Former Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, speaks out

John Ratcliffe

John Ratcliffe was the United States Director of National Intelligence, between May 2020 and 20 January 2021, under the Trump administration. On 19 March 2021, he was interviewed by Maria Bartiromo, on FOX News Primetime. The following is a transcript of that segment, prepared by myself from a full length version, kindly supplied by Giuliano Marinkovic. This version is longer than the version being circulated on such social media sites as Twitter. 

Transcript

MB - Joining me right now, is the former Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe. John it is great to see you tonight. Thank you such much for being here.

JR - You bet, Maria.

MB - John, you have seen, in your role, the most intelligence that anybody has seen other than the President, as the Director of National Intelligence. I have been wanting to ask you this next question for a while. I want to ask you about UFOs - Unidentified Flying Objects. The Pentagon is going to come out with a report by June 1st, and in the $2.3 trillion dollar omnibus appropriations legislation passed in January, it includes the Intelligence Authorization Act; money for the Pentagon to continue investigating UFOs. John, we are going to get this report June 1st, Can you tell us, have Unidentified Flying Objects been seen?

JR - Well sure. We have lots of reports about what we call Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon and this actually is a program that's been in place for a few years in terms of a task force that has been there under the National Defense Authorization Act, but as you correctly point out Maria, there's now a report that will be issued by the Pentagon, by the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence. (KB - See comment 1 below.)

I actually wanted to get this information out and declassified (comment 2) before I left office, but we weren't able to get it down into an unclassified format that we could talk about quickly enough, but frankly there are a lot more sightings than have been made public. (comment 3.)

Some of those have been declassified. When we talk about sightings we're talking about objects that have been seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery (comment 4) that, frankly, engage in actions that are difficult to explain; movements that are hard to replicate, that we don't have the technology for, or traveling at speeds that you know exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom.

So, in short, things that we are observing that are difficult to explain. And so, you know, there's actually quite a few of those, and I think that that information is being gathered and will be put out in a way that the American people can see.

We always, when we see these things, Maria, we always look for a plausible explanation. Weather can cause disturbances - visual disturbances. Sometimes, we wonder whether or not our adversaries have technologies that are a little bit further down the road than we thought, or that we realized, but there are instances where we don't have good explanations for some of the things that we've seen. And, you know, when that information becomes declassified I'll be able to talk a little bit more about that.

MB - Can you tell us where it was seen?

JR - Actually all over the world. There have been sightings all over the world, and when we talk about sightings, the other thing I will tell you is, it's not just a pilot, or just a satellite or some intelligence collection. Usually we have multiple sensors that are picking up these things (comment 5.) And so, again, some of, they are, just, they're unexplained phenomenon and there's actually quite a few more than has been made public.

I think it will be healthy for as much of this information to get out as possible, so that the American people can see some of the things we have been dealing with.

MB - OK. Wow, that is pretty extraordinary. We so appreciate that, that you're talking to us about this. Can this year get any weirder. Pandemic, shutdown, UFOs. John Ratcliffe it's great to see you. Thank you so much ...

Comments

1. The report will be submitted by the Director of National Intelligence. Thus, Ratcliffe, had he still been in office would have been the individual submitting the report. As he was the DNI between May 2020 and 20 January 2021, you can reasonable state that he would have been briefed on the subject of UAP. The new Director of National Intelligence, under the Biden administration is Avril Haines.

2. "declassified before I left office..." This implies that some, if not all, of this information is currently/was previously, classified. Please take a look at my previous blog post where I discussed security classifications levels of UAP information. 

3. "lot more sightings than have been made public" Most of us would have believed this statement to be true, even before Ratcliffe made it.

4. "or have been picked up by satellite imagery" A very interesting statement indeed. There have long been accounts given of such satellite detected UAP. As long ago as 1988, researcher Jacques Vallee (Forbidden Science: Volume 3) in a diary entry dated 28 June 1988, speaking about Hal Puthoff, wrote:

"Hal has seen a 2-inch thick file that details UFO observations by infra-red satellites: 'The objects arrive 3,000 miles above the Earth,' he told me. 'The satellites pick them up as they come near the surface and going away the same manner as they came in. Their infra-red signature shows a level of energy 15 times that of an aircraft carrier. But the data is so tightly classified nobody wants to talk about it.' "

5. "Usually we have multiple sensors that are picking up these things." Again, a confirmation of rumors or stories of which we are all aware.

