Updated post - Dr. Hal Puthoff's 8 February 2020 talk - some notes

Dr. Hal Puthoff

Source: https://earthtech.org/team/

Dr. Hal Puthoff gave a talk on 8 February 2020 at an event held in Berkley Springs, West Virgina, in the USA. The talk was titled "DOD Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: The Back Story, The Forward Story." Puthoff gave a similar titled talk, "The DoD's UAP Program: The Back Story, The Forward Story" at the Society for Scientific Exploration/International Remote Viewing Association joint conference, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 8 June 2018.

I have listened to an audio copy of his 2020 speech, supplied by an anonymous attendee to whom I extend my thanks, and compared it with a transcript of the 2018 talk. I wanted to see what new material had entered the 2020 speech. The following are the new points which I picked out (there may be more):

* Previously in the 2018 talk, Puthoff stated that the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) had commenced in June 2007. However, in the 2020 speech he stated that AATIP commenced in June 2008. This fits better with the known date for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) of September 2008.

* He provided a date for the "Thread-3" document from the Soviet Union which discussed UAP in that country. The date Puthoff gave for this document was 1991.

*  Puthoff provided some details of the now revealed US Navy pilot ecnounters from 2014/2015.

* When discussing the broad area announcement which had been made, for bidders for the AAWSAP contract, Puthoff stated this announcement was made in 2008. In the 2018 talk he had given this date as 2007. Since I discovered a copy of this document on the Internet some time ago, we have known the date of the announcement was indeed 2008.

* The CRADA with the US Army was mentioned in passing.

* New books authored by members of TTSA were discussed.

* The History Channel documentary series "Unidentified" was mentioned.

* Puthoff discussed the fact that the US Navy had announced that the three released videos were of UAP.

* The new US Navy guidelines for reporting UAP was reported upon.

* The fact that there had been briefings of Congress on the subject of UAP was stated.

Questions

Following the talk, there was an opportunity for questions. I have made a few notes on each question and Puthoff's answers. Please note that the sound quality of the voices of individuals asking questions was not the best, and some errors in my hearing may have occurred. 

Q1 - How does TTSA consider the viewpoints held by others out there?

A1 - We are following the data. When I hear of the claims of others about e.g. the secret space program, I have no evidence. Put it into the gray basket. We don't even say that UAP are "spaceships."

Q2 - How soon will warp drive be available for civilian use?

A2 - There are people working on the theoretical physics. At the moment we can't see a path forward. Perhaps not for a century.

Q3 - Free energy technology, any access to it?

A3 - Our laboratory ran a maverick inventor program. Examined many devices. No positive evidence in the end.

Q4 - Richard Doty says he worked for you. Any comment?

A4 - He did. There was a period where we were investigating all aspects of the phenomenon. Richard Doty was a contractor for us, as were many other people. Some of his data could be verified, some could not. I happened to like him as an individual.

Q5 - Do you think human science is on a trajectory to understand the phenomenon?

A5 - Large amount of information in the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents. Some is sensitive. It is reasonable to think that at some point there will be a fusion that will be useful. Predictions usually fall short. In 20 years we will have some new technologies.

Q6 - Can you comment on your work with Ingo Swann and remote viewing?

A6 - Puthoff provided a lengthy answer describing this work. 

Q7 - Can you comment on Dr. Eric Davis and Ultraterrestrials?

A7 - I wrote a paper about ultraterrestrials - following the data. I wrote down all the options. Wrote the paper and circulated it to my colleagues - it was a think piece.

Q8 - One of the characterstics of UAPs talked about by TTSA was transmedium travel. Air/space/water. What about traversing solid matter? Any comment?

A8 - One thing from our Space Time Metric discussions - it could be predicted from the theory that things may traverse solid matter.

Q9 - Remote viewing - answering questions?

A9- Implies interest in all areas. Got some answers to UAP through remote viewing, e.g. Pat Price located four UAP bases on Earth.

Q10 - Is TTSA pursuing consciousness esearch?

A10 - Right now, TTSA is not pursuing consciousness research, but is studying UAP.

Q11 - The data you are following - does it indicate more than one UAP type? Alien?

A11 - Scattering of options - all over the map. We have had a sphere with a cube inside; tic-tac shapes; triangles. Lots of different structures.

Q12 - Mg-Bi material. Have you determined where it came from? Its use?

A12 - It's complicated. Various theories out on the Internet. We don't yet really know anything from it. Ten years ago examined a piece from Linda Moulton Howe. Couldn't make anything of it. Still absolutely not known. No answers yet.

Q13 - Ingo Swann, EV dark side of the Moon. Any comment?

A13 - "Guys" came to us with coordinates. Asked for a remote viewing of these. Gave it to them. Dsecription matched things on the Moon. Seemed they already knew the answers. They were testing us.

Q14 - Your talk mentioned the problems of people working in silos. Thoughts on how the silo problem might be solved?

A14 - In AATIP tried through the 38 DIRDs to get range of views. Trying to get people to talk to each other.

Q15 - We hear Navy views but what about USAF?

A15 - Most previous public programs were conducted by the USAF.

Q16 - Did Project Blue Book continue?

A16 - PBB did not, other programs did.

Q17 - Re AATIP current status - the Pentagon statements vary. Can you clarify?

A17 - Conflicting messages are coming out of the Pentagon, e.g. that Luis Elizondo didn't work for AATIP. Not right. TTSA trying to help clarify things behind the scenes. Things will get clarified in time.

Q18 - The head of Skunk works at Lockheed Martin made some statements, e.g. "Now have technology to travel to the stars." Can you comment?

A18 - Ben Rich has been asked about this. We don't know precisely what he meant by those statements. Why he said those.

Q19 - Is the Soviet Union concerned about UAP?

A19 - UFOs have come over US nuclear silos and turned them off. Have come over Soviet Union and switched them on.

Q20 - Any insight into Internet discussions aboue Antarctica?

A20 - Don't have any opinion. Seen no evidence.

Q21- Any comment about the Wilson document?

A21 - Wilson was interviewed by my colleague Eric Davis. Discusses potentially ongoing programs.

Update: 20 February 2020.

I have been in communication with Hal Puthoff, and the following is a statement of clarification from him, about question and answer 21, as noted by myself:

"In your summary of my presentation at Petersen's Transition Talk forum in West Virginia, you re-posted a comment by someone from the audience.

