While UFO enthusiasts may have hoped for evidence of extraordinary phenomena, the documents largely revolve around repeated sightings of drones near sensitive nuclear installations.

Nonetheless, these incidents provide an intriguing insight into ongoing challenges relating to these events.

The released materials include several detailed reports from 2022-2024, highlighting a surge of drone-related activity near nuclear facilities. The records reveal a pattern of sightings, as documented by the NRC, which were then sent to AARO to add to their yearly reports.

Here are just some of those incidents:

These records illustrate the growing amount of drone activity over critical infrastructure. Although the released documents primarily focus on drone sightings, they shed light on the broader scope of AARO’s work in addressing potential aerial threats—whether they stem from benign curiosity, commercial misuse, or nefarious intent.

While these incidents released by the NRC do not reveal any groundbreaking revelations about unidentified aerial phenomena, they underscore the critical need to address drone incursions at sensitive sites. This concern was magnified by the December 2024 drone sightings over the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey, along with other sightings at Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations.

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Document Archive

FOIA-2025-000142 Release Package [24 Pages, 3MB]

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Technology Trends: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology, published 18 September 2009 [4 Pages, 1.1MB]

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The post Technology Trends: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology, published 18 September 2009 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The DARO has been charged with unifying existing reconnaissance architectures and enhancing the management and acquisition of all joint Service and Defense-wide manned and unmanned airborne reconnaissance/surveillance capabilities.

DARO is engaged in the task of benchmarking its fundamental responsibilities and resources. It will create the climate necessary for change by concentrating its energies in the following areas: (a) assessment and tradeoff of system level capabilities; (b) analysis of system requirements to ensure interoperability; (c) development of new and improved sensor technologies; (d) pursuit of Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations; and (e) development of a unifying airborne reconnaissance architecture consistent with other reconnaissance related roadmaps. The architecture will be joint and integrated, address manned and unmanned systems, stress open and digital designs, be adaptable to changing threats and include multi-level secure communications linked into the global network.

In developing an effective unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program plan, an evolutionary approach is the most prudent course of action given the existing and forecast budgetary environment. An evolutionary approach to the migration of UAVs into the mainstream of tactical reconnaissance capabilities builds on mature technologies, while permitting a “phased” approach to architectural development, testing, and operational employment. A broad range of alternatives exists, and now is the time to make a commitment to a proper mix of UAVs and manned reconnaissance capabilities. These alternatives will be available as developments warrant and simulations validate the interoperability of UAVs and manned aircraft to meet mission needs. Figure ES-1 identifies the major UAV programs that are the primary focus of the DARO. Other UAV systems discussed in this document for completeness and context are shown in relation to the primary DARO programs in Figure ES-2. This initial UAV program plan embraces lessons learned from past UAV programs and builds on recommendations of the 1993 Defense Science Board (DSB) Summer Study on  global Surveillance and the DoD Deep Target Surveillance/Reconnaissance Study to integrate manned and UAV capabilities. Most importantly, this plan highlights the ultimate goal of any military system or plan — service to the warfighter.

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Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Program Plan, April 1994 [170 Pages, 10.6MB]

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The post Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Program Plan, April 1994 first appeared on The Black Vault.

CASI supports the U.S. Defense Department and the China research community writ-large by providing high quality, unclassified research on Chinese aerospace developments in the context of U.S. strategic imperatives in the Asia-Pacific region. Primarily focused on China’s Military Air, Space, and Missile Forces, CASI capitalizes on publicly available native language resources to gain insights as to how the Chinese speak to and among one another on these topics.

The below document was published on June 14, 2020, and outlines the “private” Chinese aerospace defense companies currently involved with the production of technology, drones, aircraft and more.

Document Archive

“Private” Chinese Aerospace Defense Companies, China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI), June 14, 2020 [105 Pages, 3.2MB]

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On June 7, 2021, DARPA released the following press release, with the video above.

In recent tests at Eglin Air Force Base, DARPA’s Mobile Force Protection (MFP) program demonstrated a Counter-Unmanned Air System (C-UAS) multilayer defense architecture to defeat unauthorized drone intrusions over military installations or operations. Development of this low-cost reusable drone interceptor system approach began four years ago with the aim of creating an integrated system for thwarting attacks from self-guided small unmanned aircraft. The goal is to protect high value convoys moving through potentially populated regions where there is a requirement to avoid using explosive defensive weapons and mitigate collateral damage.

