Did the AAWSA program/AATIP really start in 2007?

One of the aspects of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program/Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program(AATIP), which has aroused my interest is, if the project was not funded by Federal contract until sometime after 5 September 2008, why does almost everyone state that the program started in 2007? I decided to undertake some research based on the available public information.

Senator Harry Reid

I started off by reading material which made mention of Senator Harry Reid.

Source: New York Times 16 December 2017

The  New York Magazine, edition dated 19 March 2018, contains an interview between Eric Benson and Senator Reid, and quotes Reid at length, about how the program started.

"I'm in Washington in the Senate and Bob Bigelow called me - I kept in touch with him over the years. He called me and said, "I got the strangest letter here. Could I have a courier bring it to you?" I said, "Sure." He didn't want to send it to me over the lines for obvious reasons. I read the letter. The letter was from a federal national security agency. Okay. The letter said, "I am a senior, long-time member of this security agency, and have a PhD," - I can't remember in what, in physics for sure, maybe math also." And  the letter said "I'm interested. I'm interested in talking to you, Mr Bigelow. I have an interest in what you've been working on. I want to go to your ranch in Utah."

"...I called Bigelow back and said, "Hey, I'll meet with the guy." I called the guy. He said, "I don't want to meet at my office. I don't want to meet at your office. Where can we meet?" I said, "Come to my home." The two of us met and I was terribly impressed with him. Very low key scientist. He told me of his interest. I called Bigelow and I said, "This guy, I've checked him out and he seems like a pretty nice guy and his credentials are as he says."

He went, met Bigelow, and after I don't know how much time went by, he came to me and said "Something should be done about this. Somebody should study it." I was convinced he was right. I said "Well, if you were me, what would you say to people in power in the United States Senate who have huge control over the spending of defense money?" And here's what he said "What I will do is to prepare something for you that anyone can look at that wants to, it's strictly science." He put it in scientific language - what the study should consist of.

"I, at the time, was the leader of the Senate and I called two of my friends who for many, many years were like brothers. One a Democrat, one a Republican. They controlled for quite a number of years the Defense Appropriation Subcommittee. It was Stevens and Inouve.

"...What we decided to do - it would be black money; we wouldn't have a big debate on the Senate floor over it. They would put it in their defense appropriation bill, 11 million bucks. The purpose of it was to study aerial phenomena. The money was given, a directive was given to the Pentagon, to put out this bid, which they did."

Unfortunately, this article contains no mention of the dates all this happened.

DIA "solicitation"

We now know that the "solicitation" from the DIA re the AAWSA program was dated 18 August 2008, with a closing date for bids, of 5 September 2008.

Front page of "Solicitation."

I have searched the "Congressional Record" for both FY2008 and FY2009 but failed to find any mention at all of the actual passage of money for the program. For example the Congressional Research Service document "Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Approriations" by Towell, Daggett and Belasco, doesn't mention the program. I combed sources such as www.usaspending.gov , and other such resources, but nowhere did I find any evidence for the date the contract was awarded to Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies.

Other sources of starting date

During the January 2018 interview between Giuliano Marinkovic and Luis Elizondo, Elizondo himself stated that the program started in 2007.

George Knapp during a "Coast to Coast" interview with Hal Puthoff, on 28 January 2018, stated that the start date was 2007, and Puthoff did not correct this statement of date.

In another "Coast to Coast" Knapp interview, this time with Luis Elizondo on 28 February 2018, Elizondo recalled that his initial discussions with the program manager (a PhD and rocket scientist) occurred sometime in 2008. There was no mention of a program start date in this interview.

In a MUFON Journal article of May 2018, on page 18, Luis Elizondo says "They're going back to the fact that Bigelow got the contract back in 2007/2008."

Most mentions of the start date out there on the Internet, use the year 2007 as the program start date.

Is there any more definitive statements as to the commencement date?

Douglas Kurth

One of the almost invisibly, yet publicly named individuals involved in the  2004 "tic tac" sighting was Lieutenant Colonel "Cheeks" Kurth, who at the time was the Commanding Officer of Marine Hornet squadron VMFA-232. On the day of the "tic tac" sighting Kurth was in the air completing a post-maintenance check. According to an article authored by pilot Paco Chierici, a friend of Dave Fravero, one of the pilot witnesses:

"He was the first fast-mover contacted by Princeton. The communication was strange and intriguing. He was asked to investigate an unidentified airborne contact...As Cheeks approached the spot he was being vectored to, Princeton advised him to stay about 10k as the section of Super Hornets were approaching the target. His radar picked up the FASTEAGLE twoship, but no other contacts.