Q21 - Any comment about the Wilson document?

A21 - Wilson was interviewed by my colleague Eric Davis. Discusses potentially ongoing programs.

It would appear from this statement that I confirmed the Wilson interview and notes as authentic, and I'm getting considerable email traffic asking me if this is the case.

ACTUALLY because of sound problems in the auditorium I had to repeat questions for the audience before I answered. So I repeated the question that it was about Eric interviewing Wilson, then gave my standard answer that since the claimed notes discussed potentially ongoing programs I would not comment. It was not intention to verify the interview and associated notes. In the restated shortened version online of what I actually said I can see how it could be so interpreted."

Continuing on with the original post:

Q22 - You were interviewed by George Knapp - mention of a document leaked about crash retrievals. Where do I look for that document?

A22 - It's out there somewhere on the Internet -  don't know exactly where.

Q23 - When Richard Doty was hired, was that for AATIP?

A23 - No, on another program before AATIP.

Q24 - Do you give any credence to [book titled mentioned] ET communications as part of secret programs?

A24 - I see no evidence.

Q25 - Do you think someone out there could have reverse engineered UFOs?

A25 - It's an option. It's possible. I brought up the idea in a paper.

Q26 - There was a story that Nixon left a letter in a time capsule about UFOs. A secret document?

A26 - I don't know if that story is legitimate. 

Kit Green's Defense Intelligence Reference Document unveiled

Another Defense Intelligence Reference Document

A 53 page paper, dated 2009, authored by Dr. Christopher (Kit) Green, titled “Clinical Medical Acute & Subacute Field Effects On Human Dermal & Neurological Tissues” has just been revealed, in an article by researcher TimMcMillan. 

Front cover of the paper

It appears to be the document, which the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) listed as one of the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRD), products of their 2008-2012 Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) It is not in the format of an AAWSAP DIA DIRD, several of which have been released previously. 

A DIA issued DIRD

However, the document appears to be the paper submitted by Green, which would later be issued as a DIA DIRD. Having said that, after acquiring a full copy of the Green DIRD, the purpose of this blog is to take a look at its contents and provide some commentary on what it contains. The quotes are from the paper, the notes are mine. 

The paper

Chapter one: “Definition of Topic and Domain of the study.”

“The objective of the overall program for which this paper has been prepared is to understand the physics and the engineering of advanced aerospace weapon system applications in the future, eg from now through to the year 2050. This study addresses the clinical medical signs and symptoms and biophysics of injury known and expected from near field (mostly ultra-high), NIEMR Microwave, Thermal, from unintentional exposure to anomalous systems.” (Page 6.)

Note 1: This clearly refers to the Defense Intelligence Agency’s AAWSAP put out for solicitation in August 2008.

First page of the DIA solicitation

Chapter two: “Background: What is thought to cause harm?”

“There is a relatively comprehensive literature on reported deleterious effects from exposure at close ranges to perceived anomalous aircraft of apparent advanced design.” (Page 9.)

Note 2: Here, Green refers to John Schuessler’s work; including the Cash-Landrum case; and his 1996 catalogue “UFO-Related HumanPhysiological Effects.” In addition, the work of Jim McCampbell, in this same area, is referenced.

“That is, it is of particular interest in a threat analysis program, regardless of whether anomalous-craft-induced physiological effects of humans are intended or not, to ascertain probable mechanisms…” (Page 10.)

Note 3: “A threat analysis program.” Nowhere in this paper, does Green refer to the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP.) References to the program are clearly to AAWSAP. 

Clear reference to AAWSAP

Another clear reference to AAWSAP appears on page 12:

"Yet, while directionally indicative of interest and intention to understand, the material does not rise to the quality of the initiative of this ADVANCED AEROSPACE WEAPON SYSTEM APPLICATIONS PROGRAM in which this paper serves as one of several dozen analytical examples."

Classified studies

Speaking of classified studies of the effects of RF radiation on humans, Green writes:

“Classified information exists that is highly pertinent to the study of this subject, and only a small part of the classified literature has been released.”

Green then goes on to review the large volume of existing open source literature about the effects of effects from exposure to certain known radiation sources. He concludes:

“In summary, the evidence is solid that the military and aerospace industries’ own classified, proprietary and unclassified literature, as well as the certain evidence of many aerospace RF-related microwave, antenna-related, High-Power (HP) microwave, infrasonic/sonic, and thermal (from any source) energy deposition accidents (vide infra) is congruent with the anomalous vehicle reports. This means that one cannot discount the claimed and often observed imagery of being real-world (although current and likely advanced beyond public information) technologies, and which are causes of these effects and injuries.” (Page 18.)

Note 4: In short, the effects from close range encounters with UAP match those effects from exposure to known radiation sources.

Chapter three: “How damage occurs.”

Here, Green examines how damage occurs from exposure to conventional source of RF energy. Examples of damage are heating, burning, headaches, dizziness, cardiac palpitations, severe anxiety, etc.

“There have been several studies (encompassing about 100 reported cases during acute accidental exposures in military aerospace and communications situations) that have collected data on human exposures to RF of fixed and broad bandwidths. Comparison of this medical literature presents striking overlaps to the claimed clinical injury patterns of several hundred near-field case of anomalous and hostile events being currently analysed for a companion study to this, as described in Appendices One, Two & Three.” (Page 23.)

Note 5: Appendix 1 is a short discussion of the Schuessler catalog of “UFO-Related Human Physiological Effects;" including the provision of a “Table of effects frequency.” In 1996, Schuessler produced a catalog of 365 selected cases from the time frame 1873-1994.

Appendix 2 is a partial listing of 96 cases from the UFO literature, prepared by “Green/Morris” with a time frame of 1952 - Sept 1971 of UAP cases which the authors have coded for ICD codes. [International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.] This is almost certainly related to the database of such events which Green, in a 2018 interview with author Annie Jacobsen, stated that he had been compiling. There are three Australian events in this list (pages 49 and 50), namely:

1. 1952/07/22 Australia, NSW, Sydney.

93. 70/8 or 9 Australia, Sydney, New South Wales

95. 1971/08/01 Australia, Gladstone, Australia

1.       

