly specialized cadre of Department of Defense (DoD) and private sector individuals are necessary. These individuals must be specialized in the areas of advanced sciences, sensors, intelligence/counterintelligence, and advanced aerospace engineering. Given the likelihood that these technologies will be applied to future systems, involving spaceflight, weapons, communications and propulsion, the standard management and safeguarding procedures for classified information are not sufficient. Even the use of conventional SAP protocols will not adequately ensure that all aspects of the project are properly secured.

Although not every aspect of AATIP requires restricted SAP read-on, the following portions should be  maintained at the Restricted SAP level.

'The methodology used to identify, acquire, study and engineer the advanced technologies associated with AATIP.

Specific methodologies used to study unconventional technology may require nuanced approaches that will undoubtedly be of significant interest if not a top priority for adversarial Foreign Intelligence Security Services (FISS).

Undue attention by government or private sector entities, not involved in AATIP or any international interest will directly or indirectly interfere with the daily AATIP mission and perhaps threaten the overall success of the program.

Allocation of personnel, support and oversight.

Due to the highly specialized nature of the personnel involved with AATIP, the overt acknowledgement of their participation in the program will lead to an unnecessary security and counterintelligence risk.

Occasional assistance from specialized individuals within Dod, the scientific community, or academia may be necessary from time to time based on demonstrated subject matter expertise. Adequate protection of their identities and affiliation is critical to avoid unnecessary scrutiny.

Without the appropriate Restricted SAP protection, the cost associated with a compromise would be significantly higher than the cost associated with a properly administered Restricted SAP.

Protection of industry partners and participation is critical. Public awareness of an industry's AATIP affiliation may discourage that industry's further participation with the US Government in this program.

Applications and engineering

The nuanced manner in which some of these technologies will be collected, engineered and applied by the US may require senior level government approval. These decision makers must be afforded the necessary time to make strategic decisions by restricting access to the "big picture" or overall intent of the program to those on a strict Bigoted List.

Associated exotic technologies likely involve extremely sophisticated concepts within the worlds of quantum mechanics, nuclear science, electromagnetic theory, gravitics and thermodynamics. Given that all of these have the potential to be used for catastrophic effects by adversaries, an unusually high degree of operational security and read-on discretion is required.

Due to the expertise required to carry out the objectives of this program, we will require a small, specialized group of Dod personnel, who are dedicated to performing the SAP-related functions and executing programmatic requirements within the program. It is essential that the Government & military personnel who are already involved with this program are assigned to further support this program in a Restricted SAP capacity (See Attachment 1). These individuals all currently possess the appropriate security clearances and are already providing unique support to AATIP.

Ultimately the results of AATIP will not only benefit the US Government but I believe will directly benefit Dod in ways not yet imagined. The technological insight and capability gained will provide the US with a distinct advantage over any foreign threats and allow the US to maintain its preeminence as a world leader.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration of this request. If you or your staff have any questions, please contact Bob Herbert of my staff at (202) 437-3162."

Attachment 1

Sponsoring agency: Undetermined (DEPSECDEF).
Component level SAP central office.
Unclassified nickname: Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).
Program length: FY09-FY13 (Preliminary).
Program funding: FY09- O&M, FY10-FY13- TBD.
SAP category designation: Intelligence, Dod Acquisition.
FY10 Preliminary Bigot List of Government personnel:
1. Honorable William Lynn III, Dep Dir of defense (Govt)
2. Honorable Senator Harry Reid of Nevada (Govt)
3. Honorable Senator Daniel Inouve of Hawaii (Govt)
4-11 Redacted.

FY10 Preliminary Bigoted List of Contractor Personnel funded under the AATIP
1-3 Redacted.

This document contains information exempt from mandatory disclosure under the FOIA. Exemptions 1 and 5 apply."

A DHS SAP

While the 2009 approach by Senator Reid to the Department of Defense for a SAP has been known for quite a while, I was not aware of the request for a SAP for DHS to conduct an Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) like program.

Courtesy Amazon Books

However, it should be noted that the 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" authored by James T. Lacatski, Colm Kelleher and George Knapp, references the fact that:

"...on February 7, 2011 Lacatski gave a very in depth briefing to colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate.." 

Lacatski et al went on to say:

"At this point in time, the opportunity arose for DHS to receive $10 million in FY13 funding due to a collaborative effort between Senator Harry Reid and Joe Lieberman (then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.)"

Ultimately, DHS did not accept the funding. I could find no reference to a DHS SAP in the book. I therefore turned to Lacatski et al's 2023 book "Inside the Government's Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations."  I found no reference to Senator Lieberman or a DHS SAP request.

In conclusion:

We await the public release of the documentation concerning an DHS SAP mentioned in Kirkpatrick's article, to provide us with yet another link in the AAWSAP story.

Update: 22 April 2024

The AARO website recently published details from the Department of Homeland Security on their proposed project named "Kona Blue" which was to extend the work of the former AAWSAP. The first Lacatski et al book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" appendix two, had previously provided details of this proposed second version of AAWSAP, but without giving its code name "Kona Blue."

What Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) documents have we seen ?

Lacatski 

In 2021, a book appeared authored by James T. Lacatski, Colm. A Kelleher, and George Knapp, titled "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon." It told the inside story of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) Appendix 1 to the book provided a list of the reports which Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS), provided to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in fulfillment of the AAWSAP contract. This list, headed "AAWSAP Production," shows the name and details of each document. There are 88 separate documents listed, running to a total of around 7,000 pages. How many of these documents have we seen?

Defense Intelligence Reference Documents

The DIA Freedom of Information Act reading room has copies of all 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) (click on the tab titled "Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program") generated by BAASS and listed in appendix 1 of "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon.')