The technology demonstrator successfully neutralized tactically-relevant drones using a newly-developed X band radar that automatically senses and identifies unmanned aerial system threats. The radar then pairs targets to specific interceptors through an automated decision engine tied to a command and control system, launching and guiding rotary and fixed wing interceptors with two types of drone countermeasures while on the move and without operator intervention.

“Because we were focusing on protecting mobile assets, the program emphasized solutions with a small footprint in terms of size, weight, and power,” said MFP program manager Gregory Avicola in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office. “This also allows for more affordable systems and less operators.”

The requirement that the system field non-kinetic solutions pushed concepts that could be employed in and around civilian areas. The primary drone negation mechanism shoots strong, stringy streamers from reusable interceptors that foul propellers causing loss of propulsion. Additionally, other non-kinetic techniques were developed and demoed. The focus on defeating raids with multiple threats, rather than single unmanned aerial attackers, required the development of an integrated solution of sensors, autonomy, and mitigation solutions more robust than existing systems. Dynetics was the primary systems integrator.

DARPA is currently working with the military services to transition technology developed in the MFP project into various acquisition programs.

Image Caption: Mobile Force Protection project vehicle launches drone interceptor in test at Eglin Air Force Base.

# # #

The post Mobile Force Protection Program Concludes with Successful Demonstration first appeared on The Black Vault.

This is a video, and press release, published by the Department of Defense. It is about a demonstration of a Perdix micro-UAV swarm demonstration held at China Lake, California, on Oct. 26, 2016.

The original DoD Press Release, published on January 9, 2017, read as the following:

Department of Defense Announces Successful Micro-Drone Demonstration

In one of the most significant tests of autonomous systems under development by the Department of Defense, the Strategic Capabilities Office, partnering with Naval Air Systems Command, successfully demonstrated one of the world’s largest micro-drone swarms at China Lake, California. The test, conducted in October 2016 and documented on Sunday’s CBS News program “60 Minutes”, consisted of 103 Perdix drones launched from three F/A-18 Super Hornets. The micro-drones demonstrated advanced swarm behaviors such as collective decision-making, adaptive formation flying, and self-healing.

“I congratulate the Strategic Capabilities Office for this successful demonstration,” said Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, who created SCO in 2012. “This is the kind of cutting-edge innovation that will keep us a step ahead of our adversaries. This demonstration will advance our development of autonomous systems.”

“Due to the complex nature of combat, Perdix are not pre-programmed synchronized individuals, they are a collective organism, sharing one distributed brain for decision-making and adapting to each other like swarms in nature,” said SCO Director William Roper. “Because every Perdix communicates and collaborates with every other Perdix, the swarm has no leader and can gracefully adapt to drones entering or exiting the team.”

The demonstration is one of the first examples of the Pentagon using teams of small, inexpensive, autonomous systems to perform missions once achieved only by large, expensive ones. Roper stressed the department’s conception of the future battle network is one where humans will always be in the loop. Machines and the autonomous systems being developed by the DoD, such as the micro-drones, will empower humans to make better decisions faster.

Originally designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineering students, the Perdix drone was modified for military use by the scientists and engineers of MIT Lincoln Laboratory starting in 2013. Drawing inspiration from the commercial smartphone industry, Perdix software and hardware has been continually updated in successive design generations. Now in its sixth generation, October’s test confirmed the reliability of the current all-commercial-component design under potential deployment conditions—speeds of Mach 0.6, temperatures of minus 10 degrees Celsius, and large shocks—encountered during ejection from fighter flare dispensers.

The “60 Minutes” segment also featured other new technology from across the Department of Defense such as the Navy’s unmanned ocean-going vessel, the Sea Hunter, and the Marine Corps’ Unmanned Tactical Control and Collaboration program.

As SCO works with the military Services to transition Perdix into existing programs of record, it is also partnering with the Defense Industrial Unit-Experimental, or DIUx, to find companies capable of accurately replicating Perdix using the MIT Lincoln Laboratory design. Its goal is to produce Perdix at scale in batches of up to 1,000.

The post October 2016 Department of Defense Drone Swarm Demonstration, China Lake, California first appeared on The Black Vault.

The post Travis AFB Launches Small Unarmed Aircraft Initiative, First on Air Force Installation first appeared on The Black Vault.

Reports of unmanned aircraft (UAS) sightings from pilots, citizens and law enforcement have increased dramatically over the past two years. The FAA now receives more than 100 such reports each month. The agency wants to send out a clear message that operating drones around airplanes, helicopters and airports is dangerous and illegal. Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time.