Event 1 was a widely seen green ball of light in the sky. I tracked down a newspaper report in the “Daily Telegraph” Sydney newspaper, Tuesday 22 July 1952 page 3. There appears: “In Sydney, Albert Thomas, 33 of Regent Street, Redfern a night watchman at the NSW railway’s tarpaulin factory, Enfield, said he believed that the light was a flying saucer. “As soon as I stepped out of the door my arms started to tingle. Then an electric shock ran through the whole of my body.” However, from reading the rest of the article, it would seem to me that the green ball of light was a fireball, and thus would not meet Green’s near-field of 10’s of meters distance.

Event 93 was an apparent abduction investigated by this author. It involved a man who experienced an apparent loss of time after seeing a red-orange light at an ill-defined distance. There were no apparent medical injuries involved.

Event 95 was an apparent abduction with effects to a motor vehicle, and “time distortion” to the witnesses. I could find no details of physical injuries being reported by the witnesses.

None of the three Australian cases should really be in such a catalogue.

Appendix 3 provides comment about ICD codes followed by a description of the Vallee classification system for anomalous phenomena.

“What cannot be overly emphasized, is that when one looks at the literature of anomaly cases, including UFO claims from the most reliable sources, the extent and degree of acute high but not necessarily chronic low-level injuries are consistent across patients who are injured, compared to witnesses in the far-field, who are not.” (Page 27.)

Note 6: By near-field Green, defines this on page 28 as “within 10’s of meters.”

“There are no significant differences in either the reported acute effects (symptoms) or the physician observed (signs) between the case of the three antenna engineers or the Cash-Landrum cases.” (Page 27.)

Note 7: For a comprehensive review of the Cash-Landrum case, see the extensive work of researcher Curt Collins at the Blue BlurryLines blog.

Chapter four: “Applicable subacute injury effects.”

Here, Green examines the established literature, taking an in depth look at what is known.

Chapter five: “Cognitive and neural injury mechanisms and effects.”

Green looks at the literature on the possible mechanisms by which RF can alter neuro chemical processes.

In summary

In this paper, Green explores what is medically known about the exposure to various known radio frequency energy sources; and its effects on humans, animals and tissue samples. He then compares these effects with those reported by individuals who have a close encounter with UAP.

Preface to the paper

Note 8: In the “Preface” to the document, Green provides the following quote, citing a November 2007 “Proposal to Analyse Probable ET Generated Specific Near-Field Electromagnetic Emissions.” The proposal was “to Puthoff/Hathaway.” I have not come across this proposal before. An Internet search failed to locate such a paper. 

“As an example of the breadth of the study, certain characteristics of the fields associated with exotic propulsion can with near certainty be gleaned from archival records of their effects on human physiology. Therefore, under consideration is the outsourcing of a medical analysis of the archival data to ascertain probable mechanisms, field strengths etc., involved in the generation of he reported physiological effects.

The intention is to explicate the coupling mechanisms for communicating to human tissue possible in the context of traditional physics from exogenous sources, with as yet unknown signal generation and focusing. The pilot project proposed does not require that the coupled physics be explained only modeled.”

George D.Hathaway, is a Canadian engineer, who operates Hathaway Research International. Hathaway authored two of the 38 DIA DIRDs, namely, “Superconductivity in Gravity Research” and “Maverick vs Corporate Research Cultures.”

Overall comment

As this is a 2009 dated paper, it throws some additional light on the work which Green was engaged in between 2005 and 2009, specifically, examining the effects on humans due to close encounters with UAP.

It also demonstrates that the AAWSAP, did indeed concern the subject of UAP. Green, in his DIRD, uses seven different terms, namely:

* Anomalous aircraft
* Anomalous craft
* Anomalous vehicles
* UFO
* Aerospace objects
* Anomalous aerospace objects
* Anomalous aerospace vehicles.

Pre Kit Green medical studies of UAP related injuries

Blog readers will have noticed that I have been spending some time of late, writing about potential medical effects from close encounters with the phenomenon. This subject has long been of interest to me.

In the light of recent discussions about Dr. Kit Green's work on UAP related medical injuries, I thought I would take a brief look at pre Kit Green medical studies, where individuals, conducted similar research; specifically US researchers Richard Charles Niemtzow and John F. Schuessler.

Introduction

In this post I will revisit Niemtzow's work, between 1975 and 1996; and then take a look at the parallel work of John F. Schuessler during the same time period.

Richard Niemtzow

Niemtzow was born in 1942 in the United States, but undertook his medical training, between 1965-1976 at Universite de Montpellier Faculte de Medecine, in Montpellier, France. This French connection will resurface later in my account. He later went back to the US and became a Flight Surgeon in the United States Air Force.

Around 1975, while still in France he joined the Aerial Phenomenon Research Organisation, (APRO)
and wrote an article titled "Paralysis and UFO Close Encounters." for the APRO Bulletin [Vol. 23, No. 5,March 1975, pp1 & 6.]

Niemtzow went on the write more articles for the APRO Bulletin; MUFON Journal, and the English Flying Saucer Review; some solo, and others with John Schuessler.

By 1981, as recalled in Jacques Vallee's diaries, Niemtzow had become a friend of Dr. Kit Green's, and also Claude Poher from France's official UFO study group, then named GEPAN. Later, Niemtzow corresponded with Alain Esterle, the next head of GEPAN.

Later in 1981, then radiologist Niemtzow created Project UFOMD, which was stated to be a network of medical practitioners to intensely study UFO related injury cases. He called upon doctors who were members of MUFON to join Project UFOMD.

In May 1982 Niemtzow, according to the MUFON Journal [No. 179, Jan. 1983, pp 14-16] was solicited as a consultant to the US Army Inspector General's office dealing with the Cash-Landrum case.

During 1985 Niemtzow, J Allen Hynek and Jacques Vallee visited GEPAN in France, and met their science board. At that meeting, Niemtzow presented a paper titled "Physiological and Radiation Effects from Intense Luminous Unidentified Flying Objects."

The MUFON Journal in 1987 [No. 225, January 1987, p18] reported that Project UFOMD had produced only two cases in the period 1 October 1981 to 1 October 1983.

Vallee, in his diaries , recorded in an entry dated 6 December 1987, that Niemtzow received a call from a French Lieutenant Colonel, purportedly about UAP, which actually discussed the effects of microwaves on human tissue.

The French continued to make advances to Niemtzow about UAP, which included a team of French microwave experts who visited him in the US in 1989. Vallee dined with Jean-Jacques Velasco, the next head of GEPAN in June 1989 and Velasco confirmed to Vallee that some of the French teams, interested in microwave weapons wanted to talk to Niemtzow.

