The documents include media inquiries, internal talking points, and external commentary ranging from scientific debate to allegations of misinformation. The release is partially redacted in parts under FOIA exemptions (b)(5) and (b)(6), protecting internal deliberations and personal privacy respectively. Much of the internal decision-making, legal advice, and individual identities have been withheld as a result.

The full records are now available below.

UPDATE: A couple hours after publishing these documents, I went through some old files, and realized I forgot to mention something. On April 29, 2021, an appeal was filed by The Black Vault challenging the Department of Defense’s initial response to FOIA case 20-F-1095. The original release, totaling only 12 pages, appeared to suggest that the only responsive material was a private email list to which Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough had been added. In the appeal, it was argued that this could not represent all responsive records, given Gough’s role as the primary contact for UAP-related inquiries within OSD and the April 27, 2020, DoD press release that addressed the specific keywords sought.

I also realized – those original records released were a lot less redacted, revealing the private list and many of the names on it.

Document Archive

Note: Be mindful that in some cases, not all emails originate from DoD or government personnel. Susan Gough was added to a private email list, so make sure you watch what information is being sent and forwarded before making too many assumptions on who the author is.

FOIA Case 20-F-1095 [264 Pages, 42MB]

FOIA Case 20-F-1095 (Original Release in April 2021) [12 Pages, 0.9MB]

The post Emails From Pentagon Spokesperson Uncovered on Gimbal, FLIR1, and GoFast UFO Videos first appeared on The Black Vault.

The controversy surrounding Luis Elizondo’s claims of directing the “Pentagon’s Secret UFO Program” known as the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) has sparked widespread debate. While Elizondo’s exact role in AATIP remains disputed by the Pentagon, it is confirmed that he was the director of the National Programs Special Management Staff (NPSMS) within the Department of Defense (DoD) at the time of his resignation.

In July 2021, The Black Vault made a discovery that Colonel Evelyn Laptook had replaced Luis Elizondo as the director of NPSMS. This document below revealed her name, as connected to being the director of the office that Elizondo resigned from less than a year prior:

The revelation prompted speculation by The Black Vault that if AATIP-related activities continued, they might still be managed within the NPSMS office where Elizondo was previously employed. Consequently, a FOIA request (21-F-1235) was filed by The Black Vault in July 2021 to uncover more information about this, as it possibly connected to Laptook or the office she ran at that time.

The FOIA request sought records containing keywords such as “AATIP,” “AAWSAP,” and “Advanced Aerospace” within Laptook’s email box. The search revealed one single exchange that connected to another FOIA request from 2018, referred to as CMO003127-18. This designator likely stems from the Correspondence and Task Management System (CATMS), a system designed for efficient management of tasks and correspondence within the DoD.

The likely FOIA request itself that this refers to is identified as 18-F-1477, which was filed by researcher Keith Basterfield, on August 8, 2018. Basterfield’s request sought, “… a copy of documents relating to the purpose; mission statement; vision; assessments; contracts; technical reports and outcomes of the Advanced Aerospace Threat (and) Identification Program. This program operated out of the National Programs area of the Sensitive Activities Directorate, under the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, for HUMINT, Counterintelligence and Security.” This wording matched that of the tasking email, indicating this was the request it referred to.

While processing the request for Basterfield, the FOIA office tasked it to a redacted individual, likely Col. Laptook, who was the NPSMS director at the time. Col. Laptook’s response indicated that the NPSMS’ mission “relates strictly to” a short redacted term, which is protected under FOIA exemption (b)(2). This exemption pertains to information solely related to the internal rules and practices of an agency. The secrecy surrounding the NPSMS’ mission continues to raise questions about the sensitivity and confidentiality of their operations. There remains not much known about the office, and when searched, the internet produces primarily results about Elizondo himself, but not much beyond it with the exception of court transcripts profiled by The Black Vault in 2019.

Additionally, a reference to a “sister office” was also redacted, suggesting that an extension of NPSMS is equally classified and shrouded in secrecy.

Despite the National Programs office within OUSDI stating they had no records related to AATIP, a subsequent email hinted at “background information” that could be relevant to the request. This suggests that although no direct records were found, there were still underlying details worth noting. One email stated, “I’ll try to touch base with you later today about background information that could be related to this request being tasked to your office.”