Ten Month Report

Courtesy: Popular Mechanics

One of the appendix 1reports, shown as 530 pages in length, is titled "BAASS July 2009 Ten Month Report" and gives its contents as:

* BAASS Investigations

* Project Physics

* Project Engagement

* Project Cooperation

* Project Blue Book materials

* Project campus

* Project Oral History

* Project Database/ Analysis government files

* Project North Tier

* Project Colares/Brazil, outreach to South America.

In the February 2020 issue of the magazine "Popular Mechanics" German based U.S. investigator Tim McMillan reported that he had been shown a copy of a 494 pages BAASS document dated 30 July 2009, which appears to be a copy of the appendix 1 Ten Month report. McMillan, who only had a couple of hours to read and make notes, when an anonymous individual showed him a copy in Germany, says his document contained:

"strategic plans, project summaries, data tables, charts, descriptions of biological field effects, physical characteristics, methods of detection, theoretical capabilities, witness interviews, photographs and case synopses."

Despite the different page count, it certainly seems to be the appendix 1, Ten Month Report.

Skinwalker Ranch 2007-2012

Courtesy: phenomainon.com

Appendix 1 lists a document titled "Utah Ranch Events: 1 September 2007 - 2 April 2012" and is shown as 26 pages in length. In May 2022 a new website was launched at phenomainon.com. It consisted mainly of a number of databases, but in one section, "Incident database summaries" was a 26-page PDF document titled "Skinwalker Ranch Summaries." The actual document title is "Utah Ranch Events- September 2007 to Present." It is shown as version 6 - dated April 6, 2012. It appears to be the appendix 1 listed document.

Tic Tac report

Courtesy: anonymous

Appendix 1 also lists a 141-page document titled "Summary report on BAASS UAP Analysis Capabilities. Tic Tac and Sphere Assessments" dated 23 November 2010. This is a separate document to anything else produced on the 2004 Tic Tac incident. The book, in part, states that this 141-page report included a detailed advanced physics analysis of the Tic Tac's velocity and acceleration.

On a recent episode of the podcast WEAPONIZED titled "The UFO Hearing-What Happened" featuring George Knapp, Jeremy Corbell, Ross Coulthart and Bryce Zabel, there was mention of a 140-page report on the November 2004 Nimitz encounters. Knapp and Corbell had secured a copy from unnamed sources and had considered submitting it to the recent Congressional hearing but ultimately decided not to. Corbell said that their 140-page document was a detailed scientific analysis of the Tic Tac. These, and other details indicate that this Knapp/Corbell document is indeed a copy of the appendix 1 listed document.

In summary

We have seen:

*38 DIRDs

* The BAASS Ten Month Report

* The 26-page Utah/Skinwalker Ranch Summaries 2007-2012

* The 140/141-page Tic Tac analysis document.

It should also be noted that the BAASS generated CAPELLA data warehouse, conceived by Jacques Vallee has also recently seen the light of day and been made available by UPDB and phenomainon.

Comment

The question arises as to who has been 'leaking' these documents (apart from the 38 DIRDs which were officially released by the DIA)?

The Ten-Month report

McMillian in his 2020 article said about the individual who gave him a look at the report: "It's worth noting that this person is not a current government employee, nor were they ever involved with BAASS or the AAWSAP Contract."

The Utah Ranch Report

The phenomainon website and associated databases were established by Joe Schurman. It would appear that someone gave him a copy of the report and he published it. Although soon after it appeared on the website it disappeared; and has never appeared there since.

The Tic Tac Report

George Knapp, when advising who his copy of the report came from, implied it was from a source which needed to be protected from themselves. 

Basically though, it appears that only BAASS and the DIA ever had formal copies of the documents. Thus, the viewing of the Ten-Month Report; the release of the Utah Ranch document and the Tic Tac Report, indicates that the source of these was either a former BAASS employee or an employee of the DIA, although note McMillan's words re the individual who showed him the Ten-Month Report. 

To the best of my knowledge, Robert Bigelow as head of BAASS has never directly made available any AAWSAP documents. So, if they came from the BAASS end, it might have been a former BAASS employee's private copies of documents they kept for themselves. However, it is always possible they came from a DIA employee. Although I am aware of one UK researcher, who when seeking a copy of the 140-page Tic Tac Report, was informed by the DIA that they had released all their AAWSAP documents and that if the 140-page Tic Tac document wasn't on their FOIA website, that indicated that the 140-page document did not exist!

CAPELLA data warehouse

As to the question of who provided Joe Schurman with a copy of the CAPELLA AAWSAP data warehouse, we are none the wiser. Lacatski stated in his book:

"The authors are aware that the AAWSAP BAASS Data Warehouse, rather than lying fallow in a dusty warehouse or on a discarded hard drive, has been recently reactivated and is currently in use in various locations related to the government study of UAPs."

One interpretation of these words could be that it was an agency of the U.S. government itself, which had reactivated the data warehouse. 

Lacatski

Background

Updated 21 October 2021

As most blog readers will be aware, I have been closely following the stories of Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS); the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program (AAWSAP); and the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) for several years. I have written and published over 50 blog posts about these topics. 

Fellow Australian Paul Dean was the first person outside of AAWSAP, to reveal that the New York Times 2017 article about AATIP, actually was about AAWSAP. Shortly after this, I was the first person outside of the U.S. Government to read an online copy of the AAWSAP Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) solicitation for proposals to run the AAWSAP. 

After all of that, what I was waiting for was the AAWSAP Defense Intelligence Agency contract manager, James T. Lacatski, to come forward and tell his story. I felt, and still feel, that researchers such as Paul Dean, Marc Cecotti; Roger Glassel; Curt Collins, myself and others, have done a reasonable job putting together the AAWSAP story, as outsiders to the program. 