In July 1989, Niemtzow visited France and had talks about UAP and physiological effects of microwaves. Later, a French doctor , an expert on radiation impact on human tissue visited Niemtzow in the USA. CNES, the French space agency, where GEPAN was based, was close to offering Niemtzow a job with them.

Later issues of Vallee's dairies, namely Volume Four, indicates that Niemtzow investigated a couple of abduction cases, one involving a female Air Force Major. Vallee adds that "Richard is in touch with Admiral Mohr, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Reagen, who's taken an interest in such cases." (entry 27 February 1994.)

There are no Vallee references to Niemtzow beyond 28 January 1996. His interest faded from public view.

I wanted to find out why Niemtzow lost interest in such an intriguing topic. So, in 2016, I located him and emailed him. I asked him three questions.

1. After examining the data you collected in the area of medical injuries, what conclusion did you reach?

2. Why did you cease that particular line of research?

3. What were your overall conclusions about UAP?

Niemtzow responded:

"I stopped as the research is dead-ended. Very little progress has been made in the field and a lot is simply conjecture."

For a fuller account of Niemtzow's work in this are please take a look at my blog post dated 2016.

John Schuessler

As mentioned earlier, Schuessler and Niemtzow co-authored a number of articles about medical effects of UFO encounters, which appeared in the UFO literature in the 1970's and 1980's.

From 1981 and for many years afterwards, Schuessler investigated and documented the 29 December 1980 incident in which Betty Cash and Vickie Landrum and Colby Landrum were involved in an unusual encounter.

Source: Keith Basterfield

Briefly, the incident which involved a sensation of heat being felt, plus a bright light. After the incident, they reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, irritated eyes and a feeling similar to sunburn. Cash reported blisters on her skin. Hair loss was also reported.

The two best sources of information on this radiation case, may be found in Schuessler's 1998 book "The Cash-Landrum UFO Incident." [Geo Graphics Printing Co.] and Curt Collins' blog "Blue Blurry Lines."

In 1991, MUFON formed a Medical Committee and Schuessler served as the MUFON administrator for the group. The committee's role was to bring medical researchers together, to establish an operating protocol, collect and evaluate case data, deal with the medical evidence and promote an information exchange.

By 1995, Schuessler's catalog "A Catalog of UFO Related Human Physiological Effects" had nearly 400 cases. Like all such catalogues, it suffered from it being a collection of material drawn from a variety of sources, with a very limited capacity for fact-checking and tracking down the original source of the information. As an example, I checked the Australian cases listed in the catalog. Some were anecdotal, while others were not close encounters. In addition, some of the medical effects are listed as "abduction" which, in itself, is not a medical effect.

In summary

So, the study of UFO related medical injuries goes back to at least 1975, now 45 years ago, and this work has been continued by the studies of Dr. Kit Green.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to UK researcher Isaac Koi for providing a link to the AFU website, from which, a copy of Schuessler's catalogue can be downloaded.

AAWSAP and Skinwalker ranch - Kit Green makes a statement

Introduction

In a previous post, I brought together a number of pieces of information concerning AAWSAP/AATIP; BAASS requested MRI brain scans; work by Dr. Kit Green; and former Skinwalker ranch BAASS employees.

In this post, I wish to go into more detail about what former BAASS employees, Chris J Marx, and Chris Bartel hypothesize may have occurred at the ranch. I do this in order to promote further discussion and debate on this topic, based on statements which have been publicly made by Marx and Bartel, and not second or third hand hearsay.

New York Times (NYT)

Ever since the NYT broke the story in December 2017, of a $22M "secret" US Department of Defense study named Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP,) there have been claims that some of the money was spent in studying Skinwalker ranch.

For example, documentary film maker Jeremy Corbell, who produced a recent documentary on the ranch, appeared on the Internet radio show "Phenomenon Radio" hosted by Linda Moulton Howe and John Burroughs. In the episode aired 27 September 2018, in part, Corbell stated:

"The New York Times absolutely got in wrong with their announcement in December of 2017. It may be not their fault, but I want to clarify that, the primary reason for the $22M allocated to what we have been told was to AATIP, which is not correct...The $22M was allocated because of, and primarily for, the study of Skinwalker ranch by the Defense Intelligence Agency under the Defense Warning Office in the name of AAWSAP."

How do we know that the DIA was even interested in Skinwalker ranch?

Image courtesy of Chris Bartel

1. The NYT article of 16 December 2017, in part, read:

"In 2007, Mr Reid said in the interview, Mr Bigelow told him that an official with the Defense Intelligence Agency had approached him wanting to visit Mr Bigelow's ranch in Utah, where he conducted research."

2. The New York Magazine, on 19 March 2018, cited Senator Harry Reid as being approached by Robert Bigelow, saying that he had received a letter from a federal national security agency employee who wanted to visit Bigelow's Utah ranch."

3. Chris J Marx, in an interview (Episode 46) on the Black Vault Internet radio show, stated that while at the ranch, he was aware that the studies there were sponsored by the US government, and that one copy of the daily ranch report went to the Pentagon. It was only in late 2019 that Marx became aware of the DIA's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP,) and that therefore the ranch sponsor was the DIA.

4. During a late 2019 conversation with another former BAASS employee - a physicist- Marx states that the physicist was aware that a senior DIA employee, one Jame Lacatski "...was observed to be actually on the ranch." This was believed to be sometime in 2007/2008.

5. The 2008 DIA AAWSAP solicitation paperwork, located by this author on the Internet, shows that the DIA AAWSAP manager was one James T Lacatski.

In short, it can be demonstrated that at least one senior individual in the DIA was interested in the ranch.

Did BAASS study paranormal phenomena at the ranch?

According to Marx, the answer is both "yes" and "no." Yes, one of the stated intentions of BAASS employees working at the ranch was to study and document unusual experiences. However, the equipment supplied by BAASS to security guards at the ranch was sparse, not sophisticated.

If extensive money was being spent from the $22M budget at the ranch, to study the phenomenon, one might expect it to show up in one way, as the use of high-technology equipment.

Source: Erica Lukes Facebook page, 19 January 2020

Both Marx and Bartel say that the opposite was true, at least during the period 2010-2012, which is part of the time they were at the ranch. The AAWSAP contract ran from 2008-2012. Their investigatory equipment consisted of basic thermal imagery equipment, standard night-vision equipment; and cheap still cameras. In addition, Marx states that there were no working surveillance cameras on the property during the period 2010-2012.