This exchange is significant as it highlights the complexity and secrecy surrounding AATIP and related programs. The correspondence shows that within the DoD, information about AATIP is closely held and continues to be a challenge to access. The fact that there was still “background information” to discuss, despite the official stance of no records given to Basterfield’s request in this instance, adds another layer to the mystery. More FOIA requests have been filed to seek out that information.

While these latest FOIA findings may not be earth-shattering, they contribute another piece to the complex puzzle of unraveling AATIP and its operations, whatever they may be, following its exposure by the New York Times and Politico.

Note: The original request filed by The Black Vault for information about what became ultimately known as AATIP to the public was filed on October 13, 2017. This was more than two months prior to the acronym AATIP (and full program name) being published by the mainstream media. This was FOIA case number 18-F-0077 and sought information about the program Elizondo described at the To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science press conference, which first introduced Elizondo to the public. That request yielded a “no records” response, after it went through several appeals.

The Black Vault remains committed to transparency and continues to seek answers through FOIA requests on this issue. Each new document and detail brings the general public closer to understanding the truth, whatever that may be.

For more in-depth and factually accurate articles grounded in verifiable evidence, stay tuned to The Black Vault.

UPDATE: On May 7, 2025, the Department of Defense responded to the remanded appeal (meaning, my appeal was granted) when fighting the original redactions on the records. In short, there was only one word, the name “Michael”, which was unredacted. The remaining exemptions stayed in place. That release is located below.

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Document Archive

21-F-1322 Release [4 Pages, 1.5MB]

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21-FR-1322 Release (Appellate Release) [4 Pages, 1.5MB]

The post From AATIP to NPSMS: The Mystery Continues To Deepen first appeared on The Black Vault.

In the ongoing fight for transparency regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), The Black Vault just encountered additional hurdles that make the effort even more difficult to achieve. A series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) appeals were filed to challenge the Department of Defense’s (DoD) use of exemption (b)(7) blocking access to various UAP and UFO related documents within the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). This specific exemption pertains to records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, which could interfere with enforcement proceedings.

The Black Vault argued that AARO, along with other past names of similar efforts like the AOIMSG and UAPTF, were not law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, there’s no acknowledged law enforcement investigation that requires the concealment of the requested information.

Last week, the DoD responded to six of these appeals, upholding the (b)(7)(A) and (b)(7)(E) exemptions. These exemptions concern potential interference with enforcement proceedings and the disclosure of techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, respectively, but again the DoD fails to present what “law enforcement” proceeding it would interfere with.

In an OpEd published on The Hill in June 2023 by Marik von Rennenkampff, it was proposed that these denials are “…circumstantial evidence that a law enforcement entity, such as the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General [DoD/IG], is engaged in a broad, and possibly criminal, investigation of the U.S. government’s involvement with UFOs.” Though, no evidence supports this.

The DoD/IG’s “evaluation” is now closed as of August 15, 2023, thus nullifying the (b)(7) exemption use, yet, the appellate authority claims it still applies in their September 29th, 2023, decisions. In addition to that, the Intelligence Community Inspector General (IC IG) stated in a September 15, 2023, letter to multiple Congressman and Congresswomen, “…IC IG notes that it has not conducted any audit, inspection, evaluation, or review of alleged UAP programs.” This statement, unless untrue or a daring but clever use of word choices hiding their “investigation”, rules out the IC IG being the root of a “law enforcement” exemption use. So, it remains a mystery on exactly why the exemption is being cited.

Despite multiple attempts over several months to obtain a comment from a DoD spokesperson regarding the use of the “law enforcement” related exemptions, no response has been received at the time of writing this article. The silence from the DoD adds to the growing aura of secrecy surrounding the UAP phenomena and the government’s handling of related information.

But in a surprising turn, during the appellate review, the DoD introduced even more exemptions not cited in the original FOIA denial.

50 U.S.C. § 3024(i)(1) is a provision in the United States Code that mandates the protection of intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure. This exemption serves to withhold sensitive information concerning national intelligence activities, methods, or the identities of individuals involved, from being released to the public, ensuring the continued efficacy and security of intelligence operations.

The introduction of new exemptions fortifies the existing barrier between the public and the information on UAP, potentially making any future litigation an even more challenging endeavor. These additional layers of exemption signify a strong intent to keep UAP records shielded from the public eye, and present an even bigger challenge to overcome should The Black Vault decide to proceed to court for the release of this information.

