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. 

Dr. Jensine Andresen 's UAP books

Introduction

In a post, dated 13 November 2023 I commented that: "We seem to have reached a 'tipping point' as regards the involvement of academia in UP studies," noting the increasing numbers of academics publishing article and books about the subject. Earlier, in another post, dated 12 September 2023, I wrote about the UAP related published work of Australian scholar Carole Cusack.

Dr. Andresen

Dr Jensine Andresen, an American academic has a Ph.D. from Harvard University; an M.A. from Columbia University and a B.S.E. from Princeton University; Her general topics of interest are the academic and societal implications of Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and other issues which relate to the Earth and space. She has recently published two UAP related books. The two books are:

1. "Hyperconflation: Recommending a Relational Alternative to the DataCentric Approach to UAP." July 2023. Independently published.

Image courtesy of Amazon Books

2. "Hyperconvergence: Religion, Politics and UFOs." October 2023. Independently published.

Image courtesy of Amazon Books.

The two books are inter-related. The first takes a look at the approach adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Intelligence Community, while the second examines the approach taken by whistleblowers and the U.S. Congress. Andresen believes that "People participating in both of the aforementioned trajectories are experiencing errors of perception."

Hyperconflation

"A main thesis of this book is that a datacentric approach to UAP is not appropriate for investigating extraterrestrial UAP."

 "Conflating Human Made UAP with Extraterrestrial UFOs and USOs" notes that in early 2023, the mainstream media switched back from the term UAP to the term UFO and suggested that all UFOs were nothing more than conventional human made craft, and not extraterrestrial.  

"Conflating Military with Civilian Data Collection" looks at the nature of UAP data collection. In December 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense created:

"...the office of Strategic Capital [OSC] to connect companies with perceived vital national security technology, with venture capitalists who could fund such companies."

Andresen points out that some OSC part-time employees also work part-time for venture capital companies, thus creating a potential conflict of interest. Andresen cites the case of an individual named Kirsten Bartok Touw, an aerospace and defense investor who works both for a venture capital company and the OSC.  Illustrating the connection to UAP, Andresen's research found that the private entity Enigma Labs Inc. received pre-seed funding from two sources, namely FJ Labs and Touw. 

"Conflating the UAP topic with the Counterterrorism (CT) Problem." Back in 1994 the CIA created its own way of investing in start-up companies, via the establishment of In-Q-Tel (IQT.) Data mining of open-source materials, combined with information from classified sources was used in the fight against terrorism. 

"A main objective of the IQT-VC partnership is 'prediction'...anticipating technology questions so the USG remains ahead of the technology curve..."

Andresen uses the company named Palantir, founded by Alex Karp and Peter Thiel as a case study of technology that was converted to use as an anti-terrorism tool.

In reference to data mining, Andresen references Enigma Labs with an interest in UAP databases. Andreen notes an 18 January 2023 article by U.S. journalist Bryan Bender stating that NASA was holding a UAP summit and that Enigma Labs was invited to attend; and also that the U.S. Defense Department's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) would be partnering with Enigma Labs to evaluate Enigma's "...application, data stream and filtering capabilities..."

Andresen expresses concern about lack of privacy aspects of Enigma's input processes when collecting data on global UAP sightings; whilst the company remains silent on who runs Enigma. 

"Conflating Data with Knowledge" continues the theme of the use of data mining of large databases by providing details of the activities of Enigma Labs, UPDB; PhenomAInon, To The Stars, and the Capella data warehouse, generated by the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.)

"Conflating the Business of National Security with Genuine National Security and Actual Safety." Here Andresen states her position that she does not think a datacentric approach to UAP is useful:

"A datacentric approach reduces what is a relational issue between humankind and ETI to the process of 'collecting.'"

She does not accept the premise that data collection will help "...forge a constructive relationship with the ETI operating in our midst." We should be focusing on "...creative ways to communicate...the ET is trying to help."

She again expresses concern that the U.S. government is collecting UAP reports from civilians on a global basis via such pathways as via Enigma Labs and AARO.