In short, BAASS certainly did investigate paranormal phenomenon at the ranch to a degree; but not to the extent you would expect if large amounts of money were available.

What were the stated duties of the guards at the ranch?

The job description given by BAASS, according to both Marx and Bartel, was that they were hired to keep trespassers off the property; and research and document the phenomenon which occurred there. Some of the scientists employed by BAASS gave them tasks from time to time, which related to paranormal investigations.

What do Marx and Bartel hypothesize was actually going on at the ranch?

Based on the lack of sophisticated technology to conduct paranormal studies of the phenomenon; the lack of BAASS scientists visiting and staying at the ranch; the reason given by BAASS for their 2011 MRI brain scans, namely "It's to see if there was something in our brain which allowed us to have an experience ." (Bartel); the two former BAASS employees wonder if there was another purpose for their presence on the ranch?

To quote Marx; "I wondered if we were the hamsters, or the guys in the white coats." Later, in the same interview he said "We want to know if we were medically impacted by this..." and "I would like to know if I am coming down with MS or cancer five years from now."

Marx, has expressed a view that, perhaps part of the AAWSAP contract, included a study of any effects that might have happened, to security guards, such as himself? A kind of non-lethal weapons testing?

Both Marx and Bartel spoke publicly of the frequent experience of "the sense of being watched" when there was no-one else around; by someone or something. Bartel mentioned of hearing footsteps from some disembodied source. Both men related experiences involving seeing things that seemed to vanish in front of them. Of extremely bright lights, where you could see your bones of the hands, even through closed eyes. These lights went off leaving no clues as to their origin. Marx says experiences such as these led him to consider "cloaking" and "camouflage" experiments might have been conducted by someone or something.

Dr.  Kit Green and his study

While the following is not directly attributed to the study of security guards at Skinwalker ranch, it does appear relevant to this article to me.

In interviews with authors Annie Jacobsen (2018) and M. J. Banias (2019), Dr Christopher (Kit) Green has outlined some details of his studies of the medical effects on humans due to a close encounter with the phenomenon. Of interest here is a quote form page 398 of Jacobsen's book:

His original hypothesis was that a majority of his patients had "been exposed to technology from black programs,' he says, that is, advanced state-of-the-art, high-energy technologies developed in Special Access Programs. "Nonlethal weapons program. Holograms. Cloaking devices. Drones.Twenty-five percent of my patients die within five to seven years of my diagnosis and I have no idea of how any programs I knew about years ago can do these things," Green says.

I posed a number of questions, by email, to Dr. Green, who was kind enough to respond. He has given his permission for me to quote his responses in this article. My questions were:

Q1 Given the information contained in this article, have you any comment on the Marx/Bartel hypothesis that the underlying reason for the BAASS studies at the ranch, included a study of medical effects on security guards by the phenomenon? If so, what is your comment?

Q2 Have you any comment on the Marx/Bartel hypothesis that they were perhaps exposed to some kind of non-lethal weapons testing? If so, what is your comment?

Q3 Have you any comment on anything else contained in the article?

Q4 Noting your 2018 interview comment re your original hypothesis for the cause of the injuries to your own patients, what is your current working hypothesis about the cause of injuries to your patients?

Dr. Green responded:

"Your article and comments by Mr. Marx and Mr Bartel are really a very nice summary. I have no additional comments because I have no important disagreements with what you and they had said.

The reference to the fatality rate does not include any persons from the Ranch...but is a different and primarily military population. That earlier group has been discussed somewhat in books as you mentioned, and I have no further insight.

I am attempting to write a clinical case study of several of the more interesting cases, that touch on the issues of "non-lethal" weapons. I am baffled. I am certain that no injuries I have encountered in referred cases...or others for that matter, require paranormal or "off world" technologies to have caused harm.

This conclusion I have reached slowly, over the past 10 years, but it is data driven. Many of my colleagues I respect disagree. No physicians disagree. That is sadly a defeat for me. A forensic physician must seek to discern 'perpetrators' and criminal motive as well as unknown morbidity and mortality and etiology of illness and injury. I have no clue as to perpetrators and motives. But I don't require magic and aliens to characterize the injuries and pathologies."

AAWSAP/AATIP; MRI brain scans and Skinwalker Ranch

Chris J. Marx

In July and August 2019, three episodes of the U.S. Internet radio show "UFO Classified" hosted by Utah researcher Erica Lukes, featured an individual named  Chris J. Marx. Marx related details about his employment with Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) and his time at Robert T. Bigelow's North Eastern Utah (Skinwalker) ranch between 2010 and 2016.

During the interviews, Marx mentioned that he had the usual recruitment medical tests for employment with BAASS. He also related that there was a time he went to Reno, Nevada for certain other testing. In addition, in the 5 July 2019 episode, Marx spoke about his recruitment interview with BAASS, and stated that about halfway through that interview, the interviewer:

 "...asked me if I had ever experienced anything that was unexplainable, or that was paranormal or something that was, didn't make sense? And, I told him, yeh, I actually have..."

Chris Bartel

On 20 September 2019, Erica Lukes interviewed both Marx and another individual named Chris Bartel. Bartel spoke of his recruitment by, and his employment with, BAASS, from September 2010, and in addition mentioned about going to Reno, Nevada for magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) scans, for which he never received the results. Like Marx, Bartel had gone to work at Robert T Bigelow's North Eastern Utah ranch. At one point in the episode, Lukes mentioned that Marx had been asked by his BAASS interviewer, if he had any paranormal experiences; and then asked Bartel if his BAASS interviewer had asked him a similar question? Bartel responded:

"Colm Kelleher, I'd interviewed him, and he asked me about if I had experiences and ironically enough I did..."

I spent some time communicating with Chris Bartel, and the following is a summary of what he told me about the MRI testing in Reno, Nevada.

A senior BAASS employee named Loran Huffman was the person who actually came to Bartel with the official request that he go for an MRI test. The request was verbally made by Huffman, although Bartel understands the original request came from BAASS Deputy Administrator Colm Kelleher. A check of Huffman's public LinkedIn profile found that he was Director of Investigations and Security (FSO) for Bigelow Aerospace between January 2009 and May 2012. Bartel states:

"I remember asking Lauren Hoffman (sic) why we were having MRIs done and he said 'It's to see if there was something in our brain which allowed us to have an experience.'"