The American public’s significant interest in UAPs and the activities of AARO is mirrored by extensive mainstream media coverage. Under FOIA, balancing this public interest against governmental confidentiality is crucial, yet the scales seem to be heavily tipped towards secrecy in this ongoing saga. It should also be noted, that no current or proposed Congressional legislation will fully overwrite these exemptions. Although proposed amendments, like the “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosure Act of 2023”, may aim to open up UAP related records to the public, it does not overwrite any ability by the U.S. government to continue to redact and exempt this information from public disclosure. Documents like the UAP Security Classification Guide (SCG) will continue to allow the full exemption of more modern UAP related material, should the DoD desire to do so. FOIA exemptions, and numerous other statutes, could also still fully apply to older UAP material.

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Christopher Mellon, also has cited the UAP SCG as a roadblock that Congressional language will not circumvent:

Although this is very encouraging, until & unless the overly restrictive UAP security classification guide is revised, there will be little public benefit as virtually all recent data, including UAP videos, will be classified. Congress should press ahead for this guidance to be… https://t.co/JLQdPQoMka

— Christopher K. Mellon (@ChrisKMellon) July 14, 2023

This battle for transparency highlights a broader narrative of governmental secrecy. Each denial and every newly introduced exemption underscores the substantial hurdles faced in shedding light on the unknown, particularly concerning phenomena that captivate public interest and imagination.

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The post DoD Amplifies UFO Secrecy Yet Again: Additional Exemptions Reinforce “Law Enforcement” Claim first appeared on The Black Vault.

The documents date from late December 2017 and offer a compelling glimpse into the internal concerns of the DoD about Elizondo saying on television that humanity “…may not be alone,” all while talking about his role studying UFOs within the DoD as the director of AATIP. This video is a breakdown of those documents, however, it is highly recommended the article also be explored for much more information at (Documents available for download).

LIVE STREAM VERSION

The post Ep. #124 – Ex-DoD Intelligence Officer’s UFO Claims Spark Security Concerns & Confusion, Pentagon Memos Reveal first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Pentagon has maintained its silence on the leaked image of the so-called “Mosul Orb” depicting an alleged Unidentified Aerial [Anomalous] Phenomena or UAP seen over an active conflict zone in Iraq back in 2016. The case has been left unaddressed and unconfirmed by the Department of Defense (DoD) since the image and case details first appeared online in January 2023, despite the significant public interest UAP have generated, and the fact that the Pentagon has previously offered commentary on past leaks related to the same. The Pentagon would only say that, “We’re not going to comment on remarks by unnamed sources alleging leaks from a classified report,” in a statement received about the “Mosul Orb” by The Black Vault in January.

The “Mosul Orb”, obtained and released by investigative journalists Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp, shows what has been alleged as a UAP, captured by an MC-12, medium-to-low altitude, twin-engine turboprop aircraft over Mosul, Iraq, on April 16, 2016.

However, a new response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by The Black Vault (23-F-0389), may indicate the classified and sensitive nature of the “Mosul Orb” case, which sheds light on why the Pentagon refused to comment. The DoD states in a FOIA denial letter received today by The Black Vault, that information relating to the case is “classified,” and it also relates to an ongoing “law enforcement investigation.”

The refusal was justified under multiple sections of the FOIA, including ones related to national security, intelligence activities, and law enforcement proceedings, among others​. “The Initial Denial Authority, in his capacity, has determined that the records withheld in their entirety pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552 (b)(1), which pertains to information that is currently and properly classified in the interest of national security pursuant to Executive Order 13526…” the denial letter stated.

This decision, coupled with the Pentagon’s silence on the matter, adds another layer to the ongoing secrecy surrounding UAP-related information.

The classified nature of the “Mosul Orb” UAP and the lack of commentary from the Pentagon may further suggest an active investigation into the leaks. The “Mosul Orb” is only one of multiple cases published by Corbell and Knapp, that may compromise classified information.

Another leak published by Corbell and Knapp in March 2023, dubbed the “Baghdad Phantom“, may also encroach into classified territory. Although FOIA requests are still outstanding about this specific case, the footage originally shot of a “cylindrical” shaped UAP, and released in the form of six still frame images, is likely classified. The footage was captured by an MQ-9 “Reaper” drone, and according to the Air Combat Command (ACC) when speaking to The Black Vault, all footage captured by that platform is inherently classified.