What security classification level does the U.S. Department of Defense assign to information about UAP?

Christian Lambright

Blog readers may recall, that back in 2019 U.S. researcher Christian Lambright submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) for documents relating to the November 2004 U.S.S. Nimitz incidents. Later that year, Christian received a final response from ONI, which in part read:

"We have discovered certain briefing slides that are classified TOP SECRET...We have also determined that ONI possesses a video classified SECRET that ONI is not the Original Classification Authority for. ONI has forwarded your request to Naval Air Systems Command to make a determination on releasability..."

So, at least in relation to the 2004 Nimitz incidents, certain briefing slides are classified TOP SECRET and one video is SECRET. Below are images of part of the ONI response letter. 

Unclassified

On 27 April 2020, the DoD released copies of three declassified videos, namely FLIR, Gimbal and Go Fast. The official DoD release, in part, read:

"The Department of Defense has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015. The released videos can be found at the Naval Air Systems Command FOIA Reading Room."

Note 

In order to release these three videos the DoD would have looked at their previous security classification system and declassified them, to "unclassified." Note that the OCA is Naval Air Systems Command, the same location in the Navy specified in the 2019 ONI statement, where it stated that it had located a video classified SECRET relating to the U.S.S. Nimitiz 2004 incident. Could it be that this SECRET video is in fact one of either FLIR, Gimbal or Go Fast? Or is it yet another Navy video? We just don't know. 

Marc Cecotti's research 

In a 13 March 2021 blog post, French researcher Marc Cecotti revealed details of internal U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) emails concerning Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests about UAP.

In one email, dated 10 July 2020, from Joseph Gradisher, N2N6 Strategic Engagements U.S. Navy; to Jeffrey Jones COMNAVSAFECEN, Deputy Director for Safety Priorities; part of the email read:

"Additionally, there is now a Security Classification Guidance document (at the SECRET) level, that addresses the UAP issue and what may/may not be discussed publicly."

What is a Security Classification Guidance document?

On the Internet I located a PDF document titled "Security Classification Guidance, Student Guide" a course designed for this who need to write/know about these guides. I will cite relevant portions of this document.

"When an Original Classification Authority or OCA, determines that information must be classified, he or she must also develop security classification guidance to communicate that determination to others."

"Develop clear and precise security classification guidance is critical because it ensures that all users of the information treat it consistently and protect it properly."

"Security classification guidance is any instruction or source that sets out the classification of a system, plan, program, mission or project."

Documents you can read 

The U.S. DoD has DoD Instruction 5200.01"DoD Information Security Program and Protection of Sensitive Compartmented Information" or SCI which establishes the general framework and responsibilities for DoD implementers of national policy a on classified national security information.

DoD manual 5200.01 Volumes one through three "DoD Information Security Program" is authorized from the above instruction.

DoD Manual 5200.45 "Instructions for Developing Security Classification Guides" provides detailed information on how to develop Security Classification guidance.

Back to the student guide

"The original classification decision is communicated through a Security Classification Guide or SCG. The SCG covers the specific item requiring classification, the classification level assigned, reason for classification and declassification instructions."

Speaking about SCG's it goes on to say that:

"To maximize usability for the greatest number of individuals, the guide should be unclassified...For some programs, however, they may need to be classified..."

Note

Gradisher's email dated 10 July 2020 to Jeffrey Jones states "...there is now a Security Classification Guidance document (at the SECRET) level..." Thus it would appear that this particular SCG is not unclassified, and is in fact classified at the SECRET level.

The Black Vault

In an article on The Black Vault dated, 13 March 2021,  about this UAP SCG,  John Greenewald wrote:

"The other great revelation with the email is the admission that a "Security Classification Guide" or SCG exists for the UAP topic. On a hunch, The Black Vault filed for this very document back in January 2021, and requests for the SCG remain open to both the Navy and OSD."

I am aware of at least one other, non-American, researcher who has submitted an FOIA request for this SCG.

We await the results of the FOIA requests for a copy of the DoD SCG which relates to UAP. 

Update: 24 December 2021

Yesterday, John Greenewald advised that he had received a copy of the CSG. Click here for details.