A moment later Princeton directed him to "skip it" and return to the ship. Since he was so close, he decided to fly over the action and sneak a peek. The sea was calm, almost glassy smooth and it was late morning on a beautiful SoCal day. Perfect conditions. As Cheeks flew over the spot he saw a disturbance on the surface of the ocean. A section of turbulent water about 50-100 meters in diameter.

It was the only area and type of what he called, "white-water" describing that it looked as if there was something below the surface like a shoal or what he'd heard a sinking ship would look like. He overflew the disturbance and circled back in the direction  of Nimitz without ever seeing what caused the water to froth. As he turned away, which happened to be the moment the Super Hornets converged on the location, the white water cleared and the ocean surface returned to its smooth state. The spot of the previous disturbance was completely indiscernible."

So, who do you think Kurth went to work for?

I wish to thank US researcher Dave C Beaty, for locating Douglas Kurth's employment history on the LinkedIn website. Here we find, after Kurth describes himself as a former Marine Corps Senior Office; Commander and Naval Aviator:

Source:https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-kurth-25195b145/

"Program Manager

Company Name: Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies

Dates Employed: Dec 2007-Jun 2013

Employment duration: 5 yrs 7 mos

Location: Las Vegas Nevada

* Program Lead - novel and emerging space technologies targeting operational employment in 2040

* Directed and managed a team of 40 scientists, engineers, analysts, and researchers

* Business Development - initiated, developed, and direct critical collaborative contracts

* Tasked with international marketing of Bigelow Aerospace private space station

* Technical expert in advanced aerospace concepts and aerodynamics."

So, in summary, one of the US Navy witnesses to part of the "tic tac" sighting in 2004, three years later goes to work for BAASS on what clearly is the AAWSA program.

Wait though, note the date he commenced. Kurth states it was December 2007, some ten months before BAASS received the DIA's AAWSW contract! Perhaps herein lies the reason the program is said to have started in 2007?  

Update:
Journalist Giulino Marinkovic located Douglas Kurth, and on 28 October 2017 managed to contact Kurth ny telephone. Giuliano posed some questions to Kurth, but Kurth's response effectively was "I did something and I can't talk about it."

Dr. Colm Kelleher and the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program

To the Stars Academy

The other day, I was re-reading the list of team members of the To The Stars Academy (TTSA) , to refresh my memory of who was on the team. One of the members is Dr. Colm Kelleher. The TTSA website states that Dr. Kelleher is their "Biotech consultant" and provides the following information:

"Dr. Colm Kelleher is a biochemist with a twenty-eight-year research career in cell and molecular biology currently working in senior management in the aerospace industry. He served as Laboratory Director at biotech company, Prosetta Corporation, leading several small molecule drug discovery  programs focused on viruses of interest to the United States Department of Defense. He worked for eight years as Deputy Director of the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) a research organization using forensic science methodology to unravel scientific anomalies.

From 2008-2011, he served as  Deputy Administrator of a US government funded threat assessment program focused on advanced aerospace technology. Dr. Kelleher has authored more than forty peer  reviewed scientific articles in cell and molecular biology, immunology and virology as well as two best selling books, "Hunt for the Skinwalker" and "Brain Trust." He holds a  Ph.D in biochemistry from the University of Dublin, Trinity College.

Note, part of the statement

What caught my eye this time around was the statement "From 2008-2011, he served as  Deputy Administrator of a US government funded threat assessment program focused on advanced aerospace technology." This strongly suggests that he worked on the Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program.

LinkedIn

I visited the LinkedIn website and looked at Dr. Kelleher's profile, and found:

"Experience

Deputy Administrator

BAASS

2008-2012 4yrs

* Interviewed, hired and trained a team of 50 scientists, engineers, analysts, and created the classified security infrastructure for an IC [Intelligence Community -KB] contract to study proprietary advanced aerospace technology and threat analysis

* Briefed government department undersecretary and serving United States Senators on threat analysis and advanced technology programs

* Worked closely with IC to develop and execute multiple programs involving advanced aerospace technology including negotiating and executing multi-disciplinary subcontracts for database creation, physics and engineering analysis and medical science studies

* Led in the creation of all scientific programs and strategic initiatives for the company

* Interfaced with Congressional staff, political consultants, Washington DC think tanks and other organizations in the furtherance of company goals

* COMSEC Custodian and Facility Security Officer for IC latter contract period."

