UFO Article (Blog): “Reference to the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program found in a 2018 issue of the US ‘Congressional Record.’ ”

By Keith Basterfield, 15 August 2018

(UFOs – scientific research, Campbelltown,

New South Wales, Australia)

Quote from the article:

“Background

In a blog post dated 28 June 2018, titled ‘New US congressional hearings on UFOs?’ I brought together several pieces of information which suggested that at least one US Congressional Committee (and maybe more than one) was looking at conducting hearings on the topic of UFOs, stimulated by the news about the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program/
Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program (AAWSAP/AATIP.)

In that blog post, I suggested three possibilities for which committees might be involved:

1. The House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.

2. The House of Representatives Science, Space and technology Committee.

3. The Senate Armed Services Committee.

New research

Recently a group of collaborating researchers, composed of Roger Glassel from Sweden; Curt Collins from the USA; Paul Dean from Melbourne, Australia, and myself from Adelaide, South Australia, have been following up on this subject area. The group has found a very interesting item, in the US ‘Congressional Record.’

The ‘Congressional Record’ is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office.

Volume 164, Number 56, dated Monday, April 9, 2018 of the ‘Congressional Record’  page H3062 included the following text:

‘4381. A letter from the Chief, Congressional Relations Division, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, transmitting a list of all products produced under the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program contract for the Defense Intelligence Agency to publish; to the Committee on Armed Services.’

The Team’s understanding, is that this means that the reference to ‘Committee on Armed Services’ is to the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. Does this mean that there was a presentation of some kind around April 2018? Are these ‘products’ back in the 2007-2012 era, or later? Was this a review brought about by the New York Times article of 2017? The finding of this item just raises further questions.”

http://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/2018/08/reference-to-advanced-aerospace-threat.html

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Advanced+Aerospace+Threat+Identification+Program

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=AATIP

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Advanced+Aerospace+Weapon+System+Applications+Program

(congress.gov/ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com image)

UFO Article (Blog): “After U.S. Congressional UAP briefings - What comes next?”

By Keith Basterfield, 5 July 2019

(UFOs – scientific research, Campbelltown,

New South Wales, Australia)

Quote from the article:

“In a blog post dated 28 August 2018, I pondered which US Congressional Committees, might have an interest in receiving briefings/holding hearings, on the subject of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena? My best estimate, at that time, was the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC.) This Committee currently has 28 members on it. One of that Committee's sub-committees is the Emerging Threats and Capabilities (ETC) sub-committee. Luis Elizondo, former Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) manager, constantly mentions the word ‘threat’ in his talks. There are seven Senators who sit on both the SASC and the ETC sub-committee.”

http://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/2019/07/after-us-congressional-uap-briefings.html

The western front of the United States Capitol. The Neoclassical style building is located in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall. The Capitol was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. (text by Wikipedia)(wikimedia.org) (wikimedia.org photo)

UFO Article: “Navy-UFO Encounter Incites Campaign To Spur a Congressional Hearing”

By Robert Powell (Scientific Coalition for Ufology), 
20 October 2017

Source: theufochronicles.com, 23 October 2017

The 14 November 2004 USS Nimitz UFO incident deserves a congressional investigation, Robert Powell writes.

Former naval aviator Paco Chierici recounted the UFO incident in a fightersweep.com article (see related post).

http://www.theufochronicles.com/2017/10/Navy-UFO-Encounter-congressional-hearing.html

Related post:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2017/10/ufo-article-there-i-was-x-files-edition.html

USS Nimitz (CVN 68) (wikimedia.org)

(wikimedia.org photo)

UFO News Article:
“Air Force Urged To Tell All
About Unidentified Objects”, 29 March 1966
(The Dispatch, Lexington, North Carolina)

The Dispatch reports that NICAP director Donald E. Keyhoe backed Rep. Gerald R. Ford’s call for a congressional investigation into the UFO phenomenon:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_BocAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GVEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7216,2115392

Furthermore, the article says that scores of police officers and civilians sighted UFOs in widely separated sections of the U.S. on 28 and 29 March 1966.

An Air Force veteran and eleven police officers sighted a UFO over Newark, New Jersey, according to the article.