This blog then, is filling in the gaps in the knowledge we drew together about AAWSAP. These gaps have been filled, due to the publication of a new book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" authored by James T. Lacatski; Colm Kelleher and George Knapp. Only the BAASS insiders could have provided us what is presented in the book. The authors advise that they use pseudonyms for some individuals, while revealing the real names of others. 

The following then, is not a "book review" or indeed a summary of what's in the book; but notes and my comments based on information new to me; or which I was vaguely aware of.

A chronology

March 2007 - Lacatski reads the book 2005 "Hunt for the Skinwalker" by George Knapp and Dr. Colm Kelleher. Lacatski then, is working at the DIA Defense Warning Office, and sees that the types of things described in the book could be a threat to the USA. 

19 June 2007 - Lacatski writes to Bigelow, after reading the book. Asks to visit Skinwalker Ranch (SWR.)

26 July 2007 - Lacatski visits SWR. Sees an "anomaly." It was "...a complex semi-opaque, yellowish, tubular structure." Seen for about 30 seconds in broad daylight inside one of the households. Present at the time were Robert Bigelow and the two ranch managers, who did not report seeing anything. 

29 January 2008 - BAASS is registered in the state of Nevada.

18 August 2008 - DIA puts out a call for proposals for AAWSAP. Solicitation number HHM402-07-R-0019. 

8 September 2008 - BAASS submits a proposal. This had nine points:

1. Global data collection.

2. Contact with people who may have novel technologies.

3. Laboratory program - SWR.

4. Collect oral histories.

5. Potential use Bigelow Aerospace space  platforms.

6. Access to existing DIA data.

7. Biological effects of advanced technologies.

8. Remote sensing.

9. Expert analysis and synthesis.

22 September 2008 - BAASS awarded the AAWSAP contract. First year $10 million, for BAASS proposals 1,4,6 and 9.  Second year $12 million. Contract number was HHM402-08-C-0072.

30 September 2008 - Bigelow goes on Coast to Coast radio show with George Knapp. Bigelow. describes the work of BAASS. Outlines AAWSAP without mentioning AAWSAP name. For my transcript of the interview, click here. 

30 September 2008 - April 2009 - Kelleher hires staff. More than 75 contractors. Several hundred part-time personnel doing field work. 

Comment: I think the several hundred figure, refers to MUFON field investigators.

Early November 2008 - Bigelow hires Colm Kelleher for BAASS. Kelleher previously worked for Bigelow's National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS.)

Early December 2008 - Kelleher interviews then hires Douglas Kurth. Kurth tells Kelleher about the 2004 Tic Tac encounter. Kelleher tells Lacatski.  Lacatski's associate Jonathon Axelrod (not real name) and team, investigate and document the encounter. 

Comments: 1. Kurth's LinkedIn page refers to the date he commenced, as December 2007, which has always puzzled me. December 2008 fits the timeline much. better. 2.  So, I deduce that Axelrod was the author of the 13 page 2004 "Executive Summary" Nimitz report, released by George Knapp. Researchers have pondered over who the author of this leaked document was. 

April 2009 - MUFON cases flowing to BAASS. For three such reports, here is a link to the actual MUFON reports.  BAASS has contracted labs to undertake material analysis. 

Comment:  I documented a spreadsheet of 71 cases which flowed to BAASS, from MUFON Journal sources. The earliest was 13 September 2005; the latest was dated 11 January 2010. 

8 May 2009 - Derek Jones case. Saw a large triangular shaped almost overhead, Shone a powerful torch at it, An intense blue white light 2-3 feet in diameter came from objects front center section. On him for three seconds, Felt heat, He filed a report with MUFON. Next day saw several helicopters in the area, Two men knocked on his door and interrogated him about sighting. BAASS tracked  vehicle plate involved to a Department of Homeland Security carpool. October 2009  Jones experiencing unusual multiple lumps. Potential for effects to be due to non-ionizing radiation.

Comments: 1. According to the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of the MUFON Journal, this case actually happened on 11 September 2009. MUFON case number 19255. Investigated by MUFON investigators John Kledis and Robert Coley. The Journal presents an excellent summary of this event. The location was actually Leasburg, North Carolina. The case was referred to BAASS by MUFON. Why Lacatski's book provides a different date and location, is unknown to me. 

2. The Lacatski book poses the question of whether or not, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were monitoring the MUFON Case Management System and found out about the case. Richard Lang, the MUFON/BAASS liaison individual, in his 2021 book "UFO Investigation: The methodology for a New Age. " has a section titled "Hidden cases." He writes:

"Toward the end of the program, issues about cases that were mysteriously disappearing overnight started to surface....high profile extremely interesting cases that were viewed by the Dispatch team overnight but somehow the following morning the cases disappeared from the system...Ultimately, I found evidence of it in what appeared to be a secret part of the file system."

24 June 2009 - Reid's letter to DoD. Asked  for project to become an Special Access program (SAP.) Used nickname for AAWSAP, of AATIP -not the later DoD AATIP program. Reid nominated a staffer Robert Herbert to deliver letter to DoD. Someone copied the letter and distributed it. At Under Secretary of Defense Intelligence (USDI),  General James R. Clapper got a copy. Meeting convened to discuss it. participants were:

* William Lynn, Deputy Sec of Defense, (real name.)

* Susan Jones- senior official USDI Special Programs Officer.

* Marcel Lettre - (real name). At Pentagon 2009-2017. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.

* James R Clapper, USDI, (real name.)

* Robert Carlsberg, Senior DWO official at DIA.

The meriting decided to "postpone "any SAP status for AAWSAP. A SAP for "contract data exploitation was still determined to be necessary."

July 2009 -Lagol  California case. Blue lights appeared close by. The witness approached in a truck. LITS vanished. Roger saw object enter a portal in the sky. BAASS were advised about the case by MUFON. BAASS investigators themselves saw LITS via night vision google that was not visible to the naked eye, 257 page report submitted to DIA.