Dr. Kelleher is currently the Vice President & Chief Scientist Environmental Control & Life Support Systems, at Bigelow Aerospace.

Roger Glassel

Swedish researcher, Roger Glassel in his recent piece on AAWSA/AATIP in one section wrote that he had found a person in the Nevada area that had worked for Bigelow Aerospace between 2009 and 2010. More specifically, he was employed "in a interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers studying advanced aerospace weapon system applications including lift, propulsion, control, power generation, signature reductions, materials and armament." Neither Roger nor I have named this individual in our respective blog posts about the AAWSA program. However, this individual is not Dr. Colm Kelleher. I  believe Roger Glassel missed Dr Kelleher's LinkedIn profile as it did not specifically mention the AAWSA program.

Statement from a senior manager of BAASS

On 4 May 2018, a piece appeared on the LasVegasNow website titled "I-Team: Documents prove secret UFO studies based in Nevada" by George Knapp and Matt Adams. Embedded in the text was a link to a "Statement from a senior manager of BAASS." The statement included:

"The investigations by BAASS provided new lines of evidence showing that the UFO phenomenon was a lot more than nuts and bolts machines that interacted with military aircraft...The exclusive focus on nuts and bolts machines could be considered myopic and unproductive in solving the larger mystery of UFOs..."

"...One of the major successes of BAASS was in adopting the novel approach of utilizing the human body as a readout system for dissecting interactions with the UFO phenomenon...The evidence was multiplying that the UFO phenomenon was capable of manipulating and distorting human perception and therefore eyewitness testimony of UFO activity was becoming increasingly untrustworthy..."

"...The approach aimed to bypass UFO deception and manipulation of human perception by utilizing molecular forensics to decipher the biological consequences of the phenomenon..."

Who was the author of this statement?

Based on the language and content of the statement, it is a reasonable deduction that the author of the statement was Dr. Colm Kelleher.

Update 12 June 2018.

A number of people have pointed out that it is more likely to have been Dr Hal Puthoff who was the author of this statement. I have been unable to confirm who it was, at this point of time. 

Fuller version of the Defense Intelligence Agency Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications "solicitation" found

Background

I previously reported that I had located a copy of the 2008 Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program "solicitation" which called for bids to undertake the work in this area for the DIA. My blog post reported some of the details contained in this "solicitation." Since then, I have continued to look for further "solicitation" documents. I can now report that I have located a fuller version.

Fuller version

This 32 page document titled "Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items" is a 32 page document calling for bids for the AAWSA program work, and was issued by the Virginia Contracting Activity, the contract arm of the DIA, on 18 August 2008. Later, in this post, I will provide a link to the document so that blog readers may examine it, in its entirety. Others may well pick up important points that I have so far missed.

The front page

Security requirement section

LasVegasNow story

On 4 May 2018, KLAS TV Channel 8, posted a story to the LasVegasNow website, titled "I-Team: Documents prove secret UFO study based in Nevada." Embedded in the story was a video of the story going to air. During that five minute news segment, a number of documents were flashed onto the screen. I can now say, that some of these snapshots, came from the document I have just found, for example:

The source of some of the other KLAS TV item documents, is still to be determined.

The link

https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=7944c316a35a20e1f9b5ac6cbc72bc90

Bigelow Aerospace advert for AAWSA jobs found

Solicitation

In a previous blog, I reported on the contents of a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)  "Solicitation" dated 20 August 2008, which sought bids from outside bodies for work that the DIA wished to undertake for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program, which later became the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), which its second program manager, Luis Elizondo, acknowledged worked on studying UFOs. 

We now know that Bigelow Aerospace was awarded the contract to work on the AAWSA program, and that this occurred after the "solicitation" closed on 5 September 2008.

A step back

Before moving on to the main thrust of this blog post, I wish to point out four aspects of the "Solicitation" which have a direct bearing on what I have just found. These are:

1. "It is expected that numerous experts with extensive experience (minimum of 10 years) in breakthrough aerospace research and development will be required to meet the demands of the above program."

2. "Contractor company and personnel proposed shall be clearable and able to obtain a security and facility clearance upon award of the contract. All requirements specified in this SOO may be based on materials classified at or below Top Secret with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information...The contractor shall ensure that each individual assigned to this contract shall be identified, cleared, and approved through DIA/DAC-3 PRIOR to granting that individual access to, or authority to generate classified material in association with this effort."

3. "It is anticipated that travel will be required for this contract."