The FAA continues to work closely with its industry partners through the “Know Before You Fly” campaign to educate unmanned aircraft users about where they can operate within the rules. The agency also is working closely with the law enforcement community to identify and investigate unauthorized unmanned aircraft operations. The FAA has levied civil penalties for a number of unauthorized flights in various parts of the country, and has many open enforcement cases.

The FAA encourages the public to report unauthorized drone operations to local law enforcement and to help discourage this dangerous, illegal activity.

Document Archive

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Sighting Database, November 2014 – June 2019 [1,301 Pages, 8.2MB]

.zip File of Excel Spreadsheets and .PDF compilation [9MB]

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Sighting Database, September 2019 – December 2019 [147 Pages, 1MB]

.zip File of Excel Spreadsheets and .PDF compilation [9MB]

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The post Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Sighting Database first appeared on The Black Vault.

(Released 11/27/19)

The Justice Department announced today the publication of its updated Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. In light of advancements in unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology, and lessons learned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s limited use of UAS, the Policy enables the Department of Justice’s law enforcement components to safely and responsibly employ UAS technology within a framework designed to provide accountability and protect privacy and civil liberties.

Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), 9-95.100

The Department of Justice seeks to leverage technological advances in pursuit of its mission to protect the public and enforce the laws.  In recent years, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have rapidly evolved to become a paradigm-shifting technology with far-reaching societal impacts.  Among many other things, UAS are now a very promising tool for enhancing public safety and security.  The Department’s own use of UAS, to date, demonstrates their utility and potential.  Properly deployed, UAS can reduce risks to law enforcement officers and the public, while minimizing costs and increasing efficiency when compared to manned aircraft and other alternative tools.  UAS augment the ability of federal law enforcement officers to conduct a wide range of critical missions, including search and rescue, disaster relief, tactical-entry support, and fixed-site security.

In order to harness these benefits while guarding against associated risks, it is the policy of the Department to utilize UAS in an appropriate and responsible manner that advances the Department’s mission, promotes public safety, and protects privacy and civil liberties.  This Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (the “Policy”) aims to facilitate the Department’s use of UAS within a framework designed to provide appropriate oversight, accountability, and transparency.

Applicability.  This Policy provides foundational standards governing the use of UAS by Department components and supersedes the 2015 Department of Justice Policy Guidance – Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).  The Deputy Attorney General may, at any time, modify or supplement this Policy, including by providing additional requirements or guidance for operational deployment, training, reporting, procurement, coordination mechanisms, and other matters.

Compliance with Law.  Consistent with the Department’s commitment to the rule of law and the protection of privacy and civil liberties, the Department’s use of UAS will comply with all applicable provisions of the Constitution, including the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and other laws and regulations, including regulations issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Additionally, Department personnel may never use UAS to engage in discrimination that runs counter to the Department’s anti-discrimination policies or other anti-discrimination laws.

Scope of Use.  The Department will only use UAS in connection with properly authorized investigations and activities.  The scope of authorized investigations and activities is defined by applicable statutory authorities, rules and regulations, Attorney General Guidelines, and other policies and guidance.

Approvals.  Department components must promote meaningful oversight by ensuring that all UAS operations are approved at an appropriate level.  The appropriate approval levels should be tailored to the particular operational and tactical needs of the component’s UAS missions.  Prior to implementation, a component’s approval levels must be approved by the Deputy Attorney General to ensure that UAS are deployed responsibly.  Any subsequent change in approval levels must be approved in the same manner.

Access to Airspace.  In addition to basic compliance with FAA regulations, Department components will work with the FAA to develop and implement plans and procedures to provide any necessary specialized air traffic and airspace management support, including expedited FAA operational waivers and authorization, deconfliction, tailored operational security measures, and harmonization with UAS threat mitigation.

Training.  The Deputy Attorney General will approve a minimum UAS training standard applicable to all components.  That standard will capture the core competencies for personnel engaged in UAS operations across the Department.

