{"id":8107,"date":"2019-09-10T12:26:34","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T12:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/?p=8107"},"modified":"2021-12-30T21:01:43","modified_gmt":"2021-12-30T21:01:43","slug":"u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Navy Confirms Videos Depict \u2018Unidentified Aerial Phenomena\u2019; Not Cleared For Public Release"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By John Greenewald, Jr., The Black Vault &#8212; <em>Originally Published September 10<sup>th<\/sup>, 2019\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8108\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8108\" style=\"width: 298px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-298x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"298\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-298x300.png 298w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-768x773.png 768w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-120x120.png 120w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-600x604.png 600w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-731x736.png 731w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM-75x75.png 75w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-02-01-PM.jpg 858w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8108\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screen shot from the &#8220;Gimbal&#8221; video, as published by To The Stars Academy of Arts &amp; Science (TTSA).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a series of statements obtained exclusively by The Black Vault, the U.S. Navy confirms three UFO related videos represent what they call \u201cunidentified aerial phenomena\u201d or UAPs.\u00a0 Originally released by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/12\/16\/us\/politics\/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York Times<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thevault.tothestarsacademy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">To The Stars Academy of Arts &amp; Science<\/a> (TTSA) beginning in December of 2017, the three videos are commonly referred to as the \u201cFLIR1,\u201d \u201cGimbal\u201d and \u201cGoFast\u201d (the third being released in March 2018). According to TTSA\u2019s website, the clips represent, \u201c\u2026 the first official evidence released by the US government that can be rightfully designated as credible, authentic confirmation that unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) are real.\u201d\u00a0 The Navy\u2019s official position now <em>confirms<\/em> TTSA\u2019s claims, at least, in part.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Navy designates the objects contained in these videos as unidentified aerial phenomena,\u201d said Joseph Gradisher, official spokesperson for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare. When asked why the phrase \u201cUAP\u201d is now utilized by the U.S. Navy, and not \u201cUFO,\u201d Mr. Gradisher added, \u201cThe \u2018Unidentified Aerial Phenomena\u2019 terminology is used because it provides the basic descriptor for the sightings\/observations of unauthorized\/unidentified aircraft\/objects that have been observed entering\/operating in the airspace of various military-controlled training ranges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(story continues below this video&#8230;)<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"UFOs and the U.S. Navy (0-52 Min = Presentation || 52 Min-End = Q&amp;A)\" width=\"788\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/286CaguL1RY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>However, the Navy also asserts that the three videos were never cleared for public release, thus confirming the official stance of the Pentagon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/inside-the-pentagons-release-of-three-ufo-videos-breakdown-of-the-dd-form-1910-dopsr-process\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">originally issued<\/a> to The Black Vault in May of 2019, and contradicting TTSA\u2019s widespread claims the U.S. government \u201cdeclassified\u201d the footage for public consumption.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe videos were never officially released to the general public by the DoD and should still be withheld,\u201d said Pentagon Spokesperson Susan Gough to The Black Vault earlier this year. Mr. Gradisher, on behalf of the Navy, confirms the Pentagon\u2019s position this week by adding, \u201cThe Navy has not released the videos to the general public.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8109\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8109\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-04-03-PM.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8109\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-04-03-PM-300x294.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-04-03-PM-300x294.png 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-04-03-PM-600x588.png 600w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-04-03-PM-150x147.png 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-04-03-PM-75x75.png 75w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-04-03-PM.jpg 668w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8109\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Released e-mail via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) written by Mr. Luis Elizondo. Within it, Mr. Elizondo justifies his request for the three videos being used for U.S. government use only.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Navy\u2019s new statements also contradict information contained in a string of e-mails <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/18-F-0644.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recently released<\/a> by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The FOIA release to The Black Vault yielded sixteen pages of e-mails between Mr. Luis Elizondo, the man who sits as a board member of TTSA and claims to have headed the Pentagon\u2019s secret UFO study known as \u201cAATIP,\u201d and the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review (DOPSR), a component of the OSD that manages security reviews of information both \u201cpublic and controlled release.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In one of the released e-mails, Mr. Elizondo stated his justification for the clearance to use the three videos for U.S. government use only: \u201cUnmanned aerial vehicles (balloons, commercial UAVs, private drones such as quadcopters, etc) continue to pose a potential threat to DoD facilities, equipment, and location. Army, Navy, and Air Force have all acknowledged the potential threat by UAS&#8217; to DoD equities but no single UNCLASSIFIED repository exists to share this Information across all stakeholders.