4. "At least one member of each analytical team must have a PhD."

Keep these requirements in mind as you read on.

Bigelow Aerospace subsidiary

We also already know that Bigelow Aerospace created a subsidiary company to operate the AAWSA contract, which was called Bigelow Advanced Aerospace Space Studies (BAASS) in 2008.

New information

I can now reveal that by September 2008 BAASS were advertising that:

"Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS), a sister company to Bigelow Aerospace, is a newly formed research organization that focuses on the identification, evaluation, and acquisition of novel and emerging future technologies worldwide as this specifically relates to spacecraft. BAASS is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We are seeking experienced scientists to join our research teams. If you are an inquisitive outside of the circle thinker, who is detail oriented and who is looking for a challenge, this is a unique and exciting opportunity to advance your career and to be a part of cutting edge research.

"Numerous positions are available in various fields.

"Impressive candidates will need to have 10 or more years of research and hands on experience in the disciplines related to aerospace sciences specified including:

* Astrophysics
* Biochemistry
* Microbiology
* Nanotechnologies
* Physics
* Propulsion
* Stealth Technology
* The Engineering Disciplines

"Several positions are also available for research scientists in the disciplines of:

* Biological Cognitive Interaction
* Electromagnetic Fields
* Forensic Pathology
* Psychology
* Social Psychology
* Sociology

"A Masters or PhD in a relevant  field is a plus. Candidates must qualify for secret and top secret clearances and must be willing to submit to a thorough background check.

" For all positions, some travel - both nationally and internationally - may be required.

"For more information or to apply use the online application or mail your CV/resume to Attn: Donna @ 4640 S. Eastern Ave. Las vegas NV 89119..."

I note that the same positions, minus those of Forensic pathology, Psychology, Social Psychology and Sociology (which do not appear in ads dated 18 December 2008) were on offer throughout 2009 and as late as early 2010.

Commentary

It will be seen that aspects of the call for applicants for various positions with BAASS fit in very well with aspects of the DIA AAWSA "solicitation." Hence my conclusion that this advert I found, is in fact a call arising directly from Bigelow Aerospace getting the DIA AAWSA contract, and not as a result of some other Bigelow Aerospace project.

Looking at the phrase "...identification, evaluation, and acquisition of novel and emerging future technologies..." which appears in the BAASS advert, certainly also fits in with the theme of the AAWSA "solicitation." However, what are we to make of the use of "as this specifically relates to spacecraft."? What spacecraft? Earth made ones or someone else's? Perhaps it is just a poor usage of the word "spacecraft."

The fourteen areas of expertise are an interesting compilation of areas you would expect ( e.g. physics, propulsion, stealth technology) and ones you would perhaps not expect (e.g. Biological Cognitive Interaction) and what to make of the "Forensic Pathology"? Curiously, this area of "Forensic Pathology" had disappeared from the BAASS advert by 18 December 2008, suggesting that the position had been filled. In addition, readers should note that "forensic pathology" was the specialist area of former Central Intelligence Agency employee, Christopher (Kit) Canfield Green. For a detailed look at Green's work, take a look at a series of earlier blog posts, by my former blog co-author Pauline Wilson, here,  here, here, and here.

At this point, readers may like to take a look at the statement from a a senior manager at BAASS which appeared on the LasVegasnow website updated on  9 May 2018. This includes the words "One of the major successes of BAASS was in adopting the novel approach of utlizing the human body as a readout system for dissecting interactions with the UFO phenomenon." It would appear that George Knapp and his team have been able to locate a senior BAASS manager, and secure a statement from that (unnamed individual.)

The address for BAASS is given as 4640 S. Eastern Ave. Las Vegas NV 89119, whereas the address for Bigelow Aerospace at that time was at 1899 W. Brooks Ave.,North Las Vegas NV 89032. Was the former address the physical location for the secure facility that Bigelow Aerospace was required to establish under the terms of the "Solicitation."

In closing 

The locating of both the DIA AAWSA program "solicitation" and now this BAASS call for individuals to undertake the AAWSA program work, fills in some previously unknown details about this program.

Hopefully, individuals who have additional information, will share this with us in the immediate future. 

The Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program - I find the original call for tenders document

Introduction

I have just located an online copy of the Defense Intelligence Agency's, August 2008, call for proposals, for its Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program. This is the call for outside bodies to submit a bid to undertake the work that the DIA wished to achieve in this area. This blog post will provide our first look at the contents of this document, which has, until now, remained hidden from researchers. 