July 2009 - SWR visit by three. Jonathan Axelrod; Jim Costigan and David Wilson. Axelrod was friends with Lacatski. Axelrod was a senior aerospace engineer in Naval Intelligence. Lead investigator in 2009 of the 2004 Tic Tac case, which he had not finished investigating by July 2009. On SWR they encountered a temperature difference region; Night vision observation by one of men of a dark oval shape.  Shortly afterwards Axelrod's family experience a series of paranormal events at their home. Black humanoid shape, footsteps, blue orbs, huge wolf-like creature.

11 December 2009 -BAASS visits Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). Lacatski, Kelleher and BAASS Director of Investigations Larry Grossman visited AFOSI - Grossman was a former AFOSI CI operative. BAASS wanted AFOSI to identify any case caused by AF SAPs. BAASS would alert AFOSI if any of their Advanced technology objects were seen by large numbers of the public. They met Jack Angelo, (real name) Director of Operations, Office of Special Projects. BAASS wanted data on Oct/Nov 1975 AFBs incursions. 

Comment: From his visit to Brazil, the BAASS Director Of Investigations and Security was identified as one Loran Huffman. His LinkedIn page states he was at BAASS from January 2009 to March 2012, and a special agent with AFOSI between January 1985 and November 2000. He visited Brazil in May 2009. James A. Johnson was the BAASS Program Manager, Investigations. He also visited Brazil in May 2009. 

21 December 2010 - AAWSAP contract ceases, after an agreed three month contract extension.

7 February 2011 - Lacatski visits Department of Homeland Security seeking to create a DHS version of BAASS/AAWSAP. Nothing eventuated. 

General

1. The collective name given to the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) was "Project Physics."

2. Undated: There was a visit to Washington by then Minister for Homeland Security in Brazil, General Paulo Roberto Yog de Miranda Ucboa. There was a dinner organized by Axelrod and Lacatski. Participants were:

Lacatski; Axelrod; Jim Costigan; David Wilson; Luis Elizondo then of USDI; Juliett Witt - Pentagon Operational Test and Evaluation Analyst and DoD Target Sensor Specialist.; Colm Kelleher; Robert Bigelow. Maybe others not named.

Witt visited SWR with Kellehr and Bigelow. Cone of silence,. Creature passed within  40 feet of her. Witt went home experienced sounds an footsteps.. Bird attack. Shadowy figures.

3. A case from 1 May 2005 to "Ron Becker." Biotechnologist. Daughter saw three blue orbs approach their car and one went through Becker's body. He felt ill immediately, Over weeks gained fifty pounds. Took until late 2008 for health to return. Early issues consistent with radiation insult. Daughter had plethora of paranormal events.

4. I deduce that Axelrod was the author of the 13 page 2004 "Executive Summary" Nimitz report. 

5. Capella data warehouse. Cases from US, Canada, Europe, Russia, South America. Capella comprised 11 databases. These were:

1. NIDS db.

2. Dominique Weinstein's pilot db.

3. Project Sign. Grudge, Project Blue Book db.

4. MUFON CMS db.

5. Project Colares db.

6. Canadian government release db.

7. UK government release db.

8. AAWSAP BAASS case db.

9. Skinwalker ranch db.

10. UFOCAT db.

11. Eyes-only physiological effect on individuals who spent time at SWR.

6. BAASS mechanical, electrical and software engineers designed a UAP monitoring platform could be deployed in the field.

7. BAASS chief biologist Roger Whittiker and BAASS biologist Amanda Kruse conducted seed germination experiment.

8. Attempts were made in 2011 to start a BAASS like program within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Never happened. Contacts there named in book as Jim Bell and Sacha Mover. 

9. "The authors are aware that the AAWSAP BAASS Data Warehouse...had been recently reactivated and is currently in use in various locations related to the government study of UAPs."

Comment: Wouldn't you like to have a copy of this data warehouse?

10. Skinwalker Ranch continues to have events occurring there. 

Luis Elizondo speaks out on SAPs; other possible "hidden" UAP programs and much more

"That UFO Podcast" puts listener questions to Luis Elizondo

Episode 54 of "That UFO Podcast" is part one of listener questions, put to Luis Elizondo by podcasters Andy McGrillen and Dan. The following blog post presents some summary notes and quotations I have prepared after listening to the podcast. It is by no means a comprehensive transcription of the entire program, simply parts of it which I found the most interesting to me.

Special Access Programs

Question: According to Ross Coulthart's book "In Plain Sight" you worked at DOD SAP Central office. What can you say about your time and responsibilities at SAPCO?

Answer: SAPCO is actually subordinate to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. I managed SAPs myself. 

"There were several meetings where I would go in with new information regarding AATIP and say, hey, does anyone know what's going on? And the response was no big goose egg, nothing. 

Furthermore, what I will share with you, that I haven't publicly, is that the former USDI, before he became the DNI, Director of National Intelligence, whose name is Jim Clapper, General Clapper, who was also the director of several organizations before. A very good man.

Politics aide. You know, I don't take sides politically. I don't care if you are liberal or conservative, or anything in between. The bottom line, he was a very, very good intelligence officer and a very good leader when he was in.

And what I will say is that he was, he was, without a whole lot of detail, he expressed to me,, and it's something if you ever get a chance to talk to him; in front of my wife, he said, look he said, I'm really glad you are doing this. I'm really glad we had a UFO program. It's something that we should have done.

So, regarding SAPs, yeh, I would not have, not necessarily been managing all these SAPs, yet, I would have access , because of my 'need to know.'"

SAPs are compartmented and sensitive. "There are master lists of all SAPs, that certain people have access to. There are also oversight committees. Chris Mellon was SAPCO -when he was Deputy Secretary of Defense.