Rep. Gerald R. Ford (Republican) was instrumental in organising the 1966 Congressional Hearings on UFOs

GoFundMe Web Page: “Testing the Waters for Congress - Salas”

Created: 19 August 2019

(GoFundMe, Redwood City, California)

Robert L. Salas aims to become a candidate for California’s 26th congressional district.

On Salas’ Twitter page one can read the following (posted on 
26 August 2019):  “The UFO phenomenon will be major platform.”

https://www.gofundme.com/f/testing-the-waters-for-congress-salas

Wikipedia article: “California’s 26th congressional district”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California%27s_26th_congressional_district

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2019/09/google-searches-focus-on-robert-l-salas.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Robert+L.+Salas

Captain Robert L. Salas, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)

(irishufology.net photo)

UFO News Article:

“Results Of ‘Saucer’ Hearings Reportedly Kept Secret”

16 October 1957 (United Press International)

Source: theufochronicles.com

The article was presented by The UFO Chronicles on 30 September 2012:

http://www.theufochronicles.com/2012/09/congressional-committees-have-conducted.html

Quote from the article:
“A group (NICAP) which includes a former Central Intelligence chief reported Saturday that congressional committees have conducted super-secret hearings on ‘flying saucers’ but have never made their findings public.”

Wikipedia article: “Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter”:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roscoe_H._Hillenkoetter



Roscoe Henry Hillenkoetter, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral (Ret.), former CIA Director & Member of NICAP's board of governors from about 1957 until 1962 (wikimedia.org) 
(wikimedia.org photo)

UFO News Article & TV News Report: “I-Team: Former Sen. Reid calls for congressional hearings into UFOs”

Updated: 2 February 2019

(CBS KLAS-TV LasVegasNOW.com, Las Vegas, Nevada)

George Knapp and Matt Adams present an interview with former Senator Harry Reid (D-NV).

Reid was a co-sponsor of the bill that funded the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). The late Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and the late Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) were also sponsors of that bill.

https://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/local-news/i-team-former-sen-reid-calls-for-congressional-hearings-into-ufos/1743467461

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0NJRXBLhB0

(Source: 8 News NOW Las Vegas (YouTube channel))

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Harry+Reid

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Advanced+Aerospace+Threat+Identification+Program

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=AATIP

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Advanced+Aerospace+Weapon+System+Applications+Program

(CBS KLAS-TV/youtube.com image)

UFO News Article:
“Legislative Probe Into UFO Sightings Proposed by Ford”,
26 March 1966 (St. Joseph News-Press, Missouri)

The St. Joseph News-Press reports on Congressman Gerald R. Ford’s proposal to hold congressional UFO hearings:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rudTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3DgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4815,4539736

Rep. Gerald R. Ford (Republican)
was instrumental in organising the
1966 Congressional Hearings on
UFOs
(www2.cedarcrest.edu photo)

U.S. Government UFO Documents:

“SUBJECT: 
Congressional Investigation of the UFO Program”

by Colonel Edward H. Wynn, U.S. Air Force, 
Deputy for Science and Components,

14 July 1961 and 3 August 1961 
(Headquarters Foreign Technology Division, 
Air Force Systems Command, United States Air Force, 
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)
(The UFO Chronicles, 30 September 2012)

The two documents (letters) were presented by The UFO Chronicles on 30 September 2012:

http://www.theufochronicles.com/2012/09/congressional-investigation-of-ufo.html

The letters were sent to General Pierce.

Aerial view of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
(wikimedia.org) (wikimedia.org photo)

UFO Article: “Navy-UFO Encounter Incites Campaign To Spur a Congressional Hearing | Pt 2 – The FOIA’s”

By Robert Powell (Scientific Coalition for Ufology),

23 October 2017

Source: theufochronicles.com, 24 October 2017

Robert Powell presents Part 2 of his report on the 14 November 2004 USS Nimitz UFO case.