"On Conflating Prediction with Wisdom." Andresen reinforces her message that collecting data on UAP could lead to attempts to shoot down UAP, bait UAP, or exploit UAP technology, and that this is the wrong approach. The correct way, in her opinion is:

"To obtain wisdom, we must learn to participate with one another in both in intraspecies and interspecies contexts...Instead of conflating, we must...participate with the magnanimous ETI, in our midst now."

Hyperconvergence- broad themes

In the second of her books, Andresen takes a look at a number of themes including:

1. The search for the secret of UAP technology versus Andresen's approach which would:

"...focus on creative acculturation with ETI rather than on extraterrestrial technology. That is because if extraterrestrial tech is weaponized, it could wipe out our species."

2. The three groups of people involved in the unfolding of the UAP narrative, namely the U.S. National Security establishment: a supranational elite group of wealthy and connected individuals interested in UAP tech; and thirdly the intelligence services of other countries.

In exploring these broad themes, Andresen covers a lot of ground including:

* An extensive analysis of the activities of whistleblower David Grusch, and long-term researcher Steven Greer. Andresen lists Grusch as:

"Propagating a non-human intelligence (NHI) threat narrative; while Greer articulates his very specific variant of the benevolent extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) narrative."

* UAP related aspects of the National Defense Authorization Act 2024. Andresen does not support this legislation, suggesting that providing access to USG crash retrieval programs would potentially lead to espionage leaks to foreign entities.

* Andreen's own belief that the ETH is the best explanation for UAP. Not interdimensional or demons, but simply Extraterrestrial visitors. 

* The work and ideas of such researchers as John Keel; Jacques Vallee; Hal Puthoff and David J. Bohm.

* An examination of the concept of "demons" and how this relates to the topic of UAP.

* The long-term UAP interests of such wealthy individuals as Robert Bigelow and Hans Adam II.

* An exploration of the available public information on the SOL Foundation.

* The potential for the use of the UAP "threat narrative" to be used to seek more money for the U.S. military space weapons. Andersen has written elsewhere about her desire to seek the demilitarization of space.

* Aspects of religious beliefs including views on the potential extinction of the human race; apocalyptic thinking and eschatology.

* Andersen's view that:

"The fastest possible way to make the world ready for extraterrestrial technology...is to reduce and ultimately eliminate violence in our own species..."

In summary

I found these two books to be a very useful summary of the status of UAP research today; its various perspectives and provided much food for thought. In addition, Andresen's research added to my own knowledge of the background to Enigma Labs Inc. and the SOL Foundation. 

For a video interview of Dr. Andresen discussing the work in both books, please click here. 

Lacatski's new book and podcast interview

Lacatski et al

Courtesy Amazon Books

"Inside the US Government Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations." 2023. Published by RTMA LLC. Henderson, Nevada; is a new book by James T. Lacatski; Colm Kelleher and George Knapp. It follows their 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon." This new book is the second in a projected series of books by the three authors, about the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) The book covers the time period September 2008 through May 2009. The following material from the book only covers items that are new to me, about AAWSAP. 

AAWSAP work product

"...the massive holdings of the original analysts' journals, data and photographs remain in storage."

Comment: From the previous book and other sources, we are aware that the large volume of documents generated by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) the contractor, were held in two places - BAASS in Las Vegas and the DIA in Virginia. 

AAWSAP Management Plan

This was written in November 2008, showing proposed AAWSAP actions divided into "...six major projects that collectively addressed all twelve technical areas."

1. Project Database - the creation of the CAPELLA data warehouse.

2. Project Physics - the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents.

3. Project Engagement - gather cases, and document areas of UAP activity and directly observe the phenomena.

4. Project Northern Tier - cases near USAF bases, containing nuclear weapons from the 1960's onwards.

5. Project Colares - gather material on the Colares, Brazil wave.

6. Project Ranch - Studies at the Skinwalker Ranch in Utah.

There was also:

Project Consciousness - examine the connection between UAP and paranormal phenomena, and human mind/body.

Project Physics 

To examine existing UAP reports to determine characteristics of UAP lift, propulsion, spatial/temporal translation and power generation.

A retrieved craft

"At the conclusion of a 2011 meeting in the capitol building with a U.S. Senator and an agency Under Secretary, Lacatski, the only one of this book's authors present, posed a question.