No other medical related exams were undertaken while they were in Reno, just the MRI. Bartel recalls that an individual picked both he and Marx up at the Reno airport, drove them to the Reno Diagnostic Center, conducted the MRI brain scans and then drove them back to the airport. Bartel says, he is fairly certain he knows who this individual was, although he is not 100% certain.

In October 2019, when Bartel heard about the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) he reached out to the Reno Center and obtained a  copy of his records.

Details of the MRI brain scans

Chris Bartel has shared the results of his MRI brain scans with me. Two aspects are puzzling. Firstly, under the heading "Clinical indication" i.e. the reason for the MRI examination, is the single word "preemployment" despite the fact that the scan was  conducted, on 5 August 2011, almost a year into their employment. Secondly, the referring physician was shown as a Ronald Smith MD of Reno. However, Bartel informed me that he did not recall ever meeting a Dr. Smith. One would expect that a patient would first meet an MD and then be referred to a specialist for an MRI.

Marx

I have also spent some time communicating with Chris J. Marx. Like Bartel, Marx has also acquired a copy of his own MRI brain scan results, taken 5 August 2011 at the Reno Diagnostic Center. Copies of images are now available via the UFO Classified website. In an episode of that show, dated 16 January 2020, Marx revealed that, like Bartel, a copy of his results were sent to the same Dr. Smith. However, Marx had no recollection of meeting a Dr. Smith.

The reason for Marx's MRI brain scans, is shown as "preemployment," again despite the fact that Marx had been a BAASS employee for almost a year by the date of the scan. In addition, page 2 of Marx's MRI results  states: "Read and electronically signed by Eric J Kraemer MD" and  "Reviewed by Eric J Kraemer MD."

The website of the Reno Diagnostic Centre shows that a Dr. Kraemer, obtained his BSc at Cornell; obtained his MD at the University of Iowa School of Medicine; completed an MRI fellowship at Northwestern University; before joining Reno Diagnostic Center in July 2006. Thus it would appear to confirm Dr. Kraemer was indeed employed there in 2011. It would be reasonable to assume he was the individual at the Center, who analyzed the results of the MRI brain scans.

Marx states that he is now aware of at least four former BAASS employees who underwent similar MRI brain scans. Himself, Bartel; an individual nicknamed "Chip" (whose real identity I deduced from public records) and a fourth individual who wishes to remain anonymous.

I asked Marx if he knew the identity of the individual he met in Reno? He replied, that he believed he did, but was not 100% certain.

"Chip"

On the 2 September 2012 episode of the Internet Paracast radio show, an individual identified only as "Chip," who stated that he had worked as a guard at Skinwalker Ranch, mentioned that he was aware that a number of individuals from the ranch had been sent to Reno for MRI brain scans.

Dr. Smith

Who then, was the Dr. Smith whose name, address and telephone number are on Bartel's and Marx's MRI test results as receiving a copy of the results? An Internet search located a Ronald L Smith MD who still practices at that same address, has the same telephone number, and practices internal medicine.

Further research located a 2008 report titled "Emerging Cognitive Neuroscience and Related Technologies" published by the National Research Council in 2008, Washington DC.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207943/

In that report, a Dr. Ronald L Smith was a member of  a committee named "Committee on Military and Intelligence Methodology for Emergent Neurophysiological and Cognitive/Neural Science Research in the Next Two Decades." Dr. Smith's biography is provided at the end of that report, which states:

" Ronald L Smith is in private practice of internal medicine and is an associate clinical professor at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He was a neurologist at the NASA Ames Research Center and a post-doctoral fellow at the UCLA Brain Research Institute. He currently serves on the Joint Independent Science panel on Chemical and Biological Defense and has reviewed policies, procedures and training in troop protection from chemical, biological and nuclear threat for the Joint Military Services. He served on the NRC's Committee on Network Science for Future Army applications. Dr. Smith received a PhD in anatomy (neuroscience) from the University of California in San Francisco and an MD from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico."

The chair of that particular committee (Military and Intelligence etc) was Dr. Christopher C Green.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207936/

Christopher (Kit) Green

Both Bartel and Marx separately advised me, that they are fairly certain that the individual they met at the airport in Reno, and who conducted their MRI brain scans, as a guest of the Center, was Dr Christopher C Green. Although it must again be stated, that they are not 100% certain. Are there any facts to support this identification? I turned to the UFO literature in search of clues.

Annie Jacobsen

Image courtesy of Amazon Books

In her 2018 book "Phenomena" (Back Bay Books, New York) journalist Annie Jacobsen gives details of an interview she conducted with Dr. Christopher C Green. In part, she quotes Green as saying that:

"I'm interested in the notion of people injured physically by anomalous events. Often these events are perceived as [involving] unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, drones, high energy radio frequencies that confront people face to face and cannot be explained...In 2005 he began working on a research project to address this enigma. He began creating "a structured database of individuals that were suffering enigmatic burns, skin lesions, cancer, diseases - and who also had face to face encounters with UAPs..." (page 396.)

As to who were his patients, Green said:

"...they are all high functioning individuals, many prodigious savants, most of whom carry a high security clearance...They are members of Special Forces, members of the intelligence community, employees of aerospace companies, officers in the military, guards of military bases, policemen..."

M. J. Banias

Another author, M J Banias in his 2019 book "The UFO People:A Curious Culture" (August Night Books, USA) states that he interviewed Dr. Christopher "Kit" Green in 2018. In part he writes about Green:

"...Green consults with nearly sixty other medical doctors who share similar interests...Starting in 2003 Green began to work with individuals who suffered injuries from unknown aerial  objects.  In 2007, offering treatment at no cost, Green has treated about 180 of these individuals...Green's selection criteria for his patients are not based upon simple anecdote. Each of his patients must undergo a rigorous screening process. Green explains that each patient must witness and be physically affected by the anomaly within 50 meters...The second criteria stipulates that all patients suffering from these injuries must have a second eyewitness who was present at the event. Third, all injuries suffered must be physical in nature...Fourth, his patients must allow him to speak to their previous doctors and grant him access to their entire medical history. Fifth, they must undergo a battery of tests including DNA testing,endocrine and specialized blood tests and brain scans..."