Jack Sarfatti - his ideas about the Tic Tac came from "a phone call from an alien"

 

For some time now, U.S. physicist Jack Sarfatti has been speaking out about his thoughts on the 2004 USS Nimitz encounters, with what has come to be known as the "Tic Tac" UAP. In short Sarfatti postulates that there is:

 "...evidence of extremely low power warp drive with time-travel-to-past capability in a meta-material fuselage controlled by a conscious AI post-quantum computer."

Who is Jack Sarfatti?

According to his LinkedIn page, Sarfatti was born 14 September 1939.  He received a BA in Physics from Cornell University (1956-1960); an M. S.  in Physics from University of California, San Diego (1965-1968); and a PhD in theoretical and mathematical physics from the University of California, Riverside (1968-1969.)

Career wise, the LinkedIn account tells us:

* Sep 1967 - Jun 1973, Assistant Professor of Physics, San Diego State

* Sep 1971 - Nov 1987, US Navy PACE -Instructor - teaching math to young sailors and marines onboard fighting ships at sea

* Jan 1980 - Dec 1986. Science advisor to Lawry Chickering Institute for Contemporary Studies - ISB. Helped formulate the Strategic Defense Initiative behind the scenes for Paul Nitze, Cap Weinberger and POTUS

* Jan 1996 - Present, CEO Sarfatti Group/ Internet Science Education Project.

His academic work

He has published numerous scientific articles, particularly in the areas of consciousness; quantum physics and astronomy. A sample of his work includes:

* "Toward a unified field theory of gravitation and strong interactions" Foundations of Physics, Vol. 5, 301-307. 1975

* "The Physical Roots of Consciousness" in Mishlove, J. "The Roots of Consciousness." Random House, 1975

* "Can the electroweak unified force be used to neutralize nuclear weapons?" Defense Analysis, Vol. 2 Issue 1. pp49-51. 1986

* "Dark Energy and Dark Matter from the same Vacuum condensate"  APS April Meeting 2003, B9. 012, 2003

* "Retro-Causal Holographic Dark Energy Coherent Vacuum Super-Solid Tetrad Emergent Gravity"  Cal Tech APS 10/30/10

* "Bohm Pilot Wave Post Quantum Theory" Retro causality workshop, The Embassy, 2017

Sarfatti has also published a number of books, including:

 * 1974 "Space Time and Beyond" by Bob Tober, in conversation with physicists Jack Sarfatti and Fred Alan Wolf.

* 2002. "Space Time and beyond 11"

* 2002. "Destiny Matrix"

* 2005 "Super Cosmos"

* 2020 "Sarfatti Lectures in Physics Volume One: The Principles of Metric Engineering Low Energy Low Speed Warp Drive"

Image courtesy Amazon Books

His personal website, features information on physics, cosmology, advanced propulsion, meta materials, quantum computing; a section headed "UFO sightings map;" and a weird desk area which provides information about Bigfoot, UFOs, sea monsters etc. His own blog includes pieces on a wide range of subjects including Robert Bigelow; quantum gravity, interviews with Luis Elizondo; much about UAP physics and his own theories;  

Where do his views originate?

I took a look back in the diaries of Jacques Vallee for the early history of where Sarfatti's ideas originated. There was an interesting diary entry in "Forbidden Science: Volume Three" (pp98-99) dated 27 July 1982:

"Walking through North Beach I passed Cafe Trieste where Jack Sarfatti was engaged in some passionate argument. He saw me and ran to catch me. So we ended up at Cafe Puccini, where I ordered a prosciutto sandwich and a cup of coffee , and listened to his theories.

Sarfatti's ideas are full of color, short on proofs. he 'confided' to me, as he does to everyone within earshot, that people close to Reagan, Meese and Caspar Weinberger support him; he hints he is close to Bechtel.

The wife of the American ambassador in Paris keeps calling him at Cafe Trieste and political pundit Bill Buckley listens to him. It is impossible to separate the real from the imaginary in all this.

Jack's life is a tapestry of stunning coincidences and romantic episodes. It is undeniable that he was a child prodigy. In 1953, age 15 (we are the same age) he was sitting in the Brooklyn library reading a math book on switching functions when he received a phone call from a mechanical voice that plunged him into a quasi hypnotic state. He only remembers one phone call but his mother states there was a series of them, always from the same bizarre voice.