He stated that the United States was in possession of a craft of unknown origin and had successfully gained access to its interior. This craft had a streamlined configuration suitable for aerodynamic flight but no intakes, exhaust, wings, or control surfaces. In fact, it appeared not to have an engine, fuel tanks or fuel.

Lacatski asked" 'What is the purpose of this craft? Was it a life support craft useful only for atmospheric reentry or what? If it were a spacecraft, then how did it operate?"

Comments:

1. Lacatski doesn't say any more about this "craft." He does not say whether or not he actually saw it himself. We do not know, if he didn't see it himself, then how did he acquire his knowledge of its existence. 

2. "...successfully gained access to its interior" suggests that the craft was originally closed, but then access was gained.

3. This statement by Lacatski that the US possesses "a craft of unknown origin" is the main takeaway from this book. 

United Kingdom case

There was an incident involving two F-15C aircraft near Royal Air Force base Lakenheath in the United Kingdom on 12 January 2007, which was investigated by AAWSAP. AAWSAP conducted phone communications with the former Commanding Officer of the 493rd Fighter Squadron, and a face-to-face interview with the lead pilot. Two F-15C aircraft tracked an object on their radar and there was intermittent ground radar detection. The object was seen visually by both pilots. It was between 17,000- and 18,000-feet altitude. The lead pilot thought the object was tracking with the wind at less than 60 knots. The object looked like a "meteor rock" and was watermelon to softball sized. The lead pilot in retrospect, thought it was a balloon.

Investigations team

BAASS "...hired a small team of ten high quality investigators with extensive intelligence and law enforcement investigator experience." A rapid deployment team for within the continental US. The book provides great details of cases which the team investigated during the period April and May 2009.

Comment: The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), screened all incoming reports to them and passed on to BAASS, ones which met specific criteria. Additional investigation and documentation was then conducted by BAASS. Thus, the details of the cases published in the book include, but also add to, the case studies published in the MUFON Journals of the time. 

Northern Tier incursions

In January 2009 one analyst/investigator was assigned to review the public information available on Northern Tier incursions - around USAF nuclear sites from the 1960's into the 1990's. AAWSAP "...initiated the creation of a database compiling the names, contact info and event details of any and all eyewitnesses to the sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena on and around Air Force Bases in the United States."

CAPELLA data warehouse

Ten people each worked on the data warehouse for 40 hours a week. On 10 November 2008 BAASS awarded a contract to Jacques Vallee to prepare an outline of such a data warehouse. French, Portuguese, and Danish translators were used to provide English translations. Details are provided of each of the eleven databases which together make up the data warehouse. The cost was multi-millions of dollars in total.

Integrated sensor package

This was developed by BAASS' engineering team, from a concept plan in January 2009 to having a prototype by August 2009. The intent was to deploy it in areas of high UAP activity. The book provides detailed operational characteristics of the sensor package.

Colares, Brazil

John Schuessler was engaged to write a report based on the time frame 1972-2003, drawing on work by Bob Pratt's field visits to Brazil, which were followed by onsite visits by Janine and Jacques Vallee; together with the work of local Brazilian researchers.

Future work

The book lists projects which they did not have time to complete, including:

1. Collect and analyze uncorrelated target data from such places as NORAD.

2. Collect and analyze radar and radar/visual cases.

3. Develop a plane for locating and monitoring "windows" and "portals."

4. Develop a plan to attract novel spacecraft.

WEAPONIZED podcast

On 16 October, 2023, the three authors were interviewed on a podcast hosted by George Knapp and Jeremy Corbell. The following are my notes of the pieces of information drawn from the podcast. L = Lacatksi; K = Kelleher; G = George Knapp, and C = Jeremy Corbell.

L - did not tell the contract bidder what to do, said this is what we want to achieve write a proposal to do that.

L - AATIP name was created for a specific purpose. Why call it AATIP? The need for a different name? The funding came with a piece of highly classified paper on which someone had written 'secret' on the program name. I wanted a different name so Lue etc. came up with AATIP. Using the name AAWSAP routed the money to the Defense Warning Office. AATIP looked at military cases. I was aware of some of the cases AATIP worked on. 

L - All material from BAASS re AAWSAP sent to the DIA was scanned electronically by the DIA. Most of the documentation is propriety, it contains people's names, contractors' names etc. Therefore, we are only extracting parts of the documents in this book.