“In accordance with general operational security practices and the MQ-9 Security Classification guide, all imagery captured by the MQ-9 is typically classified unless mission requirements dictate the need to sanitize any video footage for lower classification or public release purposes,” the emailed statement said. “The MQ-9 Security Classification guide and the details within is not releasable or available to the public in accordance with its own level of security classification.”

The Black Vault further pressed for the classification level of the footage, but that would not be answered by the ACC as they stated, “Per the MQ-9’s SCG, we are unable to provide additional clarity into what kind of level of classification video footage is by default other what was mentioned previously.” ACC further stated, “Air Combat Command is unable to verify the validity of the [Baghdad Phantom imagery]… but U.S. Central Command [CENTCOM] may be a better point of contact.”  When The Black Vault contacted CENTCOM for comment, they stated, “We have nothing for you on this.”

These types of responses indicate the recent leaks of both the “Baghdad Phantom” and the “Mosul Orb” are classified in nature, and that an investigation was, is, or will be, underway given the reaction by the DoD to other recent classified leaks.

The Black Vault has asked the Pentagon about investigation(s) into the leaks referenced above on UAP related imagery, yet the request for comment, and all subsequent follow-ups, have been ignored.

One other aspect of the “Mosul Orb” denial letter was the use of an exemption yet to be seen in UAP related requests to the DoD: (b)(7).

The use of Exemptions (b)(7)(A) and (b)(7)(E) by the DoD in response to a FOIA request for records related to the “Mosul Orb” highlights the DoD’s growing concern when in comes to their involvement in UAP-related matters. The exemptions point towards an ongoing “law enforcement investigation” and reveal an intent to protect the “techniques” used in such investigations. Is this in relation to the leak of material relating to this case? Does that indicate that investigation(s) is/are ongoing? Or is this a broad-stroke attempt to exempt ALL information relating to UAP and/or AARO, essentially thwarting any effort to get this type of related information via the FOIA? That has yet to be seen. However, two related in subject matter request denials from the DoD came within 60 seconds of the “Mosul Orb” denial, which may further shed light on the tactics now employed by the DoD to withhold all UAP-related documentation and AARO-related material. 

These FOIA cases by The Black Vault shed light on the continuing struggle for transparency when it comes to UAP investigations. It highlights the tension between public interest, potential national security concerns, and the ongoing mysteries surrounding these phenomena that have been documented for decades.

Despite the Pentagon’s silence on the “Mosul Orb” case and the UAP issue as a whole, the quest for transparency in UAP investigations remains. The conversation is far from over, as The Black Vault continues to probe and question the nature of these unexplained phenomena and the role of our government in investigating and communicating about them. It remains to be seen how this saga will unfold, but one thing is clear: the call for transparency will continue to grow louder. Or at least, it should.

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Document Archive

“Mosul Orb” Denial Letter

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UAPx Communications Denial Letter

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AARO Interview of Robert Jacobs and Robert Salas Communications Denial Letter

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The post The CLASSIFIED ‘Mosul Orb’ UAP Case: A New Chapter in Government Secrecy Tactics Unfolds first appeared on The Black Vault.

“Unidentified anomalous phenomena,” is anything in space, in the air, on land, in the sea or under the sea that can’t be identified, and which might pose a threat to U.S. military installations or operations.

“We have an important and yet challenging mission to lead an interagency effort to document, collect, analyze and when possible, resolve reports of any unidentified anomalous phenomena,” said Sean M. Kirkpatrick, the director of AARO.

Since the AARO office stood up this summer, Kirkpatrick said his team there has made significant headway in setting up its mission.

The post DOD Office Moving Ahead in Mission to Identify ‘Anomalous Phenomena’ first appeared on The Black Vault.

Here’s what he said about the AOIMSG.

The post Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on the UAP Task Force Successor, November 29, 2021 first appeared on The Black Vault.

On June 1, 2021, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby fielded multiple questions regarding UFOs/UAPs during his press conference.

These are clips from that briefing, where he addresses the press on the issue.

The post Pentagon Press Secretary Takes UFO/UAP Questions on June 1, 2021 first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to Corbell, this is what he released:

“This footage was filmed in the CIC (Combat Information Center) of the USS Omaha on July 15th 2019 in a warning area off San Diego by Visual Intelligence Personnel (VIPER team). This RADAR data release shows four clips; multiple unknown targets (and one civilian vessel). Some of the unknown targets drop off RADAR in this footage. This happened numerous times throughout the UFO encounter series. At the height of the contacts – there were at least fourteen unknowns observed at one time. The event series reached a crescendo with one of the unknown targets entering the water at 11pm. No wreckage found. None of the unidentified craft were recovered.