The phone calls changed his life, he said. They led him to theorize about the energy of the vacuum and faster-than-light propulsion . He cites all the right authors, such as Coxeter, whose works I recently read. And he is certainly right when he says Einstein's theory is only a special case of a wider physics."

There are several other Vallee diary entries which speak of Sarfatti. In anotherr one, dated 22 September 1997, when alluding to the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) Vallee writes:

"You chaps are obviously part of the Others predicted to me in 1952 by a sort of conscious computer and spacecraft from the future that we will now attempt to build."

FATE magazine article 

In an April 2006 article by Preston Dennett, in "FATE" magazine we learn:

"In 1952 and 1953, when I was about 12 or 13 years old, I received a phone call...in which a mechanical sounding voice said it was a computer on board a flying saucer. They wanted to teach me something and would I be willing? This was my free choice. Would I be willing to be taught - to communicate with them? I remember a shiver going up my spine, because i said, 'Hey man, this is real.' Of course, I was a kid...but I said yes."

Sarfatti was impressed. he ran and got his friends, and they gathered together in his bedroom, awaiting the upcoming promised contact. Unfortunately, nothing occurred, and Sarfatti assumed at first that it was just a clever practical joke.

At this point, his memory of the event strangely ends. But according to Sarfatti's mother, the first phone call was followed by a series of similar phone calls - each giving Sarftatti information that would leave him forever changed. Says Sarfatti, 'My mother remembers this experience very well. It turns out that I had forgotten most of it. This was really something that occurred over several weeks..."

Here is another take on this series of phone calls:

"I was reading a book on computer switching circuits at home when the phone rang. I answered it and heard a strange sequence of clunking mechanical sounds. Then a metallic sounding voice comes on the line. A cold mechanical voice is the only way I can describe it. It gives a long series of numbers that I did not understand and then calls me 'Jack' and says it's a 'conscious computer onboard a spacecraft.' It may have said it was from the future, but I am not sure. However, that was the implication of what it said. Anyway, it says I've been selected to be one of '400 young receptive minds' to be part of a special project but that I must make the choice myself. The voice on the phone told me that I would begin to meet the others I was to work with in twenty years. I was scared and everything in me screamed to say NO! and hang up. I felt a strong jolt of electricity go up my spine to the base of my skull and I heard myself say YES. I was terrified and fascinated. The voice said 'Good, go out on your fire escape and we will send a ship to pick you up in ten minutes.' When I hung up I ran like a bat out of hell and found my friend Winky, who is now a homicide detective in Brooklyn. We, and a few other kids, went back to my apartment to wait for the flying saucer but it never came."

This then, was the beginning of Sarfatti's introduction to the topic. 

Why was the FBI made aware, of the 21 February 2021 "fast-moving" cylindrical object?

The Warzone

In an article dated 24 February 2021, the Warzone's Tylor Rogoway, reported on a statement made by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concerning American Airlines Flight 2292's observation of a fast-moving, cylindrical object over New Mexico, on 21 February 2021. The statement read:

"A pilot reported seeing an object over New Mexico shortly after noon local time on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021. FAA air traffic controllers did not see any object in the area on their radarscopes."

In an earlier article, dated 23 February 2021, Rogoway obtained the following statement from American Airlines:

"Following a debrief of our Flight crew and additional information received, we can confirm this radio transmission was from American Airlines Flight 2292 on Feb. 21. For any additional queries on this, we encourage you to reach out to the FBI."

Newspaper updates 

The 25 February 2021 edition of the "Albuquerque Journal," (imaged above) in an article by T. S. Last, reported that they had contacted the FBI about the incident, and that the FBI had responded:

"The FBI is aware of the reported incident," the agency replied to a Journal inquiry. 'While our policy is to neither confirm nor deny investigations, the FBI works continuously with our federal, state, local and tribal partners to share intelligence and protect the public.' "

The "Winnipeg Star" dated 26 February 2021, identified which FBI field office had made the comment.

"The FBI in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said they were aware of the reported incident, but neither confirmed nor denied the investigation, in an email to the Arizona Republic.

 A question arises

After reading all of the above, a question arose in my mind. "Why is the FBI involved in a reported observation of an unidentified object in the sky?" This question first arose for me in June 2020. On 17 June 2020, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence wrote Report 116-233. This report was in response to the contents of Bill S3905 "Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021."