L - One interesting revelation is that there are so many different configurations of UFOs. 

L - C asked about the "craft" story in the book. L said that at the meeting there was considerably more discussion about the craft than is in the book. We will try to cover more in future.

L - This second book took 7 months to review as opposed to 14 months for Skinwalkers book.

L - There are questions we haven't been asked such as 'why the project was started?' 'Why did it end?" The meeting with that Brazilian guy - no one ever asked us why did we have that meeting? Can't answer these without documenting them and getting cleared. 

K - There were two AAWSAP threads. What effects do UFOs have on humans? The other was the nuts and bolts re lift, propulsion etc.

L - There is information out there that is not factual. We had no choice but to pursue both aspects.

C - Can you comment on David Grusch? L - I have never met Grusch. I don't know him. Congress contacted me with a similar question. I never saw what I would consider illegal activities. 

C - R the craft. Did you see the craft yourself? L - Can't answer that. 

L - [Speaking of reference to religious forces stopping the program.] I see no darkness at all here. I saw no evidence of that being true. I'm optimistic.

L - [Back to false information.] I have seen forged documents talking about the program that are not legitimate documents.

[Re the resurrection of CAPELLA.] K - UAPTF had access to the CAPELLA database. I have no personal knowledge about it re the AIMSOG or AARO. L- AARO has not reached out to me about the CAPELLA database. A person from AARO did reach out to me on an unclassified system, but not about CAPELLA.

L - There were other individuals and agencies who wanted to add their sensors to our sensor package.

K - [Asked were UAP a threat to national security.] AAWSAP generated lots of information about UFO capabilities but nothing on UFO "intent." You can't make the case without intent that UFOs are a national security threat. They are however a threat to human health. 

K - The book contains a lot of historical cases - you can't explain 1950's cases as drones. 

C - You list 8 different things for future work One is oral history of people who have first-hand experience. L - the text you read out was in the BAASS proposal and the planning document. It was a 'desire' not 'knowledge.' In the book we tried to keep it in line with the text in the AAWSAP DIA documents. The book uses extracts from those documents.

C - Do the American people deserve to know about this craft? L - Yes, within security limits. If you're asking if I am a disclosure advocate, I'd say no.

C - I know you declined to testify to Congress. Telling Congress, the lowdown, would also tell our adversaries. L - I didn't want to get involved in what would appear to be a three-ring circus. My method is to tell it in book form.

K - [UFO as both machine and something else.] K - There is a manipulation of perception in the witness. We need to look at both the physical and the psychic. 

Summary comments:

1. This new book provides details extracted from the original source BAASS AAWSAP documentation. If we are not going to be able to see copies of the full material, then extracts by Lacatski et al are the next best thing. In that respect, there is much new detail revealed here. 

2. The scant details provided about the US possessing a craft of unknown origin, and having accessed the interior, is never going to satisfy the curiosity of researchers such as myself, who have dozens of follow up questions to those asked by Knapp and Corbell, and which Lacatski refused to answer. 

3. It was excellent to be able to read the book and then listen to the podcast, even if Lacatski was reticent to respond to many of the questions put to him. He clearly stated that he was not going to exceed the detail he had been cleared to provide in the book. However, he did indicate additional detail may be forthcoming in the next book in the series, which hopefully will cover the timeframe June 2009 to December 2010. 

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. 

Was the Department of Homeland Security keen to take on the AAWSAP?

Introduction

I have written much about Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) and the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) Simply type these acronyms into this blog's search function to read as much as you wish.

BAASS

French researcher Marc Cecotti submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, on 8 December 2021. In it he sought:

"...a copy of all records, including but not limited to emails, reports, memorandum, presentations, mentioning : "Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program" or the acronym "AAWSAP," "Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies" or the acronym "BAASS." Date range for record search from 1/1/2008 to 12/31/2012."

The DHS response was a one page document with the following text:

"BAASS goals 2011/2012

Area 1:

1. Advanced Technology Analysis Center - analyze recovered AAV technology in collaboration with aerospace companies. Construct extremely secure underground lab facility.

2. Conscious interactions with, and control of, advanced AAV technology.

3. Extend Remote Communications Programs to communicate and retrieve data across dimensional/space-time barrier. Target multiple locations.