As to who Green's selected patients are, Banias writes:

"...special forces, intelligence officers, private government contractors, high level aerospace company employees and military officers..."

Interestingly, from the perspective of this article, on page 86 Banias cites Green:

" He disclosed that about a dozen of his patients were injured on or near the infamous ranch in Utah, nicknamed Skinwalker Ranch."

 AAWSAP

The Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program  (AAWSAP) was a contract given to BAASS in September 2008 by the US Government's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to undertake certain work. In part, specifically to "...understand the physics and engineering...as they apply to the foreign threat out to the far term..." Technical studies were undertaken in 12 specified areas of interest including "10. Human effects."

An FOIA request by Dr Steven Aftergood had the DIA provide a list of the titles and authors of 38 such technical studies. On that list was a paper by Dr. Green titled " Field Effects on Biological Tissues." This paper is still not publicly available.

Luis Elizondo

During a 15 July 2018 Coast to Coast radio interview between journalist George Knapp; and Luis Elizondo, former head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP)  (which took over from AAWSAP) Knapp mentions BAASS, then asks Elizondo:

"Did you coordinate with them? Did you have access to what they did and vice versa?" Elizondo replied "Yes." Kanpp then asked "Would you have seen Skinwalker Ranch material for example?" Elizondo said "Yes."

BAASS

On 4 May 2018 as part of a Las Vegas KLAS-TV news report, the online version had a hyperlink titled "Statement from a Senior Manager of BAASS." In full, it read:

"Statement from a Senior Manager of BAASS
By Caroline Bleakley
Updated May 04, 2018 05:28PM PDT

LAS VEGAS - BAASS breaks new ground in professionalism by hiring, training and deploying 50 full-time staff comprising retired military intelligence and law enforcement officers, PhD level scientists, engineers, technicians, analysts, translators and project managers to create the largest multi-disciplinary full-time team in history to investigate the UFO topic.

The investigation 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 phenomenon also involved a whole panoply of diverse activity that included bizarre creatures, poltergeist activity, invisible entities, orbs of light, animal and human injuries and more. The exclusive focus on nuts and bolts machine 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. This novel approach aimed to circumvent the increasing evidence of deception and subterfuge by the UFO phenomenon in that multiple witnesses co-located in the same vicinity frequently reported seeing widely different events. The evidence was multiplying that the UFO phenomenon was capable of manipulating and distorting human perception and therefore witness testimony of UFO activity was becoming increasingly untrustworthy.

The BAASS approach was to view the human body as a readout system for UFO effects by utilizing forensic technology, the tools of immunology, cell biology, genomics, and neuroanatomy for an in depth study of the effects of UFOs on humans. This approach marked a dramatic shift away from the traditional norms of relying on eyewitness testimony as the central evidentary arm in UFO investigations. The approach aimed to bypass UFO deception and manipulation of human perception by utilizing molecular forensics to decipher the biological consequences of the phenomenon.

The result of applying this new approach was a revolution in delineating the threat level of UFOs."

What can we conclude from the above?

Based on the testimony of Bartel, Marx and "Chip," someone at BAASS was interested in having certain staff, undergo MRI brain scans. The statement by a senior manager of BAASS adds to the view, that there was an expectation that by studying any effects on the human body, information could be gleaned about the phenomenon. 

This was also the focus of Dr. Green's work. As to whether or not the individual whom Bartel and Marx interacted with in Reno in 2011 was in fact Dr. Green, I reasoned why not ask him?

I therefore reached out by email, to Dr. Green; briefly described some of the above information, and asked him if he was in Reno, Nevada on 5 August 2011, and involved in MRI brain scans on these two, then BAASS employees? I further asked that if he was, was he able to say whether this was in connection with his own private studies, or as part of the Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program contract with BAASS?

Dr. Green responded that "I have never been to that Center, ever. I have never taken any person there."

I have also reached out to other former BAASS employees, advising them of my work to date, and inviting them to contact me if they so desire.

The DIA, FOIA, and the AATIP/AAWSAP

DIA request log

A while ago, I located a copy of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request log for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for 2018. This covered requests submitted between 1 October 2017 and 30 September 2018. The 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2019 log, is as of today, not yet posted to the DIA website.

The 2018 log is full of requests for information about the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). Later, when the alternative name, Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) was revealed by Melbourne researcher Paul Dean, individuals started to ask the DIA for information about AAWSAP.

As of today, I am aware of only one final DIA response to the dozens of AATIP/AAWSAP related FOIA requests.

Dr Steven Aftergood, of the Federation of American Scientists, in a blog post titled "More Light on Black programs To Track UFOs" dated 17 January 2019, advised receipt of a DIA response to his FOIA request dated 15 August 2018. He had requested [request 00239] a "copy of the list that was recently transmitted to Congress of all DIA products produced under the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program contract." The DIA provided such a list.

My own DIA FOIA requests

I have two outstanding FOIA requests with the DIA about this subject area. I received one letter from the DIA dated 10 December 2019 about one request which I submitted on 28 March 2018. This advised that this was an interim response, with a final response due on 28 December 2020. A while later, I received a second DIA interim response letter about my other request, submitted on 30 May 2018. Again this was dated 10 December 2019, and advised an anticipated final response date of 28 December 2020.

By asking around the UAP research community, I established that many other individuals had received such DIA interim response letters, one dated as early as 18 November 2019. Most letters cited an anticipated final response date sometime in December 2020.

Back to the 2018 log

https://www.dia.mil/FOIA/FOIA-Electronic-Reading-Room/FileId/216385/

I thought it worth while to look back through the 2018 request log, to see who submitted the first AATIP/AAWSAP request? It was request [0065] from Laurent Corbell and asked  "Requesting all documents generated as part of the Defense Department's Advance Aviation Threat Identification Program, including the 490 page report that was described in the December 16 article in the Washington Post." The request log does not show the dates for each FOIA request, but as this was [0065] in a date range commencing on 1 October 2017; it is reasonable to assume this request was submitted shortly after 16 December 2017.   For the full list of relevant requests, pleased take a look at the log for yourself. 

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who submitted a 2018 request, apart from Steven Aftergood,
who has indeed received a reply that we do not yet know about.

Update 21 October 2021

John Greenewald published an article  dated 21 October 2021 in which he stated he had a "no relevant records" response to his 2018 FOIA request ( FOIA-0260-2018) to the DIA "requesting a copy of records, electronic or otherwise, of the following: all documents pertaining to the outline, mission statement, objective etc of the following program which includes various versions of what the program name may be called..." John then went on to give a number of variations of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program name. 