Former naval aviator Paco Chierici recounted the UFO incident in a fightersweep.com article (see related posts).

http://www.theufochronicles.com/2017/10/Navy-UFO-Encounter-congressional-hearing-pt-2.html

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2017/10/ufo-article-navy-ufo-encounter-incites_23.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2017/10/ufo-article-there-i-was-x-files-edition.html

USS Nimitz (CVN 68) (wikimedia.org)

(wikimedia.org photo)

UFO Article: “The CIA’s Actual Involvement with UFOs: The Agency’s Public Statements are Deliberately Deceptive”

By Robert L. Hastings, 8 December 2015

(The UFO Chronicles, 10 December 2015)

Quote from the article:

“ ‘It is time for the truth to be brought out in open Congressional hearings...Behind the scenes, high-ranking Air Force officers are soberly concerned about the UFOs, but through official secrecy and ridicule, many citizens are led to believe the unknown flying objects are nonsense. To hide the facts, the Air Force has silenced its personnel.’

—Vice Admiral R. H. Hillenkoetter (Ret.)

Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency

The New York Times, February 28, 1960

Thank you, Admiral Hillenkoetter. I guess we should be thankful that even one former CIA director chose to be truthful about UFOs after leaving the agency. But that was nearly 50 years ago, so don’t hold your breath waiting for the next one. Unfortunately, Hillenkoetter later reversed himself—under pressure from the agency, according to respected UFO researcher Major Donald E. Keyhoe (USMC Ret.)—and withdrew his support for congressional hearings.”

http://www.theufochronicles.com/2015/12/the-cias-actual-involvement-with-ufos.html

(wikimedia.org image)

U.S. Government UFO Document: “S. Rept. 116-233 - INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 - 116th Congress (2019-2020)”

17 June 2020

(U.S. Select Committee on Intelligence, United States Senate, Washington, D.C.) (https://www.congress.gov)

Quote from the “INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT” (not written in U.S. Senate document format):

“Mr. Rubio, from the Select Committee on Intelligence,

                                submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                             MINORITY VIEWS

                         [To accompany S. 3905]

…

Advanced Aerial Threats

    The Committee supports the efforts of the Unidentified 

Aerial Phenomenon Task Force at the Office of Naval 

Intelligence to standardize collection and reporting on 

unidentified aerial phenomenon, any links they have to 

adversarial foreign governments, and the threat they pose to 

U.S. military assets and installations. However, the Committee 

remains concerned that there is no unified, comprehensive 

process within the Federal Government for collecting and 

analyzing intelligence on unidentified aerial phenomena, 

despite the potential threat. The Committee understands that 

the relevant intelligence may be sensitive; nevertheless, the 

Committee finds that the information sharing and coordination 

across the Intelligence Community has been inconsistent, and 

this issue has lacked attention from senior leaders.

    Therefore, the Committee directs the DNI, in consultation 

with the Secretary of Defense and the heads of such other 

agencies as the Director and Secretary jointly consider 

relevant, to submit a report within 180 days of the date of 

enactment of the Act, to the congressional intelligence and 

armed services committees on unidentified aerial phenomena 

(also known as ‘anomalous aerial vehicles’), including 

observed airborne objects that have not been identified.

    The Committee further directs the report to include:

          1. A detailed analysis of unidentified aerial 

        phenomena data and intelligence reporting collected or 

        held by the Office of Naval Intelligence, including 

        data and intelligence reporting held by the 

        Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force;

          2. A detailed analysis of unidentified phenomena data 

        collected by:

            a. geospatial intelligence;

            b. signals intelligence;

            c. human intelligence; and

            d. measurement and signals intelligence;

          3. A detailed analysis of data of the FBI, which was 

        derived from investigations of intrusions of 

        unidentified aerial phenomena data over restricted 

        United States airspace;

          4. A detailed description of an interagency process 

        for ensuring timely data collection and centralized 

        analysis of all unidentified aerial phenomena reporting 

        for the Federal Government, regardless of which service 

        or agency acquired the information;

          5. Identification of an official accountable for the 

        process described in paragraph 4;

          6. Identification of potential aerospace or other 

        threats posed by the unidentified aerial phenomena to 

        national security, and an assessment of whether this 

        unidentified aerial phenomena activity may be 

        attributed to one or more foreign adversaries;

          7. Identification of any incidents or patterns that 

        indicate a potential adversary may have achieved 

        breakthrough aerospace capabilities that could put 

        United States strategic or conventional forces at risk; 

        and

          8. Recommendations regarding increased collection of 

        data, enhanced research and development, and additional 

        funding and other resources.