Solicitation

"Solicitation" HHM402-08-R-0211, dated 18 August 2008, issued as "Request for a Proposal," was prepared by the "Virginia Contracting Activity", at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington DC. "The Virginia Contracting Activity" was the name used by the DIA's purchasing/contracts area.The document stated that ".. one firm fixed price contact is anticipated to be awarded as a result of this solicitation..." with a "size standard of 25 million." "The term of the contract is from the Date of Award through September 30, 2009. The contract will have four one-year options, for the period of September 29, 2008 through September 30, 2013."

Background

The document then went on to provide the background to the program. 

"The Acquisition Support Division (DWO-3) of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has the responsibility to provide guidance and oversight to the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process along with leveraging the DoD Intelligence Community to coordinate, produce and maintain projections of the future threat environment in which the U.S. air, naval, ground, space, missile defense and information systems operate. In order to accurately assess the foreign threat to U.S. weapons systems, a complete as possible understanding of potential breakthrough technology applications employed in future aerospace weapons systems must be obtained."

Objective

"The objective of this program is to understand the physics and engineering of these applications as they apply to the foreign threat out to the far term , i.e., from now through the year 2050. Primary focus is on breakthrough technologies and applications that create discontinuities in currently evolving technology trends."

Requirements

"...The contractor shall complete advanced aerospace weapon system technical studies in the following areas: 1. lift; 2. propulsion; 3.control; 4. power generation; 5. spatial/temporal translation; 6. materials; 7. configuration; 8. signature reduction (optical, infrared, radiofrequency, acoustic); 9. human interface; 10. human effects; 11.armament (RF and DEW); 12. other peripheral areas in support of (1-11)..."

Security requirement

"Contractor company and personnel proposed shall be clearable and able to obtain a security and facility clearance upon award of the contract...All requirements specified in this SOO may be based on materials classified at or below Top Secret with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information...The contractor shall ensure that each individual assigned to this contract shall be identified, cleared, and approved through DIA/DAC-3 prior to granting that individual access to....Contractor will provide a work facility (including unclassified information systems) with a Top Secret Facility Clearance granted by the Defense Security Service (DSS)...At least two personnel cleared at the Secret level are required at contract inception..."

Contractor acquired material and travel

"Any accountable property acquired by the contractor with government funds during the execution of this contract shall become government owned property."

"It is anticipated that travel will be required for this contract. The Government will pay up to the rates specified in the government Federal Travel Regulations for travel destination."

Deliverables

"The contractor shall prepare the following deliverables: a. Status Reports - monthly reports outlining accomplishments, milestones, and work in progress. b. Project Management Plan - For each technical area, the team lead shall submit, at the 60 day point, an overview paper identifying the scope of the final report; a Plan of Action and Milestones, and the composition of the analytical team. c. Research reports - for each technical area, a comprehensive report and briefing forecasting potential advancements and their impact is to be submitted to the GPL by the end of the tenth month...A final report and briefing that assesses the foreign threat from advanced aerospace platforms incorporating the technologies discussed in the individual research reports...at the end of the period of performance..."

Government program leader

"The COR [Contracting Officer Representative -KB] and Government Project Leader will be Dr. James T. Lacatski." 

"Proposals are due at the Contracting Office on September 5 2008..."

My comment

This document clearly identifies the background; objective; requirements and deliverables for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program, and as such, provides researchers with a confirmation on aspects of the program,  previously unknown. 

The contract process for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program

AAWSA program contract process

One aspect of the whole business of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program, is the process of the selection of an organisation to undertake work for the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The New York Times dated 16 December 2017 stated that AATIP started in 2007 but that "Contracts obtained by The Times show a congressional appropriation of just under $22 million beginning in late 2008 through 2011."

In a January 2018 interview between journalist Giuliano Marinkovic and Luis Elizondo, Elizondo stated that the AATIP started in 2007; there was an open bid for a contract put out by the Defense Intelligence Agency and this was won by Bigelow Aerospace in an open process.

Internet search for confirmation

It would seem logical to try and locate some documentation on this aspect. I therefore searched the Internet for information about the general process, which agencies of the US government undertake, when seeking organisations to undertake work for them.

I found out that a "Broad Agency Announcement" is the way in which the US government solicits proposals from outside bodies for research and development which it wishes to undertake. I therefore searched the Internet, using key words such as Broad Agency Announcement, Defense Intelligence Agency, AAWSA etc, but located nothing of interest. Someone suggested trying the US Federal Register, "The Daily Journal of the United States Government" but nothing there either.

