In 2023, the U.S. Air Force is known to have shot down numerous unknown objects primarily described as “balloons.” February 4, 2023, off the coast of South Carolina; February 10, 2023, over Alaska; February 11, 2023, over Yukon; and February 12, 2023, over Lake Huron, were all events that took place and were heavily covered in the mainstream media.

On February 18, 2023, The Black Vault filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a copy of, “all visual imagery captured from the shootdown of balloons/Unidentified Aerial Objects…” and asked that all classified/unclassified “…photos, videos, cockpit footage, personal cell phone photos/videos take by the pilots could have given to the DoD, etc.” be included in the release.

On March 21, 2023, the U.S. Air Force responded and denied the release of everything requested. It is unknown how many photos or videos were discovered or are being withheld, but their explanation was the following:

“The 1 Fighter Wing (1 FW) has conducted a thorough search for for responsive records to your request. Your request was processed under FOIA and was coordinated with the office of primary responsibility. Please note that, consistent with your request, under Exemption 1 and AFMAN 33-302, referencing Executive Order (EO) 13526 that apply to the continued classification of information, the requested information is withheld and not releasable.

Please see Exemption 1 below:

FOIA EXEMPTION 1

FOIA Exemption 1, 5 U.S.C. §552(b)(1), protects from disclosure national security information concerning the national defense or foreign policy, provided that it has been properly classified in accordance with Executive Order 13526. In this instance Sections 1.4(c) and 1.4(e) of the executive order apply. If the information qualified as Exemption 1, there is no discretion regarding its release. DoD 5400.7-R AFMAN 33-302, para C3.2.1.1. classification authorities are given great deference in deciding whether information is properly classified. Taylor v. Dept of the Army, 684 F.2d 99, 109 (D.C. Cir. 1982) (according “utmost deference” to affidavits explaining classification decision).”

The request was originally filed by The Black Vault to the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force, however, it was later forwarded to Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia for review and processing.

The Black Vault will file an appeal to fight the denial.

The entire letter can be downloaded below:

Loading...

Taking too long?

Reload document

| Open in new tab

Download [475.51 KB]

The post U.S. Air Force Says All Photos / Videos of 2023 Balloon Shootdowns Classified first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Taliban were responsible for downing a US Army Blackhawk helicopter in the southern Afghan province of Zabul on Dec. 17, 2013, the International Security Assistance Force has confirmed. The helicopter may have been brought down by an anti-helicopter mine such as one tested by the Islamic Jihad Union, an al Qaeda-linked group known to operate in the province.

When the helicopter crashed on Dec. 17, ISAF said that “initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash.”

The Taliban immediately claimed credit for the attack on their website, Voice of Jihad, however, stating that “Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate have shot down the helicopter of foreign troops.”

 AR15-6 Investigation- Helicopter Incident, 17 December 2013 [737 Pages, 68.3MB] – This document was declassified and released by CENTCOM.

The post Taliban downing of US helicopter in Zabul, Afghanistan, December 17, 2013 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Coalition jet fighters shot down an Iranian drone that was hovering over Iraq late last month, Multinational Force Iraq officials confirmed today.

 

The incident occurred Feb. 25, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, officials said in a statement.

Two coalition aircraft were directed to visually identify the unmanned aerial vehicle after it was detected hovering inside the Iraqi border. The pilots confirmed that it wasn’t a coalition aircraft and that no collateral damage would result from a shoot-down.

Coalition air forces tracked the UAV for nearly one hour and 10 minutes before the pilots engaged and shot it down “well inside Iraqi airspace,” officials said.

Officials said they believe the drone to be an Iranian-made Ababil 3 model UAV.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and military leaders have long accused Iran of interference in Iraq. Iran poses “a real problem,” Gates said on PBS’ “Tavis Smiley Show” March 11.

“I think it’s one of the significant challenges that we’re going to face over the next several years,” he said. (Source)

Documents from the DOD Regarding the Incident [11 Pages, 2.13MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/defenseissues/irandroneshootdown2009dod.pdf

The post Coalition Jets Shoot Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq (03/2009) first appeared on The Black Vault.