In its report, under the heading "Advanced Aerial Threats," the committee wrote that it:

"...directs the DNI, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense and the heads of such other agencies as the Director and Secretary jointly consider relevant, to submit a report within 180 days of the...on unidentified aerial phenomena..."

Later there appeared in the same report, that the committee directs that the report include:

"A detailed analysis of data of the FBI, which was derived from investigations of intrusions of unidentified aerial phenomena data over restricted United States airspace."

To me, this statement implies that the FBI has recently become involved in investigations into UAP, as well as drones. This would explain the fact that they were made aware of the 21 February 2021, New Mexico incident. This only leads to further questions, such as what is their mandate in UAP investigation? Who asked them to be involved? When?

Drones

The 2020 reported sightings of large drones, in formation, over parts of Colorado, Nebraska and Kansa in the U.S.A. saw the FAA leading a task force. Documents obtained by U.S. researcher Douglas D. Johnson, under the FOIA, disclosed that the FBI was part of this task force.

What is the FBI's actual legislated mission? According to their own website their mission is "To protect the American people and uphold the constitution of the United States." Their priorities are:

"* Protect the U.S. from terrorist attack

* Protect the U.S. against foreign intelligence, espionage and cyber operations

* Combat significant cyber criminal activity

* Combat public corruption at all levels

* Protect civil rights

* Combat transnational criminal enterprises

* Combat significant white-collar crime

* Combat significant violent crime."

Returning to my question

So, I ask, what area of the FBI's mission and priorities, would apply to the investigation of UAP? It seems to me that the only relevant one is "Protect the U.S. against foreign intelligence, espionage..." and the possibility that some UAP might include activities by foreign adversaries. 

I looked round for any relevant comment by the FBI itself, about why it might be involved in the investigation of drone sightings and UAP and found a statement by Deputy Assistant, Critical Incident Response Group, Scott Brunner, made in June 2018 to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee concerning what he referred to as "Unmanned Aerial Systems."

"The FBI is concerned that criminals and terrorists will exploit UAS in ways that pose a serious threat to the safety of the American people. The UAS threat could take a number of forms, including illegal surveillance..."

So, back to my original question, "Why is the FBI involved in a reported observation of a unidentified object in the sky?" I can see the rationale for their interest in Unmanned Aerial Systems, i.e. drones, and their potential use to say, drop drugs inside jails; and for terrorists to use them to blow up an individual, but why their interest in  fast-moving cylindrical objects over remote New Mexico, at around 35,000 feet? 

In conclusion, I am currently unable to arrive at a satisfactory answer to my question. 

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Boston researcher Barry Greenwood for supplying various newspaper clippings, about the 21 February 2021 incident.

Update 2 March 2021

I received an email from U.S. researcher Mark Rodeghier who reminded me of an aircraft "near miss" case from 1997.

A report on the case by R. J. Durant in the September, 1999, issue of the MUFON Journal, gave details of the encounter by a Swissair Boeing 747, which "...experienced a "near miss" with a cylindrical "glowing white" object traveling almost directly toward the cockpit at very high speed...at 23,000 feet...in cloudless sky." The aircraft was travelling between Philadelphia and Boston in the U.S. at the time.

On page 4, Durant reveals "Subsequently, FAA notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) and both agencies assigned officers to attend the meeting with the Swissair pilots."

Durant's report is well worth a read in light of the 21 February 2021 incident. Other details may be read at http://www.nicap.org/970809swissair_dir.htm

Update 10 March 2021

Twitter-10 March 2021 Roger Glassel

Previously unseen Archives New Zealand UAP file now available in digitized form

In a 14 July 2017 blog post, Melbourne researcher Paul Dean described locating a number of UAP related files on the  Archives New Zealand website. In that blog, Paul wrote:

"New Zealand’s atmospheric and meteorological agencies maintained UFO–related files too, The first item is titled, “Meteorological Office: Research: Meteorological – Unidentified Flying Objects”, and its record number is “42/6/23”. The date range of this file is 1968 to 1984. The originating and controlling agency for this file is the Head Office of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited (NIWAR). This quasi–government entity is described, in government organizational chronologies, as a “…Crown owned research and consulting company with expertise in water and atmospheric research”. The file is listed as “Open Access”. This is interesting, as the NIWAR was engaged in meteorological and atmospheric study, so any evaluation or assessment of the UFO issue by competent scientists is obviously valuable to researchers. Also, like other New Zealand UFO files, this item is listed as being “Part 1”, which implies a continuation of the file well beyond the mid–1980’s. No more “parts”, however, are listed when performing archival searches. As for the contents, one hopes that NIWAR conducted a reasonable degree of primary research into the UFO issue, possibly studying unknown cases, and dealing directly with other New Zealand agencies. More likely, however, is that the file contains low–level sighting reports, collections of local newspaper articles, and other mundane items. Previous experience suggests New Zealand’s atmospheric and meteorological agencies maintained UFO–related files too, The first item is titled, “Meteorological Office: Research: Meteorological – Unidentified Flying Objects”, and its record number is “42/6/23”. The date range of this file is 1968 to 1984. The originating and controlling agency for this file is the Head Office of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited (NIWAR). This quasi–government entity is described, in government organizational chronologies, as a “…Crown owned research and consulting company with expertise in water and atmospheric research”. The file is listed as “Open Access”. This is interesting, as the NIWAR was engaged in meteorological and atmospheric study, so any evaluation or assessment of the UFO issue by competent scientists is obviously valuable to researchers. Also, like other New Zealand UFO files, this item is listed as being “Part 1”, which implies a continuation of the file well beyond the mid–1980’s. No more “parts”, however, are listed when performing archival searches. As for the contents, one hopes that NIWAR conducted a reasonable degree of primary research into the UFO issue, possibly studying unknown cases, and dealing directly with other New Zealand agencies. More likely, however, is that the file contains low–level sighting reports, collections of local newspaper articles, and other mundane items. Previous experience suggests the contents of “Meteorological Office: Research: Meteorological – Unidentified Flying Objects” is somewhere in the middle."

The other day, after locating, and blogging about,  one digitized UAP file on the Archives New Zealand website; by using different search terms I was able to locate a second digitized UAP file. This turned out to be the previously unseen file, 42/6/23, described by Paul.

The contents

The file, including the front cover, is 311 images in length, and as Paul said covers the years 1968-1984. It does include a large range of low-level, mainly lights in the sky, type sightings, submitted by the general public. However, it does also provide details of sightings from ships, e.g. the "Tasman Enterprise" 1 January 1978 (image FL62798595); and Air Traffic Controllers, (a) e.g. a 1972 white light  which approached an airfield, then departed, and which was not visible on radar. No known aircraft were in the area at the time (image FL62798573.) (b) e.g. a radar/visual observation dated 13 March 1977, involving Wellington Air Traffic Control (image FL62798580.)

Other agencies

It also provides copies of correspondence between Meteorological Services and other agencies of the New Zealand government which give an insight into internal government policy about the topic of UAP. Some examples are shown below:

Dated 1 April 1968, a letter from the New Zealand Air Force Headquarters, invited the Director of Meteorological Services to an "informal meeting" about UFOs on 10 April 1968. Other participants in this meeting were individuals from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; the Carter Observatory; the Department of Civil Aviation; Ministry of Defence, and the NZ Air Force (Image FL62798710.)

For further details on the New Zealand investigating committee, click here. 

Dated 14 December 1971, the Directorate of Service Intelligence, Ministry of Defence wrote to various agencies including Meteorological Services, about a UAP observation by Traffic Officer, Robert W. Munn, on 9 December 1971, over Wellington. A representative of the Ministry had interviewed Munn  and provided details to the agencies about the sighting (Image FL62798639.)

Dated 15 September 1972, there is a "confidential" letter from the Ministry of Defence to the Director, Meteorological Services concerning" Unidentified objects of foreign origin." It opens with "Recent experience has suggested the need for arrangements for the official examination of unidentified objects of foreign origin landing in New Zealand." The objects of concern are space debris and Soviet oceanographic equipment washed up on New Zealand shores. The letter goes on to ask that any reported objects drawn to the attention of Meteorological offices, be referred to the Joint Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Defence (Image FL62798851.) The Ministry stated "That it would be appreciated if the interest of this Ministry in unidentified objects of foreign origin could be treated as classified information." (Image FL62798693.)