This is corroborative sensor data demonstrating a significant UFO event series – where unknowns were swarming US Navy warships. This type of cross-platform information verification is both unique and rare in the pursuit of the UFO mystery.”

Please visit his ExtraordinaryBeliefs.com website for additional information.

The Black Vault reached out to the Pentagon for comment on the release, and in just over three and a half hours, Pentagon Spokesperson Susan Gough replied and confirmed the video’s authenticity. She stated:

“I can confirm that the video you sent was taken by Navy personnel, and that the UAPTF included it in their ongoing examinations. I have no further information on it for you.”

This continues the trend of swift replies to alleged leaked material. The Black Vault followed up and asked for clarification if any of the material that has surfaced in the past couple of months still considered “unauthorized” releases aka “leaks.” Gough confirmed that they were, and offered the following  additional information:

“The only videos that have been authorized for release were the three that we announced and posted to an official DoD website in April 2020.

Due to the high public interest, we’ve been confirming the videos as having been taken by Navy personnel to avoid misconceptions about them.  Note that on all these recent ones, we’re only confirming two things:

— that they were taken by Navy personnel
— that the UAPTF included them in the ongoing examinations

That’s it.  Nothing else.  Not confirming any other details or information about them.

(Note:  if you recall, before we did an authorized release of the three videos last Spring, Navy had confirmed that those were Navy videos.)”

The three videos she references are the “FLIR1,” “Gimbal,” and “GoFast.”

When asked if the Department of Defense was launching, or has launched, an investigation or inquiry regarding the unauthorized release of material, she simply replied:

“I can’t comment on what we may doing about these unauthorized releases at this time.”

More information will be posted when available.

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The post Another Leaked UAP Video is Published; Another Swift Pentagon Confirmation Is Received first appeared on The Black Vault.

Since December of 2017, the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, or AATIP, has long been touted as a “Secret Pentagon UFO Study” which lasted from 2008 – 2012.

However, that has not always been the case to the Pentagon. In a series of conflicting and confusing statements since 2017, the official position of the Department of Defense (DoD) has gone from confirming it was a UFO program, to saying no it was not, to now saying it still was not a UFO program, but it did utilize UFO (or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena / UAP) reports during its research stages.

Confused much? It seems that may be by design. So, lets break it all down.

To do that, the Pentagon has made that effort a little easier. Yesterday, they released to The Black Vault, along with Roger Glassel and an unknown number of journalists and media outlets, a consolidated statement of all information released about AATIP to date.

Although much of the information has been released before at various stages throughout the past few years, one section appears to be a new revelation which seems to contradict their previous stance on the matter.

To ensure accuracy, and to give you all the full story, here is the entire statement released by Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough, and published in full:

Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP)

The purpose of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) was to investigate foreign advanced aerospace weapon system applications, with future technology projections over the next 40 years, and to create a center of expertise for advanced aerospace technologies. The goal was to help understand the threat posed by unconventional or leap-ahead aerospace vehicles and technologies that could have national security implications for the United States.

The program commenced in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 with $10 million appropriated in the Defense Supplemental Appropriation Act. DIA awarded a contract to a sole bidder, Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies, LLC.  The contract was known as the Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Applications Program (AAWSAP).

The contract goal was to study 12 technical areas: lift, propulsion, control, armament, signatures reduction, materials, configuration, power generation, temporal translation, human effects, human interface, and technology integration.  The contractor identified and worked with academics and scientists to produce technical reports.  In developing the reports and exploring how to create a “center of expertise,” the contract allowed for research drawn from a wide variety of sources, including reports of UAPs.  However, the examination of UAP observations was not the purpose of AATIP.

The first 26 reports were completed by late 2009. The Defense Appropriations Act for FY2010 included an additional $12 million for the program, and 12 additional reports were produced. A total of 38 technical reports were delivered.  The list is below.  All of the reports are either classified or marked For Official Use Only.  Only a few have been released to the public.

After a review in late 2009, it was determined that the reports were of limited value to DIA.  The department terminated AATIP when funding for the program ended in 2012.