\u201d Mr. Elizondo continued, \u201cOur collective purpose is to eventually establish an UNCLASSIFIED database or \u2018Community of Interest&#8217; of related signature data to be accessible by stakeholders such as DIA, the Navy, Defense Industry partners, and perhaps even State, Local &amp; Tribal authorities to catalog and identify specific UAS threats to national security and\/or DoD equities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No e-mail released by OSD, which contained the entire conversion between Mr. Elizondo and DOPSR, mentioned UFOs, UAPs or anything \u201cunidentified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to these e-mailed communications released, there was a DD Form 1910. This document is used to officially request a DOPSR review of information, and here, Mr. Elizondo described the videos also as \u201cUAV [unmanned aerial vehicle], Balloons, and other UAS [unmanned aerial system].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Again, no reference to UFOs, UAPs or anything \u201cunidentified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When asked for clarification from the Navy on why the discrepancy exists, Mr. Gradisher stated, \u201cThe Navy has no comment on, nor control over, how civilian individuals or organizations may or may not describe the objects in the referenced videos. The Navy designates the objects contained in these videos as unidentified aerial phenomena.\u201d He then added, \u201cYou\u2019d have to contact Mr. Elizondo on his descriptions.\u00a0 I can\u2019t comment or speculate on how\/why he referred to them in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Elizondo and To The Stars Academy of Arts &amp; Science (TTSA) were contacted for comment, but neither party has responded.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8110\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8110\" style=\"width: 233px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8110\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM-233x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"233\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM-233x300.png 233w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM-796x1024.png 796w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM-768x988.png 768w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM-600x772.png 600w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM-117x150.png 117w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM-731x940.png 731w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/9-9-2019-10-05-55-PM.jpg 934w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8110\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The DD Form 1910, as released by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This form indicates that the only approval given by DOPSR was for U.S. government use only, and &#8220;industry partners.&#8221; (Note: Statements by the Pentagon to The Black Vault show that To The Stars Academy of Arts &amp; Science (TTSA) nor the NY Times are considered &#8220;industry partners.&#8221;)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The e-mails show that although Mr. Elizondo was ultimately granted \u201c[U.S. Government] Use Only\u201d for the videos to be used in a database about aerial threats from unmanned systems such as drones; it was the Navy that needed to correspond with DOPSR and offer their official sign-off for full, unrestricted, public release. That communication required from the Navy was absent from the FOIA release, so the Navy was contacted for comment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNeither the cognizant Navy offices nor DOPSR have record of any correspondence responding to a request for unrestricted release of the subject videos in 2017,\u201d said Mr. Gradisher, thus confirming that no evidence exists that authorized a public release for the three videos in question.<\/p>\n<p>The Navy told The Black Vault the three videos are considered \u201cunclassified,\u201d however, unclassified information still requires a review for public release. Anything considered unclassified may still contain sensitive information, imagery or data embedded within digital files that may not be considered classified; yet it may still be considered sensitive.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple statements and written records now show that the approval required for \u201cpublic release\u201d never took place, and the claims by TTSA that the videos represent, \u201cofficial evidence released by the US government,\u201d remain unfounded.<\/p>\n<p>This new information comes amidst a flurry of other official comments complicating the claims of TTSA. In May of this year, The Black Vault began receiving the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/inside-the-pentagons-release-of-three-ufo-videos-breakdown-of-the-dd-form-1910-dopsr-process\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">first statements<\/a> from the Pentagon indicating the \u201cFLIR1,\u201d \u201cGimbal\u201d and \u201cGoFast\u201d videos were not cleared for public release, despite the claims of TTSA. \u00a0In June, Keith Kloor with <a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2019\/06\/01\/ufo-unidentified-history-channel-luis-elizondo-pentagon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Intercept<\/a> received a statement from the Pentagon that Mr. Luis Elizondo had \u201cno responsibilities\u201d within the AATIP program, despite the widespread published claims by TTSA that he headed it. A 2009 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/pentagon-reinforces-mr-luis-elizondo-had-no-responsibilities-on-aatip-senator-harry-reids-2009-memo-changes-nothing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">letter by Senator Harry Reid<\/a> was quickly touted <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/g_knapp\/status\/1135997329717256192\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">by some<\/a> to claim Mr. Elizondo\u2019s story was in fact true; however the Pentagon quickly countered with official statements issued to The Black Vault stating that the letter\u2019s existence did not change their stance.<\/p>\n<p>To date, these official statements and comments by the Pentagon and the Navy have not been addressed or refuted by TTSA, despite them being contacted numerous times for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By John Greenewald, Jr., The Black Vault &#8212; Originally Published September 10th, 2019\u00a0 In a series of statements obtained exclusively by The Black Vault, the U.S. Navy confirms three UFO related videos represent what they call \u201cunidentified aerial phenomena\u201d or UAPs.\u00a0 Originally released by the New York Times and To The Stars Academy of Arts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11018,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,32],"tags":[1334,1336,1335,1333,1337,296,614],"class_list":{"0":"post-8107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-fringe","8":"category-ufo-phenomena","9":"tag-aatip","10":"tag-luis-elizondo","11":"tag-to-the-stars-academy","12":"tag-ttsa","13":"tag-uap","14":"tag-ufo","15":"tag-unidentified-flying-objects"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/6-8-2020-5-44-32-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}