Paul Dean had come across the details of a relevant file, and in his 2017 blog he wrote:

"Possibly related to the above Police holdings is a file titled “Unidentified Objects of Foreign Origin”. The record number is “48/65/2” and the date range is listed as 1972 to 1973. Also, the file is listed as “Part 1”. This implies that there may be more “parts” to this file, but none are listed in the Archival system. Also, the file is falls in a “Defence Documents” accession category, and is a considered “Restrictions May Apply” item. Importantly, the agency responsible for creating this file was the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). The DSIR provided scientific and technical services to the New Zealand government before being dissolved and reorganized in 1992. It is likely that this file relates to the 1972 space debris re–entries discussed previously. Both the date range and the title of the file are the two main giveaways. Moreover, we know that the DSIR was involved in assessing pieces of crashed space junk shortly after they were discovered. DSIR’s involvement in space debris analysis came to light in the New Zealand press, but also through documents released by America’s Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and State Department."

As far as can be determined this file has not yet been digitized.  

Dated 30 March 1984, is a letter from  the External Intelligence Bureau of the Prime Minister's Department, Wellington, to Radio Hauraki responding to a request from the station regarding information from the Bureau's files about "...extra-terrestrial spacecraft and/or occupants that have landed or been sighted in New Zealand territory." The Bureau advised that they had no information on this subject, but did confirm that they played a coordinating role in the study of  space objects that have landed in New Zealand, e.g. satellites (Image FL62798700.)

General correspondence

There are numerous letters between individuals, both in New Zealand and overseas, and the Meteorological Services. They deal with requests for information about the famous 1978 Kaikoura lights sightings; including letters from MUFON New Zealand; US researchers Robert Sheaffer and Peter Sturrock; and the ex Director of the South Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Alan Brunt. 

In summary

As always, a detailed reading of any archived UAP file always reveals a few details which were previously not know. I am sure that any researcher in New Zealand will be able to add to the few examples which I have provide above, by reading through the file.

The New Zealand National Archives digitizes its first UAP file

Files released

In December 2010, the New Zealand Defence Force released a number of its UAP files. This was only possible through the tireless work of Suzanne Hansen, the Director of New Zealand's "UFO Focus New Zealand Research Network."

These files were available to view in hard copy format only. Digitised copies then became available online via a news outlet. They were not digitally available through the website of Archives New Zealand.  Yesterday, I thought I would take another look at Archives New Zealand and see what UAP files they have currently listed. 

I used the keyword "UFO" for my initial search, and found that the Archives have 11 UAP files listed. These are:

1. "Support Services - Unidentified Flying Objects , General." 1972. Generated by the New Zealand Police National Headquarters. Item ID number R13024670.

2. "Support Services - Unidentified Flying Objects , General." 1972. Generated by the New Zealand Police National Headquarters. Item ID number R13029195. 

3. "Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1956-1979. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R21072322.

4. "Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1979 - 1980. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R21072323.

5."Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1981 - 1984. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R20384526.

6.  "Reports - Reports and returns - Reports of UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects]" 1979 - 1984. Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force. Item ID number R20384527.

7. "General Administration - Organisation and management - Reports and returns - UFO's [Unidentified Flying Objects] and Ethnology." 1984-1989. Item ID number 22365246.

8. "Political Affairs - Outer Space - Unidentified Flying Objects [UFO's]" 1977 - 1982. Item ID number R17729163.

9. "Reports, Flying Saucers [UFO] ]Unidentified Flying Objects]" November 1954 - December 1955. Item ID number R21077579.

10. "Public weather service -Flying Saucers and Unidentified Flying Objects [UFOs]." 1956 - 1988. Item ID number R6332418.

11. "UFO [Unidentified Flying Objects] Affair - [Kaikoura.]" Geophysical Observatory, Christchurch. Item ID number R1634567.

The digitized file

Only one of the above files has been digitized by Archives New Zealand, (approved 15 December 2020) namely, 8. "Political Affairs - Outer Space - Unidentified Flying Objects [UFO's]" 1977 - 1982. Item ID number R17729163. At first glance, it is hard to think what the file might be about? Political Affairs - Outer Space? 