Virginia Contracting Activity

I then learned that the public interface for the Defense Intelligence Agency on the contract side, is something known as the "Virginia Contracting Activity."  A web search using these words, plus Defense Intelligence Agency turned up a few websites such as this, but little more.

George Knapp

Then among a digital piece by George Knapp, date 4 May 2018, I noticed something unusual. There was an image which contained the words "Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program." Below this, in faded typing appear the words "Solicitation Number" then "Agency (?) Other Defense agencies" then " (Office?) Virginia Contracting Activity" then " (Illegible) DIA (illegible) AFB."

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/i-team-documents-prove-secret-ufo-study-based-in-nevada/1160375205

If this is a genuine image of a document, then George Knapp may well have located, and currently holds a copy of the DIA equivalent of the "Broad Agency Announcement," used by other US government agencies, for the AAWSA contract. I have therefore dispatched an email to George Knapp asking if this is so, and if he might be willing to share this document with others?

Knapp's piece went on to say that "In Aug. 2008, DIA posted a solicitation for bids. Weeks later, the contract was awarded to Bigelow Aerospace, the initial amount was $10 million."

Other sources of documents

I understand from a variety of individuals, that attempts have been made to secure information about copies of the DIA contract etc from such sources as one of the journalists who wrote the New York Times piece of December 2017; and others, but that these attempts have lead nowhere. It is a pity that there is not more open and transparent dealings around this topic. After all, we are all interested in factual information, supported by documented evidence.

Update 

Barry Greenwood in the USA enhanced the image and the wording is:

Solicitation Number
Agency: Other Defense Agencies
Office: Virginia Contracting Activity
Location: DA Bolling AFB.

Thanks Barry.

Update 8 May 2018

I have just located an online copy of the DIA "solicitation" of August 2008. I will report on its contents in my next blog.

Third Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program document surfaces

A third document associated with the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program has just surfaced. The document appears to be one of a series of 38 such documents commissioned by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the AAWSA program.

Dr Eric Davis

In a "Coast to Coast" radio interview, on 28 January 2018, between George Knapp and Dr Eric Davis, of the Institute for Advanced Studies, Dr Davis stated that they were tasked with looking into the future, around 2050, and to set up a series of expert studies. They commissioned a series of experts to prepare papers on a variety of exotic studies. These papers became a series of Defence Intelligence Reference Documents.Thirty eight papers were produced, of which two were classified.

Previously

Two other documents in this series have been known since late last year. These were titled "Traversable Wormholes, Stargates, and Negative Energy", dated 6 April 2010, DIA-08-1004-004; and "Warp drive; Dark Energy, and the Manipulation of Extra Dimensions"  dated 2 April 2010, DIA-08-1004-001. The earliest appearance of these two documents can be traced back to a website operated by Corey Goode  They appear in an item dated 18 December 2017. In another place, Goode refers to having had five of these DIRD's, but that three were stolen from him.

Third document

Authored by Dr Hal Puthoff, it is titled "Advanced Space Propulsion Based on Vacuum (Spacetime Metric) Engineering," dated 29 March 2010, DIA-08-1003-015.

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/i-team-documents-prove-secret-ufo-study-based-in-nevada/1160375205 

It surfaced yesterday, as a link,  in  a story by George Knapp, titled "I-Team: Documents prove secret UFO study based in Nevada."

The 17 page document explores the theme that "...empty space itself (the quantum vacuum or spacetime metric) might be engineered to provide energy/thrust for future space vehicles."

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/i-team-documents-prove-secret-ufo-study-based-in-nevada/1160375205

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/i-team-documents-prove-secret-ufo-study-based-in-nevada/1160375205

A search of the Internet revealed no other references to this 2010 paper; a search of the US  Defense Technical Information Center whose mission is to provide "...technical research, development, testing and evaluation (RD T&E) information" revealed no copy of the document. However, an eight page article of the same titled appeared in 2010, in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Volume 63, pp82-89.

Unanswered questions

Questions which remain unanswered, include:

1. How did Corey Goode obtain the initial two 2010 DIA Dr Eric Davis DIRDs?

2. How did George Knapp acquire the 2010 DIA Puthoff DIRD?

3. Does anyone apart from the DIA and Davis/Puthoff have a copy of all 38 DIRDs?

4. Can we expect more of this series of DIRD's to surface, and when?

I have emailed Hal Puthoff a copy of the third document, and asked him whether or not it is genuine?