4. Identify anomlaous activity in select areas of the United States and establish field research laboratories and remote communication programs on site.

Retrieve and integrate all historical data on AAVs from retirees (oral history.)

Area 2:

1. Liaison with IC, FBI, State, Local and tribal Police, FAA, DoD (including AFOSI), National Laboratories and with US Aerospace companies.

2. Collect data, including classified data, from IC/DoD entities, e.g. cockpit flight recordings of AAV performance, communications, medical autopsy reports, weapons use, AAV trajectory records (from NORAD.)

3. Classified data collection from AAV interactions with Nuclear Wepons Storage Facilities - (Northern Tier and other AFB AAV incidents.)

Area 3:

Note: unclassified seperate organization.

1. Create an open organization for collection of data on AAV performance.

2. Liaise with civilian groups for AAV data collection."

Lacatski

In their 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" Lacatski, Kelleher and Knapp, had a section on AAWSAP and DHS. Lacatski presented to DHS' Science and Technology Directorate. The book records that Senators Harry Reid and Joe Sender and Lacatski, worked on securing a $10M AAWSAP-like program through DHS. However, leadership at DHS didn't accept this funding.

The book also provides details of BAASS's original proposal for funding from the Defense Intelligence Agency.There were nine areas of work proposed:

1. Global data collection.

2. Contact people with knowledge of novel technologies.

3. Lab program - Skinwalker Ranch as a "living lab."

4. Collect oral history.

5. Potential use of Bigelow space platforms.

6. Existing data that the DIA had.

7. Biological effects of advanced technolgy.

8. Remote sensing.

9. Expert analysis and synthesis.

The DIA for the first year of AAWSAP approved areas 1-4, 6 and 9.

Comments

1. You can see from the two nine point plans, that they are somewhat similar.

2. Area 1:1. Analyze recovered AAV technolgy - to my knowledge, no such recovered material ever found its way to AAWSAP, and therefore none was ever analyzed.

3. Area 1:2. Conscious interactions. Robert Bigelow, the creator of BAASS, during the era of the National Institute of Discovery Science (NIDS), was keen to pursue the study of consciousness and the phenomena. So, it is perhaps not surprising to see consciousness mentioned here.

4. Area 1:3. Remote communications programs. We know from individuals who worked as security guards at Skinwalker Ranch between 2010 and 2016, that there were a number of attempts at communication with non-human intelligence.

5. Areas 2:1 and 2:2. These read very much like the current goals of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO.)

6. An interesting find by Marc Cecotti. A little bit more information on AAWSAP and BAASS to add to the puzzle.

A timeline for AAWSAP/BAASS, and beyond

Introduction

Given all the information so far obtained about Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) and the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP); the data contained in the 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon;" and the recent release of relevant Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) documents, I thought it was time to attempt to timeline this, for my own understanding. I have not included all of the BAASS products delivered to the Defense Intelligence Agency, as listed in the rear of "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon," as we have not yet received copies of most of these products. Updated material addded 26 June 2022 from Lue Elizondo's complaint to the Inspector General. Marked with an **

** June 2008 - Elizondo approached by Jay Stratton and another person, both associated with AAWSAP.

** July 2008 - Elizondo met with Lacatski

**August 2008 - Elizondo was informed of a specific portfolio area within AAWSAP - collection of military sightings, area called AATIP

* 18 August 2008 - DIA AAWSAP broad area announcement seeking bidders for contract.

* 4 September 2008  - closing date for DIA AAWSAP contract bidders.

Fiscal year 09. 1 October 2008 - 30 September 2009. Year 1. $M10 funding

* 1 October 2008 - the BAASS AAWSAP contract commences.

* 16 December 2008 - Briefing - DIA FOIA released file titled "DI_brief_2008."

* 2 January 2009 - Briefing - "DR_Reid_Mtg_Jan09."

* April 2009 - BAASS/Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) sub-contract commences.

* 4 May 2009 - Briefing - "DR_Reid_Mtg_May09."

* 8 May 2009 - Briefing - "DI-Brief_2009."

* 8 May 2009 - Briefing - "DR_Reid_Brief_May09."

* 24 June 2009 - Senator Reid forwards letter to Department of Defense seeking Special Access Program status for AATIP.