Each component must also develop and implement additional training and certification requirements tailored to that component’s missions.  These additional requirements must be approved by the Deputy Attorney General.  Additionally, Department personnel using UAS or approving the use of UAS must receive training on the relevant legal and policy requirements, including this Policy.  Only personnel certified by their component as having completed these requirements may operate UAS.[1]

Tracking and Reporting.  The Deputy Attorney General will issue requirements for components to track and report relevant information pertaining to UAS operations.  These requirements will apply to all uses of UAS by the Department, including where the Department provides UAS support to State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, or other Federal agencies (collectively, “other agencies”) or where the Department requests and receives UAS support from other agencies.[2]

At a minimum, each component will provide to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and the Office of Legal Policy an annual report summarizing that component’s UAS operations during the previous fiscal year.  This annual report will include a brief description of each type or category of mission flown; the number of times the component provided assistance to other agencies, as well as the purpose(s) for that assistance; and the privacy review conducted for the component’s UAS operations, as discussed further below.  Without revealing law enforcement, national security, or other information protected from disclosure, each of the components’ annual reports will be consolidated into a publicly releasable summary of Department-wide UAS operations.  This publicly releasable summary will promote transparency, ensuring the public is informed about the Department’s UAS operations in a manner consistent with the needs of law enforcement and national security.

Stakeholder Engagement.  To the extent appropriate and helpful, Department components may engage external stakeholders concerning the Department’s use of UAS, consistent with the protection of law enforcement, national security, and other information protected from disclosure.  For purposes of this Policy, “external stakeholders” refers primarily to State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies, but could include other external stakeholders, as appropriate.  For example, a component using UAS to monitor the perimeter of a secure facility in an urban environment may find it helpful to engage with local law enforcement authorities and other community stakeholders.

Protecting Privacy and Civil Liberties.  In determining whether and how to utilize cameras and other sensors associated with UAS, Department and component personnel (described in the paragraph below) will assess the potential intrusiveness and impact on privacy and civil liberties, which will be balanced against the relevant governmental interests.  Consistent with applicable laws and requirements, including the E-Government Act of 2002, and to ensure the protection of privacy and civil liberties, the Department will only collect information from UAS sensors, and will only use, retain, or disseminate information obtained from such UAS sensors, for a properly authorized purpose.

Senior Component Officials for Privacy will be responsible for conducting, in a manner approved by the Department’s Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer, an assessment of the component’s overall use of UAS and associated sensors prior to deployment of new UAS technology.  Additionally, Senior Component Officials for Privacy must ensure that their component completes all appropriate privacy documentation and conducts annual privacy reviews of the component’s use of UAS to ensure compliance with existing laws, regulations, and policies relating to privacy and civil liberties and, where appropriate, make recommendations to the Deputy Attorney General and the Office of Legal Policy consistent with applicable privacy and civil liberty protections.  Components will follow existing procedures to review, investigate, and address privacy and civil liberties complaints.

Data Retention.  The Department will not retain information collected using UAS that may contain personally identifiable information for more than 180 days, unless the retention of information is determined to be necessary for an authorized purpose or is maintained in a Privacy Act system of records.  Data collected by UAS that is retained must be maintained and safeguarded in accordance with applicable Federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and other guidance.  These authorities ensure that Department personnel with access to such data follow practices that are consistent with the protection of privacy and civil liberties.  Moreover, components must comply with the Federal Records Act and ensure that appropriate records retention schedules are in place for records generated through use of UAS.  Use of all Department information systems, which may include UAS component parts, may be monitored, recorded, and subjected to audit according to Department policy.

Procurement.  UAS component parts may constitute Information Technology (IT) capable of processing, storing, or transmitting information.  The procurement of IT must comply with applicable laws, policies, and regulations, including those administered by the Office of the Chief Information Officer.  The Department ensures appropriate security and privacy protections for data and IT through the risk-based Department Cybersecurity Program and effective IT management.  This includes oversight of acquisition and cybersecurity risks and supply chain risk management.  Moreover, before authorizing State, Local, Territorial, or Tribal agencies to use Federal grant funding to purchase or use UAS, components must ensure that the grant recipient has in place policies and procedures designed to safeguard privacy and civil liberties and mitigate cybersecurity risks.

Implementing Policies.  Components seeking to use UAS will implement the standards and requirements of this Policy in the context of their individual operating environments by issuing, with notice to the Deputy Attorney General and the Office of Legal Policy, component-specific UAS policies that are consistent with this Policy and all applicable law.  At a minimum, a component-specific UAS policy will address component requirements for training and certification, tracking and reporting of UAS missions, approvals of UAS operations, cooperation with the FAA on access to airspace and related operational matters, and the protection of privacy and civil liberties.