Reports produced under AATIP:

1. 1. Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion
   2. Advanced Nuclear Propulsion for Manned Deep Space Missions
   3. Pulsed High-Power Microwave Technology
   4. Space Access
   5. Advanced Space Propulsion Based on Vacuum (Spacetime Metric) Engineering
   6. BioSensors and BioMEMS
   7. Invisibility Cloaking
   8. Traversable Wormholes, Stargates, and Negative Energy
   9. High-Frequency Gravitational Wave Communications
   10. Role of Superconducters in Gravity Research
   11. Antigravity for Aerospace Applications
   12. Field Effects on Biological Tissues
   13. Positron Aerospace Propulsion
   14. Concepts for Extracting Energy from the Quantum Vacuum
   15. An Introduction to the Statistical Drake Equation
   16. Maverick Inventor Versus Corporate Inventor
   17. Biomaterials
   18. Metamaterials for Aerospace Applications
   19. Warp Drive, Dark Energy, and the Manipulation of Extra Dimensions
   20. Technological Approaches to Controlling External Devices in the Absence of Limb-Operated Interfaces
   21. Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms
   22. Metallic Glasses
   23. Aerospace Applications of Programmable Matter
   24. Metallic Spintronics
   25. Space-Communication Implications of Quantum Entanglement and Nonlocality
   26. Aneutronic Fusion Propulsion I
   27. Cockpits in the Era of Breakthrough Flight
   28. Cognitive Limits on Simultaneous Control of Multiple Unmanned Spacecraft
   29. Detection and High Resolution Tracking of Vehicles at Hypersonic Velocities
   30. Aneutronic Fusion Propulsion II
   31. Laser Lightcraft Nanosatellites
   32. Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Air Breathing Propulsion and Power for Aerospace Applications
   33. Quantum Computing and Utilizing Organic Molecules in Automation Technology
   34. Quantum Topography of Negative Energy States in the Vacuum
   35. Ultracapacitors as Energy and Power Storage Devices
   36. Negative Mass Propulsion
   37. State of the Art and Evolution of High Energy Laser Weapons [SECRET//NOFORN version]
   38. State of the Art and Evolution of High Energy Laser Weapons

AATIP vs. UAP Task Force (UAPTF)

The UAPTF is not a continuation of AATIP.  Since the majority of reporting about UAP observations in recent years came from naval aviators, the Department of the Navy had been leading assessments of UAP incursions into DOD training ranges and designated airspace since approximately 2018.  Beginning in 2019, DOD undertook efforts to formalize the good work done by the Navy for DOD.  Former Deputy Secretary Norquist approved the establishment of the UAPTF on Aug. 4, 2020.

Now, the key part out of the above, is this:

“In developing the reports and exploring how to create a ‘center of expertise,’ the contract allowed for research drawn from a wide variety of sources, including reports of UAPs.  However, the examination of UAP observations was not the purpose of AATIP.”

Although still not confirming AATIP was a UFO program, they seem to have changed their tune on whether or not AATIP dealt with UFOs/UAPs at all. They stated that the “examination” of the UAPs was not the purpose of AATIP. Ergo, they did not “investigate” them.

After three years of confusion by the Pentagon, it is unclear why an unclassified program (albeit with classified elements) is so hard to fully understand. In addition to that, former Senate majority leader Harry Reid stated to New York Magazine back in 2018 that “80 percent” of material related to AATIP was “public.” However, it remains unknown what the “80 percent” consists of, amounts to, or pertains to, nor is there any evidence this material would help clarify the Pentagon’s ever changing stances on what AATIP was all about. Numerous attempts by The Black Vault to clarify with Reid about this issue have all remained unanswered.

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The post Pentagon Now Admits AATIP Utilized UAP / UFO Reports first appeared on The Black Vault.

Back in early December 2020, the now infamous “Batman Balloon” leaked and was published. Although not popular at the time, I put forth a theory on why it may all be happening, and why it was seemingly so easy to debunk.

This is an excerpt from that presentation.

Now, in April of 2021, even MORE material is coming to light. And the Pentagon, just doesn’t seem to care. In fact, on this recent round of material, it seemed a bit too easy to get a response from them regarding the leak, and they acknowledged it was all genuine. However, they wouldn’t say if it was considered “unidentified.”

Why?

This flashback to the theory presented in December of 2020, still holds water today. And maybe, even more so.

Take a look.