    The report shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may 

include a classified annex.

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/116th-congress/senate-report/233

Wikipedia article: “United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence

Related post:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2020/06/ufo-news-article-ufo-hunters-rubio.html

(Image: wikimedia.org)

“INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021”

(U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence)

(Image: U.S. Congress)

“INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021”

(U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence)

(Image: U.S. Congress)

UFO Journal Issue: 

“Journal of UFO History” 

(Volume I, No. 5, November-December 2004)

(NICAP.org)

The issue contains the articles, “Congressional Interest in UFOs,” “USAF INTELLIGENCE OFFICER SAW UFO FORMATION IN 1947,” “SIGHTINGS & EDITORIALS LED TO AIR FORCE SHAKE-UP, COLORADO STUDY,” “GERALD FORD NEWS RELEASE,” “ACCURACY OF KEYHOE BOOK ENDORSED BY USAF OFFICIALS” and “OHIO SHERIFF’S SIGHTING INSTRUMENTAL IN 1966 HEARINGS”:

http://www.nicap.org/jufoh/JournalUFOHistoryVol1No5.pdf





(nicap.org image)

UFO Article:

“Former President Ford’s UFO Legacy: 
Unapproving of The Air Force’s Explanation He 
Requests (a Real) Congressional Investigation (Redux)”

by Frank Warren, 30 April 2013

(The UFO Chronicles)

Frank Warren informs about then Congressman Gerald R. Ford’s efforts (in 1966) to unravel the UFO enigma:

http://www.theufochronicles.com/2013/04/former-president-fords-ufo-legacy.html

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.,

38th President of the United States

(Republican)

UFO Article:
“The Marcia Smith Story – The President's UFO Study”
by Grant Cameron, 2 August 2009
(The Presidents UFO Website)

Marcia S. Smith was a Specialist in Aerospace and Telecommunications at the Science Policy Research Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.:

http://www.presidentialufo.com/jimmy-carter/98-the-marcia-smith-story-the-presidents-ufo-study

















(logotypes101.com image)

The Question of U.S. Government UFO Interest

The U.S. politician who deserves most credit when it comes to the UFO issue is former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford (Republican). In 1966, while Ford was a Representative for Michigan and U.S. House of Representatives Republican Minority Leader, he managed to get the House Armed Services Committee to hold a Congressional Hearing on UFOs on 5 April 1966.

So many top U.S. government politicians have had a great interest in the UFO phenomenon, but have ultimately failed to acquire classified U.S. government UFO evidence.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (Democrat) also failed to acquire classified UFO evidence.

James Earl Carter, Jr.,
39th President of the United States
(Democrat)





Then how interested are the main U.S. government departments/agencies (Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, FBI, NSA and NRO) in the UFO phenomenon today? And do these departments/agencies still investigate UFO cases?

The U.S. Air Force and other U.S. government departments/agencies claim time and again that they haven’t investigated a single UFO case since 17 December 1969.

United States Department of Defense article
(http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/16.html):

"Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)

This issue is no longer being investigated by the Defense Department. As you may know, the United States Air Force began investigating UFOs in 1948 under a program called Project Sign. Later the program's name was changed to Project Grudge, and in 1953 it was changed again to Project Blue Book. On December 17, 1969, the Secretary of the Air Force announced the termination of Project Blue Book.

The decision to discontinue UFO investigations was based on a number of factors, including reports and studies by the University of Colorado and the National Academy of Sciences, as well as past UFO studies and the Air Force's two decades of experience investigating UFO reports.

As a result of these investigations, studies, and experience, the conclusions of Project Blue Book were:

* No UFO reported, investigated, and evaluated by the Air Force has ever given any indication of threat to our national security.

* There has been no evidence submitted to or discovered by the Air Force that sightings categorized as "unidentified" represent technological developments or principles beyond the range of present-day scientific knowledge.

* There has been no evidence indicating that sightings categorized as "unidentified" are extraterrestrial vehicles.

Between 1948 and 1969 the Air Force investigated 12,618 reported UFO sightings. Of these, 11,917 were found to have been caused by material objects such as balloons, satellites, and aircraft; immaterial objects such as lightning, reflections, and other natural phenomena; astronomical objects such as stars, planets, the sun, and the moon; weather conditions; and hoaxes. Only 701 reported sightings remain unexplained.