"These UFO programs, if they existed, beside AATIP, were probably been run rogue. There was no oversight. They were being run in a way that was out of minds, out of sight. So to speak. And that's problematic because we are an organization that's built on rules and regulations, and doctrine, and we have oversight for a reason. And so when the people who are responsible for knowing that information, are deliberately kept out of the loop. And then that's a significant (-). A legal issue. People can go to jail for that. So, I don't know how to emphasis enough that, if someone was running a rogue operation, you know, its a big no no.

I mean, I had, at least I had people in the chain or command and, at the secretary of Defense level and his echelons below that. They knew what I was doing. And I had that blessing to continue doing it. It wasn't that Lue Elizondo was just running some rogue operation. Anytime I asked, and had the authority, hey, I need to know what you guys are working on. People were shrugging their shoulders. We have no idea what you are talking about. That's true, not just with Chris Mellon. He'd tell you the same thing. So will Jim Clapper, who was eventually the Director of National Intelligence."

Comments:

1. Clapper served as Director of National Intelligence between 9 August 2010 and 20 January 2017.  Prior to that he served for three years as the USDI. 

James Clapper

2. Note the specific wording on the question of other than ATTIP UFO programs. Many UAP researchers seem to simply state that there were 4 other UAP programs, without citing any direct evidence. Here, Elizondo, qualifies his answer with "...if they existed..."

Are UAP a threat?

Question: You said on another podcast, that slide 9 could be related to Havana Syndrome. Wouldn't that mean that the phenomenon is an active threat? Secondly, are we in danger, as a species, from the phenomena?

Answer: A signature is a signature. Havana Syndrome is not my thing. "Myself and several colleagues perceive some interesting correlations there. I'm not prepared to elaborate right now. I simply cannot."

"Potential threat is not the same as hostile intent." We have an intelligence gap - meaning only that anything goes. We have seen some capabilities but we don't know the intent. 

"Biological effects are real. I'm not going to go into much detail in that. There's a reason why we has a DIRD by Dr. Kit Green - which by the way I highly respect - he's an incredible human being. There is a reason why we had a DIRD looking at biological effects. Right. You might think that it's all great and cumbyar, but then talk to someone who maybe had a little bit different experience and who is suffering from it."

Final version of Green's paper, before it was turned into an official DIRD

Ways in which UAP have come to our notice

Question: Radar updates and nuclear assets have revealed UAP. What other things may have exposed the phenomena, to your knowledge?

Answer: "On another podcast I was asked where I would place sensors to detect UAP? "I said you only need one and I meant that. I'm not going to go into a whole lot of details right now. because we are in the process of looking at that as an option. There are some very intriguing signatures that if you knew what to look for, and how to look for them, you know, you should have a really, really, really good chance of being able to collect data. And the data in a way which gives a lot more fidelity than we are getting now. Possibly to be able to predict. So, that's what we are doing right now. It's a bit in its planning stages and nascence stage. So, I don't want to tip my hand too much...Obviously the big connection is the nuclear connection. That is concerning.

We are planning on executing this, in a phase one approach probably within the next six months...There's lots of things happening behind the scenes."

Shorter answers

Question: If you were the Galileo Project team, what sensors would be needed? Infrasound?

Answer: Infrasound is one certainly interesting potential. We use it for other things as well. There's another way, that is even simpler. In fact, its absolutely simple...we are developing some high performing teams, the academic side, the scientific side, the technological side, governmental side. Again, there is a lot of things happening behind the scenes. I think the public's going to be very surprised and probably pretty excited once some of this information starts getting into the public realm because it means real results...We are probably doing more now behind the scenes than we ever have before."

Question: Given the facts, what is the current leading hypothesis?

Answer: It isn't ours. It isn't foreign adversaries. "Option C right now. Meaning something or someone else other than us." Beyond that I don't know. Need more data. Don't have the final story yet.

Question: Lue said that the three videos released so far are the least impressive. What makes a video considered for release?

Answer: Fidelity. Proximity. Telemetry, which can get you capabilities. If these are different from yours or an adversaries then that's good.

"As far as the 23 minute video. I've said for the record before, that I cannot elaborate. But there are people in the Pentagon that are aware of that video. That have seen that video, because they have corresponded with me about that video, when I was with AATIP. So, it has not gone and been lost forever. It's absolutely there. And at some point, if people are asked to testify, you know, Congress. They are going to have to tell the truth, that they've seen it too. 23 minutes is an awful lot of time...it's a lot of time to collect data."

Question: On another podcast, purpose of different UAP, e.g. are Tic Tacs different to triangles?

Answer: "No, we think they're using the same technology....just used for different applications...There's going to be some information on that in the near term, some more data...It's an assumption based on observation..."

Question: Have your views about death changed since AATIP?

Answer: "...things that occurred under Bigelow's watch and the previous director that, frankly, cannot be explained under modern day science...my focus was more on the UAP piece, even though I was tangentially involved with the AASAP stuff. I'll let the AAWSAP people talk about that..."

Question: The sixth observable is known to be biological effects. Have you personally been impacted?

Answer: "Yes. Impacted by them, because of friends."

Question: Did AATIP have interactions with the Department of Energy?

Answer: Yes, tangentially. Relationship is much better now.

Question: Can you speak about the Vatican's involvement with UAP?

Answer: You'd need to ask the Vatican.

Which aerospace company is hiding a UAP black project?

Aerospace companies, particularly in the United States, have had a long history of interest in Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP.) It is a natural fit. UAP exhibit a number of "observables" which would be valuable to an aerospace company, in terms of understanding advanced physics; advanced propulsion systems, and in general, advanced technology.

It has also been suggested by some, that if you were looking to reverse engineer an advanced object, then why not bury such a project within a private aerospace company? The Wilson/Davis document, of course, implies that this has already been done. Recently, Twitter user Britt@inf3rence has been digging deep into just which aerospace company these documents might be referring to.