Internal Coordination.  The Office of Legal Policy chairs the Department-wide UAS Working Group.[3]  Under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, the UAS Working Group provides a forum to coordinate and discuss matters relating to the use of UAS.  In furtherance of this Policy, and in consultation with the UAS Working Group to the extent appropriate, the Office of Legal Policy will direct and coordinate the following functions:

1. Advise the Deputy Attorney General on the creation and/or approval of the Department-wide minimum UAS training standard and the tracking and reporting requirements addressed in this Policy, and any additional requirements for operational deployment, training, procurement, and other related matters;
2. Review component proposals concerning approval levels for UAS operations and training and certification requirements;
3. Review component-level implementing policies;
4. Facilitate the annual summary of Department UAS operations;
5. Facilitate Department-wide efforts related to UAS procurement and training, in conjunction with relevant components and other departments and agencies, as appropriate;
6. Promote and share best practices on the use of UAS across Department components and with State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies, as appropriate; and
7. Recommend changes or improvements to this Policy.

Internal Policy Only.  This Policy applies to Department components and employees and is intended only to improve internal management of the Department of Justice.  It is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by any party in any matter civil or criminal.

The post Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), 9-95.100, Released November 2019 first appeared on The Black Vault.

In August of 2016, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was successful in getting the White House to declassify the PRESIDENTIAL POLICY GUIDANCE: White House Rules on Targeted Killing document, which explains the framework for drone strikes.

According to the ACLU:

In response to a court order in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Obama administration has released a redacted version of the White House document that sets out the government’s policy framework for drone strikes “outside the United States and areas of actual hostilities.” 

The Presidential Policy Guidance, once known as “the Playbook,” was issued by President Obama in May 2013 following promises of more transparency and stricter controls for the drone program. But while the administration released a short “fact sheet” describing the document, it did not release the PPG itself, or any part of it.

Declassified Presidential Policy Guidance

 PRESIDENTIAL POLICY GUIDANCE: White House Rules on Targeted Killing With Drones [18 Pages, 2.7MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/defenseissues/presidential_policy_guidance.pdf

The post PRESIDENTIAL POLICY GUIDANCE: White House Rules on Targeted Killing With Drones first appeared on The Black Vault.

An unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone or drone, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is armed with weaponry and has no onboard human pilot. Currently operational drones are under real-time human control of unknown precision.

Drones change the nature of modern aerial combat. Controllers of drones are in no immediate danger, unlike jet pilots. As an advanced use of robots in war, drones also prompt fundamental questions about the relationship of warriors to war, and soldiers to their weapons.

In terms of military logistics, much of the equipment necessary for a human pilot (such as the cockpit, ejection seat, flight controls, and environmental controls for pressure & oxygen) can be omitted from an unmanned vehicle, resulting in a decrease in weight. This may allow greater payloads, range and maneuverability. However the distance between the pilot and the aircraft will naturally result in slower response time or latency.

Domestic Uses of Drones

 Audit of the Department of Justice’s Use and Support of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, March 2015 [28 Pages, 1.5 MB] – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as “drones,” are remotely piloted aerial vehicles and their associated ground control stations that receive surveillance imagery. UAS may be equipped with cameras to obtain aerial surveillance and may operate up to several hours, depending on their design. Officials from multiple law enforcement agencies have stated that they believe UAS can be beneficial for reconnaissance, surveillance, and crime scene examinations, and that their use eliminates the risk to a pilot inherent in the manned aircraft used now. The objective of this audit was to assess Department of Justice (DOJ) component use and support of UAS. This report follows up on the findings of a September 2013 Office of the Inspector General (OIG) interim report that examined DOJ components’ domestic use of DOJ-owned UAS and grant funding for non-DOJ UAS. In addition, this audit also examines how DOJ components have used or relied on other agencies’ UAS to support DOJ law enforcement efforts.

 Integration of Drones into Domestic Airspace: Selected Legal Issues, January 30, 2013 [25 Pages, 0.5 MB] – Under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, P.L. 112-95, Congress has tasked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), sometimes referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, into the national airspace system by September 2015. Although the text of this act places safety as a predominant concern, it fails to establish how the FAA should resolve significant, and up to this point, largely unanswered legal questions.

 Interim Report on the Department of Justice’s Use and Support of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, September 2013[43 Pages, 0.4 MB] – The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is conducting an audit of the domestic use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) by the Department of Justice (DOJ), commonly referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles or “drones,” as well as its support and provision of UAS to other law enforcement agencies and non-profit organizations. This interim report presents an overview of DOJ’s UAS use and policies as of May 2013.

The post Unmanned Aerial Vehicles / Drones first appeared on The Black Vault.