The bulk of the file concerns one topic only. This is the attempt by the country of Grenada to have the United Nations adopt a 1978 draft resolution by Grenada, at the United Nations, "Establishment of an agency or department of the United Nations for Undertaking, Co-ordinating and disseminating the results of research into Unidentified Flying Objects and related phenomena." There are numerous internal U. N. documents; and correspondence between the U.N. New Zealand Ambassador and the Department of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand. Grenada was eventually persuaded to withdraw its resolution and instead adopt:

"That the General Assembly requests the Secretary General to transmit the text of the draft resolution together with the above mentioned statements to States Members of the United Nations  and to interested specialized agencies, so that they may communicate their views to the Secretary general." 

 Although the details of the affair are well know in the UAP literature, this file brings the New Zealand perspective and internal thoughts on the matter, into the public arena, and is therefore well worth a read.

An interesting aside, is that in a 2017 blog by Melbourne researcher Paul Dean, who had noted that this file was in the New Zealand Archives; and without seeing its contents,  had written:

"One can only speculate as to what an MFAT file may contain. One possibility, given the 1977 to 1982 date range, is that the records relate to a UFO awareness raising initiative at the United Nations, led by Sir Eric Gairy, the then Prime Minister of Grenada, in the late 1970’s. This effort resulted in a series of plenary meetings and decision adoptions in late 1977, which culminated in a Special Political Committee Hearing on the 27^th of November, 1978." 

Kaikoura

A series of incidents occurred in December 1978 around the Kaikoura region of New Zealand. There were visual observations by airline pilots; which were also filmed by an Australian TV crew; together with anomalous radar returns. Investigations were conducted by a number of government agencies within New Zealand. 

On the digitized file there is a SAVINGRAM document, from Wellington to all posts - re UFOs - Kaikora, dated June 1979. This included the following text:

"Prospect of Extra terrestrial intervention being proved is regarded as extremely remote."

I look forward to more of these Archive New Zealand UAP files being made available in digitized format. 

The latest TTSA report to the Securities and Exchange Commission

 On 17 February 2021, To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science, filed its latest report, dated 15 February 2021, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The full text of the report is as follows:

"Item 9. Other Events

 

To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science Inc. (“TTSA”) has made giant strides in our mission: from the official release and acknowledgment of UAP footage by government officials that has been viewed by over 28 million people, resulting in the mainstream press taking the topic seriously, to the two successful seasons of the HISTORY series “Unidentified” syndicated around the world, to thought leadership briefings at the highest level of the US Government, to a Cooperative R&D Agreement with the US Army, all topped with the astounding formation of a UAP Task Force by the US Department of Defense.

 

TTSA now enters its natural evolution as a company as we adapt to a new global landscape with new opportunities and priorities. The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a significant and negative impact on the defense and entertainment industries, and on individual investors’ willingness to invest in companies that are active in those industries, including TTSA. Taking into account the company’s natural evolution and the changes in the business environment due to COVID-19, TTSA is looking to build on the momentum of business initiatives where we are seeing highest success and which are increasingly likely to yield shareholder value. To achieve its goals, TTSA has decided to restructure its operations to scale back its initiatives in science and tech commercialization and to place a greater emphasis on the operations of its entertainment business.

 

TTSA has multiple intellectual property assets that it intends to develop into films, TV, books, and merchandise. To further its goals, TTSA plans to enter into strategic partnerships for the production and financing of its films and to explore merger possibilities in areas that could make it a vertically integrated film studio. TTSA’s other plans for expansion into the entertainment industry would include film product licensing and acquisition of literary talent for the creation of its film scripts.

 

As part of its restructuring, TTSA has taken steps to reduce debt by selling “Love LLC Movie” assets to Thomas DeLonge, its Chief Executive Officer, for $525,000 in a combination of cash and debt forgiveness, including a reduction in $400,000 in royalties owed as part of the Angels & Airwaves licensing agreement. That licensing agreement has now been terminated and the company is in discussions about renegotiating it. The company is also temporarily licensing to Thomas DeLonge the To The Stars Inc. business, for a monthly service fee, to reduce its overhead liabilities and capital needs through March 31, 2021.

 

Further, as part of the restructuring, Stephen Justice, TTSA’s Chief Operations Officer, Luis Elizondo, TTSA’s Director of Government Programs & Services, and Christopher Mellon, a member of TTSA’s advisory board, are no longer with the company. To keep in sync with TTSA’s public benefit mission of informed entertainment media, the company plans to keep its science advisory board, whose connections will influence TTSA’s stories for film, and to add a board member with expertise in the film industry."