The purpose of this blog post is to bring together some of the information about the interest of aerospace companies, and some of their employees, in UAP. It is not meant to be comprehensive but to provide a broad overview of the subject.

The major players

Firstly, though some basic information about the major players:

1921 Douglas Aircraft Company established.

1926 Lockheed Corporation established.

1939 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation founded.

1961 The Martin Marietta Corporation founded.

1967 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and Douglas Aircraft Company merge to form McDonnell Douglas.

1995 Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta merge to form Lockheed Martin. 

1997 McDonnell Douglas merges with Boeing.

1947: Lockheed statement

In an article in Volume 26, number 3 (pp3-9, 32) of the International UFO Reporter, by Joel Carpenter, titled "The Lockheed UFO Case, 1953," Carpenter mentions a 7 July 1947 official statement from Lockheed on the subject of "flying discs."

Hal Hibbard, then Lockheed's Chief Engineer, is reported to have told the Los Angeles Times:

"They're either reflections from planes flying singly or in formation, or mass hysteria and the desire of various persons to get their names in the paper. I know of no secret aviation project which would have the slightest bearing on these so-called phenomena."

1949: Lockheed employee sighting

A May 2020 post on the blog "The Saucers that time forgot" led to an image of an interdepartmental communication from Clarence L. ("Kelly") Johnson of Lockheed, to John L. Hill, dated 8 July 1949 reported a 17 June 1949 sighting by a Lockheed employee. Johnson wrote, in part:

"As you know, I have been very interested in the possibility of such things existing, and my discussions with certain people in the Air Force, as well as late newspaper reports indicate there is something to flying discs."

https://www.fold3.com/image/6314607

There is an existing Project Blue Book (PBB) case file on this sighting. Below is an image of the PBB index card and the PBB conclusion.

https://www.fold3.com/image/6314586

1951: Johnson sighting

Also in Carpenter's 2001 IUR article was mention of a sighting by Kelly Johnson himself, in "about November 1951." Below are the available details, in Johnson's own words, from 1953:

"I should also add that about two years ago Mrs. Johnson and I saw an object which i believed at the time, and still do, to be a flying saucer, flying west of Brents Junction, California on a very dark night. I did not see the object itself, but saw a clearly defined flame or emanation, as shown in the attached sketch. The object was travelling from east to west at a very high speed and with no noise. The flame or emanation was a beautiful light blue, having extremely well defined edges. My first impression was that it was an afterburning aircraft but the lack of noise and the pure speed of the plume eliminated that possibility completely."

http://www.nicap.org/docs/lockufo2.pdf

January 1953: Lockheed patent

Thanks to an article in the blog "Saucers that time forgot" we know that Lockheed employee Nathan C. Price designed and then filed a patent, for a Vertical take-off and landing "saucer" shaped aircraft, in January 1953. The machine was designed for vertical ascents and descents, and for long range flights at speeds up to Mach 4, with a ceiling around 100,000 feet. It was never built. 

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/86/8e/4b/c143e484f8dae6/US3066890.pdf

 December 1953: Johnson sighting

On 16 December 1953, Kelly Johnson and his wife observed a black silhouette, to the west of a ranch house near Agoura, California. For five minutes it was observed both by naked eye and through binoculars. It appeared stationary then dwindled in size and disappeared in 90 seconds in an apparent long, shallow climb.

http://www.nicap.org/docs/lockufo2.pdf

At the same time, a group of Lockheed employees, aboard a Lockheed test aircraft, outbound from Burbank, California also sighted a sharp-edged black silhouette in the sky, over the sea. After about five minutes, it shrank from view.

The PBB Case file, which records the cause as a lenticular cloud, may be viewed here.  

1954 - 1955: Douglas Aircraft Company study

In Jacque Vallee's book "Forbidden Science: Volume 2" page 336 there is a diary entry which reads:

"Belmont Saturday 15 May 1976

...I got an interesting call from a vice-president with Environmental Systems in Van Nuys who'd read Invisible College. As early as 1955 he belonged to a UFO group at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. He worked there with Wheaten (now at Lockheed in the submarine division) Ted Gordon, Klemperer and Dave Crook. They were asked by McDonnell management to assess cases from Blue Book, complete with photos and films. Their conclusion which they were asked to "forget" was that the objects used multi-dimensional physics. He now claims they found no less than 2,000 sites in Owen valley alone, including one where objects seem to go in and out of solid ground."

Image from PDF on file

 

I researched this 1955 study and ended up writing two blog posts about it, here and here.  Ultimately, I was able to locate, thanks to Boston researcher Barry Greenwood, 100 pages of documents generated by the study, a few pages of which are available on the Internet here.  The project was headed by Wolfgang Benjamin Klemperer, head of their Missile Division,  and staffed by Elmer P Wheaton; Theodore Jay Gordon; Dave Crook and A M Rochlen. Given that the names Vallee provides are all in the 1955 documents, bar that of Rochlen, I wonder if Rochlen was Vallee's informant? 

Courtesy of Barry Greenwood

In the 2012 book "UFOs and Government" by Swords, M. et al (Anomalist Books, San Antonio) there is the following:

"Douglas' Missile Engineering Department had made an analysis of the Great Falls, Montana, film of 1950 incidental to a study of publications dealing with unusual propulsion systems...The Douglas analysis was done by Dr. Robert L Baker."

Memo - Klemperer to Wheaton 1 March 1955 

 The analysis was published in March 1956 as "Photogrammatic Analysis of the 'Montana' Film Tracking Two UFOs" by Baker, R.M.L. 