Credit: Edison Boaventura Jr. 

* 24 August 2009 - Technical paper results - "Contract_Studies_24Aug09."

* Circa September 2009 - "Contract_FY10."

* Circa September 2009 - Technical documents review - "U-429-09-DWO-IM."

* Circa September 2009 - FY10 deliverables - "Contract_Status_Briefing."

FY10. 1 October 2009 - 30 September 2010. Year 2. $12M funding

* November 2009 - Meeting "DR-Reid_Mth_Nov09."

* December 2009 - April 2010 - Some Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) delivered and published.

* 11 December 2009 - James T. Lacatski et al, brief Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI.)

* January 2010 - BAASS/MUFON sub-contract terminated by BAASS.

** April 2010 - Elizondo assumes role of both AAWASAP and AATIP Director.

* May - August 2010 - most BAASS AAWSAP contract staff terminated.

FY11. 1 October 2010 - 30 September 2011. Year 3. No funding available

Although no US government funding was available, it has been said, in some sources, that Robert Bigelow self-funded BAASS to continue beyond 30 September 2010. As can be seen below, some BAASS employees stayed on beyond 21 December 2010. 

* 1 October 2010 - BAASS contract extended until 21 December 2010 at no cost to US government (Skinwalkers at the Pentagon.)

* November 2010 - January 2011 - The rest of the DIRDs are received and published.

* January 2011 - BAASS AAWSAP employee, Research analyst/French translator, Daniel Maily ceased work. 

* 7 February 2011 - Lacatski et al, brief Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the AAWSAP program.

* July 2011 - 30 September 2011 -Science and Technology area of DHS works with BAASS on a proposed new BASS-like program but within DHS.

* July 2011 - BAASS AAWSAP employee, Senior Engineer Jason Viggato ceased work. 

* September 2011 - BAASS AAWSAP employee, lead investigator Joel Logan ceased work.

FY12. 1 October 2011 - 30 September 2012. Year 4. Money available but no contract in place

* 1 October 2011 - 31 December 2011 - Science and Technology area of DHS works with BAASS on a proposed new BASS-like program but within DHS.

* May 2012 - BAASS AAWSAP employee, Director of Investigations and Security, Loran Hoffman ceased work.

* 2012 - BAASS AAWSAP employee, Deputy Administrator, Colm Kelleher ceased work. 

* FY12 - no definitive date - "For FY12 DIA leadership had tried to transfer the program within the DOD, but without success." (Skinwalkers at the Pentagon.)

FY13 1 October 2012 - 30 September 2013. Year 5. $M10 available but not taken up by DHS

* June 2013 - BAASS AAWSAP employee, Douglas Kurth ceased work. 

End note

As further DIA released BAASS/AAWSAP papers emerge, I will amend the above timeline. 

** $10M obtained for FYs13 & 14 for AATIP. Money hijacked withion OUSD(I).

37 out of those 38 AAWSAP Defense Intelligence Documents released by the DIA

Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP)

During the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) contract with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA,) BAASS commisioned 38 technical reports from a range of world class aerospace specialists and academics. These technical reports were turned into Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) by the DIA's James T. Lacatski. Various UAP researchers and others, have obtained and made available a number of these DIRDs; a total so far, of 13 by my count. 

Now thanks to a recent FOIA response by the DIA, to a UAP researcher who wishes to remain anonymous for the moment, we now have copies of 37 out of the 38 DIRDs. The final, unavailable for now, DIRD was a "classified" version of one of the others.

FOIA request

The FOIA response from the DIA, is imaged below:

The documents

In a response to a query directed to the DIA by our anonymous researcher, the DIA wrote:

"...we plan to release all AATIP related documents to the DIA FOIA Reading Room. I don't have the exact number of documents, however I do know it will be more than 37."

Here is a link to the 37 documents. Enjoy. 

Defense Intelligence Agency says it will shortly release AAWSAP/BAASS UAP related material

Letter from the Defense Intelligence Agency

Today, Twitter user @LeeNich40634972 alerted us to an interesting piece of news from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request he submitted to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA.) In a tweet, he provided details of a response from the DIA which included the following statement:

"Currently, we are in the process of updating our reading room to provide an estimation of 40 additional records referencing AAWSAP and BAASS. This should be available in the next few weeks."