For the full presentation, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F4Xxqd450w

The post Why Are UFO Leaks Happening? A Flashback To A Theory On WHY Which Still Rings True Today first appeared on The Black Vault.

This week, multiple photographs and a video, was “leaked” to the general public by George Knapp at MysteryWire.com and Jeremy Corbell from ExtraordinaryBeliefs.com. The Pentagon has now confirmed to The Black Vault via e-mail, that the photos and videos leaked this week, all were taken by Navy personnel.

“I can confirm that the referenced photos and videos were taken by Navy personnel. The UAPTF has included these incidents in their ongoing examinations,” said Susan Gough, Pentagon Spokesperson. “As we have said before, to maintain operations security and to avoid disclosing information that may be useful to potential adversaries, DOD does not discuss publicly the details of either the observations or the examinations of reported incursions into our training ranges or designated airspace, including those incursions initially designated as UAP.”

However, Gough refused to confirm whether they remain “unidentified,” or are used as training material for identifiable objects, or remain unknowns. “I have nothing further for you beyond what I provided,” Gough stated. No additional information was provided.

The post Pentagon CONFIRMS Recent UAP / UFO Leaks as Genuine first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following was published by the Department of Defense on August 14, 2020, about the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force (UAPTF).

On Aug. 4, 2020, Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force (UAPTF).  The Department of the Navy, under the cognizance of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, will lead the UAPTF.  

The Department of Defense established the UAPTF to improve its understanding of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins of UAPs.  The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security.

As DOD has stated previously, the safety of our personnel and the security of our operations are of paramount concern. The Department of Defense and the military departments take any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each report. This includes examinations of incursions that are initially reported as UAP when the observer cannot immediately identify what he or she is observing.

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The post UAP / UFO Task Force Information Released by Pentagon first appeared on The Black Vault.

In December of 2019, The Black Vault broke the story that the Pentagon was amending their previous statements about the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, and their admission it studied “unidentified aerial phenomena” or UAPs. This was originally broken by the NY Post in May of 2019.

Although controversial, on the night of January 9, 2020, the Pentagon issued the following statement explaining in more detail, why they made that move.

The statement was sent en mass to an unknown number of recipients. It is published here, in full:

“At some point in the last couple months you have asked, in one way or another, why some DOD statements about the AATIP program have changed since December 2017 or even since this past Spring.  I wanted to provide you with a broad comment regarding the changes.   

Myself and my predecessors in my office, as well as our colleagues in the Defense Intelligence Agency and elsewhere in the department, have done our best to provide you and others asking about AATIP the most accurate information we had available to us at the time we responded to your questions.  Questions about AATIP have continued ever since this past Spring, becoming more focused and asking for details beyond what was readily available on a program that ended nearly eight years ago, especially as people who had direct knowledge of AATIP have moved to other positions or left the department.  As we conducted research to try to answer the continuing questions, we sometimes uncovered new information that changed some of our previous responses.  When responding to subsequent queries, we used the new information in our responses to be as accurate as possible with what we now knew.”
— Susan Gough, Pentagon Spokesperson

At this point, no other major statements are being amended, including their stance that the objects captured on three U.S. Navy videos, are UAPs.

Further information will be published when available.

The post The Pentagon Explains WHY They Changed Past UFO Statements first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Pentagon has recently opened up to The Black Vault about the rumored “secret UFO Program,” known as the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program or AATIP. 

On December 16, 2017, news of this obscure program was first announced by the NY Times and Politico. Both media outlets reported that UFOs-  now being referred to as “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” or UAPs to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic – were the direct focus of this program. However, the Pentagon now seems to have changed their stance.  

Claiming they want to correct the record and clear up some inaccuracies, the Pentagon now says AATIP was not a UFO or UAP program.

“Neither AATIP nor AAWSAP were UAP related,” said Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough in an e-mail to The Black Vault. “The purpose of AATIP was to investigate foreign advanced aerospace weapons system applications with future technology projections over the next 40 years, and to create a center of expertise on advanced aerospace technologies.”

Since 2017, details have been scarce. However, the DoD’s latest position that AATIP wasn’t a UFO program, seems to represent one of their most dramatic about-faces on the issue since the program was first revealed.

The “AAWSAP” Gough refers to is the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program; a contract posted publicly by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) asking for bids from the private sector on August 18, 2008.  By the due date of September 5, only one bidder had submitted a proposal, and that was Bigelow Aerospace’s subsidiary known as Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies or BAASS. They were awarded the contract, and according to the NY Times, operated with a $22 million budget. (Note: The Black Vault has not been able to independently verify that budget amount.)