Mid 1950's: Anti-gravity research

"The Hunt for Zero Point" by Nick Cook, is a 2002 book which explores research conducted into anti-gravity as a means of advanced propulsion. Cook was employed by the English Journal "Jane's Defence Weekly" and became intrigued by the concept of anti-gravity research. He came across the fact that in the mid 1950's a number of aerospace companies in the U.S. were actively researching anti-gravity. One of the most prominent was headed by George S. Trimble, head of Advanced projects and Vice President of the G-project for Martin Aircraft. To read more on Cook's work click here. 

1965: Martin Marietta

In Jacques Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume 1" in an entry dated 17 May 1965, Vallee writes:

"A curious incident recently took place during a conversation with a Martin Marietta engineer who says he is compiling a book on UFOs. The engineer circulated a black binder with material in it, and when someone turned a page the engineer leapt out of his chair like a tiger and took the binder away, tersely spitting out '...the other papers have nothing to do with that.' We were left fairly shocked at the violence of his reaction. Of course we wondered what else might be in that binder. There are rumors that major aerospace companies are conducting their own secret studies of UFOs."

1967-1968: Study undertaken on behalf of President Lyndon B. Johnson

In the period 1967-1968, Frank F. Rand Jnr., became an assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Johnson had been contacted by researcher James E. McDonald about UFOs. President Johnson himself retained a long term interest in the subject. The President asked Rand to look into the topic and report back to him; and Rand and his team spent nine months conducting a scientific investigation of the topic, and concluded by providing a report to President Johnson.

By 2001, Rand had prepared a book length manuscript, both about his career and the UFO study. It was titled "UFOs...Fact or Fiction" and U.S. researcher Michael Swords acquired a copy, which I have read. The manuscript was never published and few have seen it.

Some of Rand's team's conclusions were:

"There is no doubt that "UFOs" exist and are under control. Nor, do I doubt that there may well have been some harmless probes sent to our Earth from other civilizations beyond our solar system."

The other members of Rand's team were stated to have been Arthur Lundahl; General James T. Stewert; Dr. Brockway McMillan; Dr. "Lee Brockings" (pseudonym); a Dr. Bleakley and a Dr. Losh; plus of particular interest here, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson.  

1967-1970: The McDonnell Douglas "secret" study

In the July/August 1993 edition of the "International UFO Reporter," a McDonnell Douglas employee, Robert M. Wood revealed that his company had conducted a "secret" study of the subject of UFOs. 

Image from PDF on file

Wood recommended to management, a modest $M0.5 project to explore unpopular theories, conduct laboratory experiments and evaluate hypotheses, conduct field observations, and review the UFO literature. They agreed. At one stage the project employed four full time and three part time employees.

Image from PDF on file

A fuller description of the work undertaken, appeared much later, in an another article by Wood, this time in the October 2008 issue of the "MUFON Journal." Individuals mentioned as taking part in the project were Dr. Joseph M. Brown; Chan Thomas; Paul Wilson; Stanton Friedman; Dr. Darell Boyd Harmon; Leon A. Steinert and Harvey C. Bjornlie. I wrote a lengthy piece about the project; its paperwork and its findings in a blog post dated 22 September 2020 If you would like to read 275 pages of the project's documentation, you can go to this website. 

Robert M. Wood in the 1993 article stated:

"The Project was terminated in 1969 at my recommendation due to our inability to identify the timing of the payoff...the code name was "BITBR" - standing for "Boys in The back Room."

Wood also revealed that:

"The only contact with the government about the Project came towards the end of the spring of 1970 when there was interest expressed by one of the intelligence agencies. This resulted in a draft proposal to "mimic, imitate or duplicate the observables associated with UFOs. "We called this potential opportunity Project Skylite and prepared a good deal of technical information in anticipation of contract work. It never materialized with McDonnell Douglas to my knowledge."

Researcher Lois Taylor contacted me and provided me with a number of documents dealing with this Project which I wrote about in a blog article dated 15 October 2020.

In an internal memo dated 2 May 1968, and titled "Advanced Vehicle Concept Research" by Wood, Brown and Harmon, there appears a section headed "Competitors efforts":

"Hughes (10 men at Fullerton under Meiers); Lockheed Sunnyvale; Rand has proposed project (as have several other companies); Several companies have UFO related efforts. Raytheon has had computer project from Condon (U. of Colo.)"

 1973: Sample from the 1897 Aurora, Texas "crash" analyzed

In the MUFON "Skylook" Journal, issue number 70, dated September 1973 (p.8) author Walt H. Andrus wrote a piece titled "Report on 1897 Aurora, Texas, Investigations."  Part of this reported that samples of materials found on the site of the alleged "crash" were sent to:

"John F. Schuessler, Deputy Director of MUFON and consultant in Aeronautics, on June 15. They have been submitted to laboratories of McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis for their expert analysis."

As far as I can determine, results of analyzes were never published.

1974: UFO research for the CIA?

The 10 December 1974 entry in Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume Two" includes:

"Kit reluctantly confirmed that there was a group of 15 engineers in the Midwest ( I assumed it was McDonnell in St. Louis) are secretly doing UFO research for CIA under cover of 'aeronautical research.' They're getting data through leaks from CUFOS and other amateurs."

Note: Kit refers to Christopher 'Kit' Green.

1978: McDonnell Douglas continues its studies

Two more pieces of information from Jacques Vallee.

a. Diary entry dated 5 January 1978

"Yesterday, I received a phone call from a fellow who works with McDonnell Douglas Aeronautics. He told me that 'on a private basis' he was compiling a new close encounter database. I am not stupid enough to believe that his company has no corporate interest in the matter. They have an on-going secret project well funded with the blessing and official monitoring of the CIA and they.re pretty connected with major UFO groups all of which love the secret intrigue of a link to the spooks even as they vilify the government cover up' in their public pronouncements."

b. Diary entry dated 15 October 1978

"McDonnell Douglas is continuing their quiet but well funded study with John Schuessler, also monitored by the Agency. They seem to be looking for exotic alloys. Who is kidding who? Why is the scientific community kept in the dark about these projects? Why all the secrecy? Where do the research results go?" 