Papua New Guinea newspaper items about UAP

National Library of Australia

The National Library of Australia (NLA) undertook a major project, a few years ago, to digitise a large number of Australian newspapers. These are now available to view and search at their TROVE digitised newspapers site. The project ended up digitising many of Australia's current and past newspapers, up to the end of the year 1954. A few newspapers are available up to around 1990, but most are not.

TROVE

If you go to the TROVE search area and type in the keywords "flying saucer;" "UFO;" or "unidentified flying objects" you will get a return of many thousands of entries. This blog has reported on the contents of many of these items, e.g. Australian pilot in Korea reporting UAP.

Papua New Guinea

Recently, however, I came across a digitised copy of a newspaper from Papua New Guinea in the collection. Why is this of interest to Australian researchers? Well up till 1975, Papua New Guinea was administered by Australia. During that time, sightings of UAP were referred to Australia for investigation and recording.

Disclosure Australia

During the period 2003-2008 when the Australian UFO Network (AUFORN) ran the Disclosure Australia project, members of the team were searching the Australian government's UAP files for sighting reports. Three relevant files were about Papua New Guinea:

1. File series A452, control symbol 1969/4393, titled "UFOs and mysterious happenings Papua and New Guinea. Date range was 1957-1973.

2. File series MT1131/1, control symbol A31/1/133 titled "Unidentified aircraft Papua and New Guinea." Date range 1958-1959.

3. File series MP1279/1, control symbol 99/1/478 titled "New Guinea F.I.R. - operation of unidentified and foreign aircraft." Date range 1948-1965.

Papua New Guinea Post-Courier newspaper

For the benefit of readers I thought I would present a representative sample of what was appearing in the main Papua New Guinea newspaper during its publication period of 1969-1981.

1. "UFO Probe Urged

There have been frequent sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects in Papua New Guinea in recent months, Parliament was told yesterday. These sightings were confusing and worrying village people in the Central and Western Provinces and the Gusu Dumpu area of the Madang Province, the former transport minister Mr Jephcott (Madang) and Mr Kala Swokin (Western)  said during question time.

Mr Jephcott said that five UFO sightings were tracked on radar in the Gusap area by Air Niugini in December, and several others were reported in September...

Mr Swokin said the Defence Force should investigate recent sightings in the Central and Western provinces. The Defence minister Mr Duwabane told Parliament that his department will investigate and make a report..."

[Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Wednesday 21 February 1979 page 3.]

2. "Light shed on UFO."

Sightings over Gaire village in Central province about a month ago are probably explained. Between 0315 and 0430 hrs on September 24, a group, led by National Capital police commander, Assistant Commisioner Mr David Tasion reported the UFO. However, a Qantas jumbo 747 flying between Tokyo and Sydney was at that time diverted to Port Moresby for re-fuelling. The Civil Aviation Authority believe this to be the cause of the sighting.

[Papa New Guinea Post-Courier Thursday 16 October 1980 page 19.]

3. "Glowing report of Lae UFO"

Two sisters at Angau Memorial Hospital, Sr. Bennan and Sr. Glynn viewed an unusual object at 0215 hrs on 18 March 1979. It appeared as a bright golden coloured, star-like object. It travelled across the sky; stopped, then continued, and made a U turn and went back the way it had come. The women called the police, but by the time the police arrived the UAP had gone.

[Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Thursday 19 March 1970 page 11.]

4. "I saw a UFO and men."

A seven year old boy, Noel Bossiri of Baruru village reported seeing a big, bright light above a hill, at Kanudi at 2230hrs on 30 September 1980. He said that he woke to see the light and as he watched it, it landed on a hill and two human-like figures were seen. Noel said "the first to come out appeared silvery and the second was brown in colour." He was frightened by the experience and later told his parents of the sighting.

[Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Tuesday 7 October 1980 page 3.]

5. "sshh...something's scaring Lae."

On 2 May 1974 a "50 yard strip of Bougainvillea and other plants were 'burned' by something and began to die off beside Mr Arthur Strachan's house in Sturt Street...his gardener reported seeing a strange object in the sky around dusk, on Thursday night. An area of grass near the plants has also turned yellow..."

At 2200hrs on 4 May 1974, a Sally Willis reported seeing a glowing object near the top of a palm tree.

[Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Tuesday 7 May 1974 page 2.]

6. "Check on our UFOs.

The world's leading expert on UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) arrived in Papua New Guinea yesterday to investigate recent reports of sightings here. Dr J Allen Hynek...will visit the Milne Bay District to talk to people who say they have seen UFOs...

'My overall purpose in coming to Papua New guinea is to see whether there is any difference in the UFOs reported in this part of the world and those elsewhere...'"

[Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Wednesday 29 August 1973 page 3.]

7. "Goraka UFOs."

On 19 April 1974, a Mr and Mrs J W Wheeler reported seeing a bright, globular shaped light in the sky approaching them from the south side of the airstrip, at about 0600hrs. The light then departed in the direction of Lae. Half an hour earlier, a man at the airstrip reported seeing a globular light hover overhead for 25 minutes. It then split into two. One part was bright blue and moved off towards the mountains. The other part headed off towards Bene.

[Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Monday 22 April 1974 page 3.]

My comments

1. As can be seen from the representative sampling of newspaper accounts, the phenomenon being reported from Papua New Guinea was very similar to other parts of the world.

2. Item 6 from 1973 refers to the famous Boianai, Milne Bay District cluster of sightings in 1959 which included at least one CE3.

3. The reported radar sightings from December 1978 are not previously known to me. There was a classic observation reported in RAAF files [file series A703, control symbol 580/1/1 part 13, page 53] as follows:

29 June 1970 Sepik River area, PNG, 1720hrs.

The pilot of an F27 aircraft, VH-FNK, reported radar observations. On descent from 12,500 feet he noted echoes on his radar 60 degrees abeam to his plane. The radar was set to scan 180nm, and showed echoes at the 60nm range, from the aircraft and keeping station with him. There were five cigar shaped objects. With the radar scanner on maximum depression, the echoes disappeared. The Department of Civil Aviation advised that there were no other aircraft in that area.

I could find no record of a report by the PNG Defence Force about UAP.