Many researchers, bloggers and journalists within the mainstream media have often confused AATIP and AAWSAP along with the missions of both programs. For example, an anonymous letter by someone claiming to be involved in the project was published by KLAS-TV, and it alleged AAWSAP was studying poltergeists along with other paranormal activity.  Another example is a blogger attempting to create a cohesive timeline of the programs, but often confuses dates, facts and figures that have already been established and documented. According to the latest from The Pentagon, none of that is the case as, “[AATIP] was the name of the overall program. [AAWSAP] was the name of the contract that DIA awarded for the production of technical reports under AATIP.”

The titles of those “technical reports” referenced by the Pentagon were released via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to The Black Vault on January 16, 2019; which consisted of a list of thirty-eight documents created under the AATIP program. Mysteriously absent from the topics covered by the Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) was anything directly referencing UFOs or UAPs.

Topics did include some wildly speculative science, ranging from warp drives to invisibility cloaking. However, there was nothing about unidentified objects flying in the sky or captured on video. Some researchers have theorized this list of research topics was simply an exploration on how UFOs may work or how an alien civilization might traverse the cosmos in order to visit Earth. Conversely, some have remained skeptical, and felt this list may be proof that AATIP (and/or AAWSAP) had nothing to do with UFOs, and only focused on pseudoscience.

The skeptics appeared to be proven wrong, when on May 22, 2019, the NY Post ran the headline, “The Pentagon finally admits it investigates UFOs.” At the time this article was published, investigative journalist Steven Greenstreet with the NY Post had received word from the Pentagon through spokesperson Christopher Sherwood that AATIP, “…did pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena.”

Understandably, the story then went viral.

However, roughly seven months later, the Pentagon’s stance seems to have changed. Although the statement that was given to the NY Post was accurately reported; the Pentagon now states it was not entirely fact-based.

When asked about the discrepancy, “At the time, Mr. Sherwood was repeating the information that had been provided by a previous spokesperson some two years earlier,” said Gough. “That previous spokesperson is no longer with my organization, and I cannot comment on why that person’s explanation of AATIP included that it had looked at anomalous events.  According to all the official information I have now, when implemented, AATIP did not pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena; that was not part of the technical studies nor the reports produced by the program.”

The Black Vault reached out to Greenstreet and the New York Post but they did not respond for comment.

The Pentagon’s new stance conflicts with former Department of Defense (DOD) employee,  Luis Elizondo. According to Elizondo he was the director of AATIP, and since coming forward in October of 2017, he’s consistantly maintained AATIP did research UFOs / UAPs.  “AATIP itself spent its entire time on UFOs,” said Elizondo in March of 2019 at the first annual Anomalous Aerospace Phenomena (AAP) conference put on by the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU). “AATIP was a 100% UFO program, period. It was not looking at airplanes.”

In an already confusing saga,the Pentagon continues to deny Elizondo’s role and participation in the AATIP.  According to Gough, Elizondo was, “not the director of the AATIP,” and reiterated he had “no assigned responsibilities” within the program. 

Currently, Elizondo serves as the Director of Government Programs and Services for To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science (TTSA), a “public benefit” corporation led by rock star Tom DeLonge, and stars in a History channel series called Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigation. 

In the past, Elizondo has addressed the hierarchy of the AATIP and AAWSAP programs. “It would be disingenuous for me to simply say, well, AATIP is really AAWSAP. Well, it evolved from AAWSAP but it is not AAWSAP,” Elizondo said during an annual Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) conference in July of 2018. “And I think the documentation that is beginning to come out into the public forum, people are beginning to realize that,”Elizondo told the crowd of UFO enthusiasts.

Elizondo did not return a request for comment from The Black Vault. 

Although the Pentagon’s change to a previous statement may concern and frustrate a segment of the general public excited about recent UFO developments; hope is not entirely lost. The Pentagon maintains, as of the writing of this article, that the U.S. Navy continues to investigate UAPs, and the three videos that have surfaced in the past two years that have garnered worldwide attention, are still considered UAPs. So the Pentagon hasn’t tried to change or close the door on the whole UFO topic, something should still encourage enthusiasts of the UFO subject.

The post The Pentagon Corrects Record on “Secret UFO Program” first appeared on The Black Vault.