1979 -1986: McDonnell and parapsychology

Between 1979 and 1986 the McDonnell Foundation funded a permanent paranormal PSI laboratory in St. Louis, Missouri. James Smith McDonnell was Chairman of the Board of McDonnell Douglas.  

1985: The ATP

The Advanced Theoretical Physics (ATP) Project was co-founded by John B. Alexander and Dr. Ronald F.  Blackburn. Blackburn was a microwave specialist, formerly at the Lockheed "Skunk Works" and according to Jacques Vallee ("Forbidden Science: Volume 3" diary entry dated 11 April 1989)  Blackburn hinted that he studied UFOs. I profiled Blackburn in a blog post in 2019.

The ATP had a number of participants, who met to discuss current and future research into the topic. For a look at a batch of ATP documents please click here.

Among ATP participants were at least five individuals who worked for aerospace companies. These were Ron Blackburn, Milton Jantzen and Don Keuble from Lockheed; and Bill Souder and Robert Wood from McDonnell Douglas.

Although Alexander briefed a number of high ranking U.S. government officials while ATP was operational, eventually no funding was forthcoming to support the ATP research agenda, and it was disbanded. 

1986: Ben Rich

Over the years, much has been made of certain statements made by Ben Rich of Lockheed. In 1986 Ben Rich was Executive V.P. and General manager, Advanced Development Projects, Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company. In a letter dated 10 July 1986 from researcher John Andrews to Rich, Andrews asked if Rich's beliefs covered both manmade and extraterrestrial UFOs? In a response dated 21 July 1986, on Lockheed letterhead, Rich replied:

"Yes, I'm a believer in both categories. I feel everything is possible. Many of our manmade UFOs are Un Funded Opportunities."

 I image the correspondence below from a PDF I have on file:

1992 - 2012: Robert Bigelow and Bigelow Aerospace

Las Vegas businessman Robert T. Bigelow has had a long-term interest in both UAP and the paranormal. He expressed this interest in a series of business entities, commencing with the Bigelow Foundation in the early 1990's; the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS -1996-2004); and finally the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) between 2008-2012. I have reviewed each of these entities and their research in a series of blog posts which can be found by using the blog search function. Much of the information published by NIDS can still be found on their now defunct website using the Wayback machine.  Bigelow Aerospace was founded in 1998 and BAASS in 2008. 

BAASS received two years of funding, $M22 in total,  from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency under a contract for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) Robert Bigelow also reached into his own pocket to add to the DIA funds. Very little detailed information has been publicly released by either the DIA or BAASS concerning the AAWSAP.

Mid 1990's: Project Greenglow

https://www.amazon.com/Greenglow-search-gravity-control-Ronald/dp/1784620238

In the mid-1990's aerospace engineer Dr. Ron Evans was working for British Aerospace (which became BAE Systems in 1999.) He asked management if he could investigate "gravity control?" They said yes; gave him an office and a small budget. He called the Project, Project Greenglow and worked on it until he retired in 2005. In 2015 he published a book called "Greenglow and the Search for Gravity Control."

2001: Donald Phillips

According to Steven M. Greer in his 2001 book "Disclosure Project Briefing Document," Donald  Phillips is said to have been in the USAF, and also to have worked with Kelly Johnson at Lockheed. In his Disclosure testimony he speaks of how ETs met with Earth's leaders in 1954; leading to the advancement of our technology. Phillips refers to Colonel Corso's work as evidence to support his own testimony. 

2014: Boyd B. Bushman

Boyd B. Bushman worked for Lockheed Martin, and held a number of patents, filed between 1989 and 2002, assigned to Lockheed. Before he passed away in August 2014 he was interviewed on video about his views on UAP. In the video he speaks of UFOs as being real; that they are extraterrestrial visitors and that bodies and craft have been recovered. He produced, and showed. photographs of UFOs and an alien, which he spoke of as if he had met them himself; and of the alien's planet. He claimed that Russia and China were both working at Area 51. He also stated that he analyzed pieces of UFOs, which had the property of reducing the weight of anything near the pieces. Critics of his video account pointed out that the alien in the photograph strongly resembles a toy alien doll available at Wal-Mart.

2016: William Tompkins

https://www.amazon.com.au/Selected-Extraterrestrials-secret-think-tanks-secretaries/dp/1515217469

A book titled "Selected by Extraterrestrials" authored by William Mills Tompkins, was published in 2016. The book is reportedly an autobiography, although reads like a B grade novel, by Tompkins who stated that he was a long-term employee of the Douglas Aircraft Company, back to 1953. He makes statements such as:

"After extensive study in 1953, Advanced Design concluded that UFOs were actually interplanetary spacecraft, piloted by extremely advanced extraterrestrial beings." 

For further information, please see my blog post dated 28 April 2016.  

What of the now?

The demonstrated long-term interest in the topic by aerospace companies, would indicate to me that there is most probably some aerospace company, right now, conducting current research into UAP. With all the interest in the 2004 Nimitz encounters; the 2014/2015 off the East coast of the U.S. training area incursions; and other cases since, I would suggest that one or more of the major aerospace company players has its own UAP research program on the go. This is separate from the official U.S. government UAP Task Force.

There are undocumented claims by a number of UAP researchers, that they are aware of four other U.S. research programs dealing with UAP. However, there is no indication that these are lodged within private aerospace companies. Have any blog readers any insight into such a current aerospace company program?

Learned Aerospace professionals are taking an interest

The German Aerospace Society recently held a meeting where they discussed SETI and UAP. Click here for the link.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics held a panel discussion on UAP on 6 August 2021. Click here for the link.