All documentation regarding the former Blue Book investigation was permanently transferred to the Military Reference Branch, National Archives and Records Administration, 8th and Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20408, and is available for public review. A list of private organizations interested in aerial phenomena can be found in Gale's Encyclopedia of Associations, available in the reference section of many libraries. Air Force Fact Sheets on this topic may be viewed, including one about the so-called Roswell Incident . The Naval Historical Center has compiled a bibliography."

But if you click on the below web links, you’ll see that the U.S. government in actuality hasn’t stopped investigating UFOs post 1969.

The text in the U.S. government document pertaining to the 1976 Iran UFO case, which can be found at the below links, shows that it was received by the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. (Pentagon) and other main U.S. government departments/agencies:

www.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/oasd/asod89.htm

www.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/oasd/asod90.htm

www.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/oasd/asod91.htm

The three above web links have been posted on this blog earlier.

And the U.S. Government has also investigated many other UFO cases since 17 December 1969.

Google Website Searches: Focus On UFO News Articles Mentioning Government/National Archives/UFO Hearings/UFO Cover-up

Website: Google News Archive (news.google.com/newspapers):

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Government+Flying+Saucer+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(Government Flying Saucer)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Government+UFO+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(Government UFO)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=“U.S.+Government”+Flying+Saucer+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(“U.S. Government” Flying Saucer)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=“U.S.+Government”+UFO+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(“U.S. Government” UFO)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=“National+Archives”+Flying+Saucer+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(“National Archives” Flying Saucer)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=“National+Archives”+UFO+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(“National Archives” UFO)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=“UFO+Hearings”+UFO+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(“UFO Hearings”)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=Flying+Saucer+Cover-up+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(Flying Saucer Cover-up)

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=“UFO+Cover-up”+UFO+site:news.google.com/newspapers

(“UFO Cover-up”)

Related post:

ufo-news-article-pentagon-claims-there_22.html

While Gerald R. Ford (38th President of the United States) was a Representative for Michigan and U.S. House of Representatives Republican Minority Leader he sent a letter (dated 28 March 1966) to the chairman and the ranking Republican members of both the House Armed Services Committee and House Science and Astronautics Committee, urging that one committee or the other investigate the subject of Unidentified Flying Objects. And the House Armed Services Committee (89th Congress, 2nd Session) held a Congressional Hearing on UFOs on 5 April 1966 as a result of Gerald R. Ford’s efforts.

Gerald R. Ford had become involved in the UFO issue because many residents in Michigan had sighted UFOs during the first months of 1966.

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.,

38th President of the United States (Republican)

Roswell FOIA Request Statement by
U.S. Representative Steven H. Schiff (Republican)

In this UFO documentary segment Steven Schiff comments about the runaround he received by the U.S. Department of Defense, when he searched for records pertaining to the Roswell case:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1875621521916499393

Schiff: “ … got the complete runaround by the Defence Department, to be referred to an agency that’s supposed to have the documents; and they don’t have the documents. That’s something I’ve just never experienced before!

I think the Department of Defense is acting like there’s a cover-up, even if in fact there is no cover-up.”

And what’s interesting is that Schiff was also a National Guard reservist. So he wasn’t an enemy of the U.S. Military (Pentagon). He was only interested in obtaining information regarding the Roswell case.

Steven Harvey Schiff was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the first district of New Mexico from 1989 until his death in 1998.

There’s one fact regarding the Roswell case (apart from the below radio news report) which virtually proves that something (whatever it was) important was going on.

The RAAF (Roswell Army Air Field) administrative records from March 1945 to December 1949 and outgoing messages from October 1946 through December 1949 were inexplicably destroyed!

Rense.com article: "Roswell - The Final Declassification":

http://www.rense.com/general25/finalde.htm

ABC News radio report regarding the Roswell case, 8 July 1947 (This video link was also posted here on 24 January 2009):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUlCBY-K9A8

Steven Harvey Schiff,
U.S. Congressional Representative
from New Mexico's 1st District,
1989 - 1998 (Republican)