Background

In 2018, dozens of UAP researchers submitted requests under the FOIA, to the DIA, asking, in various ways, for paperwork on the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) and Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS). Although a couple of researchers, e.g. Steven Aftergood in 2019, received a final response, the bulk of requesters are still waiting their own final responses.  

The October 2021 publication of the book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon," by James T. Lacatski; Colm Kelleher and George Knapp, provided a list of over 100 reports, submitted by BAASS to the DIA under the AAWSAP contract. 

Image: Courtesy Amazon Books

So here, it is now 2022 and the DIA has now stated that it is updating its website with "an estimation of 40 additional records referencing AAWSAP and BAASS." 

Note the use of the word "additional."  The current DIA electronic reading room has a tab "Defense Intelligence Reference Documents" (DIRDs) which, when opened, reveals copies of five DIRDs, all of which were previously known. These were prepared under AAWSAP by BAASS.

No further details are available as to what types of records they might be; they could simply be the remaining 33 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents created by the program; or they could be some of the records listed in "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon." At present, no one knows. 

A DIA FOIA AATIP/AAWSAP response - nearly four years on

Searching for information

One of the earliest Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), of which I am aware, was submitted by Melbourne researcher Paul Dean. After seeing the initial announcement of the establishment of To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science in October 2017, Paul submitted an FOIA request to the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the USA on 15 October 2017, even though he did not know the exact name of the program. The request was assigned the number 18-F-0082 and read as follows:

"I am requesting documents which would include mission statements, program overviews, fact sheets, program briefs etc. relating to the so called Unidentified Aerial Threats for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The name of this program (Unidentified Aerial Threats) may not be the EXACT title. However, to aid you, the manager or director of the program was a Luis Elizondo. He also served as the Director for the National Programs Special Management Staff in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. What I am essentially looking for are documents which would describe the program findings and goals, any high level and general correspondence with interested parties, fact sheets and summaries of the program history, and any other records that describe what the program has achieved, what resources it used, etc."

The four year's later response

On 24 November 2021 Paul received an email attachment from the FOIA Division, Pentagon, Department of Defense. With Paul's consent I provide an image of the attached letter. Note his address shown here is an old one. 

"This is a final response to your October, 15, 2017 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, a copy of which is enclosed for your convenience. We received your request on October 16, 2017, and assigned it FOIA case number 18-F-0082...Please note that your request for information pertaining to the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) was misdirected to this office for processing. This FOIA office only processes requests for the office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff. There is no central FOIA processing point for the entire Department of Defense (DoD). FOIA processing is decentralized and delegated to those officials of the Military Department and various DoD Components who generate and/or maintain the records being sought or reviewed. In this instance, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) which operates its own FOIA program, would have cognizance over the information you have requested. In consideration of this fact, we have forwarded your request to DIA for their direct response to you. For your convenience, contact information for DIA FOIA.....This action closes your request with this office....."

Enter the DIA

Also the same day, Paul got another email; this time from the DIA, which read:

"This email is to inform you that we received a consultation from OSD in regards to an FOIA request you had submitted to the agency. As a result they found there were no equities within their agency and referred your request to the Defense Intelligence Agency. This request, was also submitted by you on March 28, 2018 to our agency. For this reason, the consultation referral was not opened and no further action regarding that consultation will be taken, as it is a duplicate. Please note, your current request with DIA is FOIA 022-2018....This case is currently being tasked out to other elements within the agency and are currently being processed. We will make every effort to process your request as soon as possible and solicit your patience and understanding. However, please keep in mind we are backlogged with over 1,900 FOIA cases and work on the cases based on date they are received and complexity of each case."

In short, please wait a little while longer

So, nearly four years on, and Paul's 28 March 2018 separate request directed to the DIA is still being processed. 

The DIA FOIA request log

The DIA maintains an FOIA request log for each year, the latest available being 2018. An inspection of the 2018 log shows Paul's DIA request. This time asking for documents about the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) as by then he was aware of the difference between AATIP and AAWSAP.

I welcome hearing from anyone who has had a positive response from their 2017/2018 DIA FOIA request for AATIP/AAWSAP documents. My own such requests still await a final response. 

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.