Source:
Lobster
Magazine - May 2000
Date:
June 22, 2000
Subject:
UFOs
And The Governments Of The US And UK
By
Armen Victorian
Researchers
who ask for pertinent records from the US Air Force about UFOs are provided
with a 'Fact Sheet' which states that since the closure of Project Blue
Book in 1974, the USAF has no interest in, and does not study, the subject.
The USAF information pack refers inquirers to various non-governmental
UFO research organizations which are closely monitored, and, at times,
directed by various US intelligence and military agencies. (1)
The Men
From The Ministry
In Britain,
Air Staff 2 (a), a desk in the Ministry of Defence, manned by junior civil
servants such as Nick Pope, J. Palmer, Owen Hartop, Kerry Philpott, and
Ralph Noyes, respond to public inquiries. The knowledge of these individuals
is limited and their responses consequently sometimes inaccurate. Contrary
to claims made by Air
Staff
2 (a) that they are privy to all UFO reports, there is a component within
the MOD which deals with more serious aspects of this subject. On October
23 1989, in the course of one of my investigations, I contacted this particular
MOD section. After the preliminary conversation I was asked if I was prepared
to sell my investigation report to them; and later in the course of the
conversation, when I suggested sharing information, citing the national
security aspects, I was asked if I was prepared to sign a security agreement
concerning this issue. I was further asked to prepare a proposal and submit
it to them. When I inquired about some landing reports, I was asked to
specify the date of the particular cases I had in mind. Although this is
a component of the MOD, it is not situated in Whitehall. Neither is it
Defence Intelligence 55 (DI55), though sources within DI55 have been helpful
in other investigations of mine.
Though
several individuals in the UK who have witnessed serious UFO cases have
been visited by government officials, the MOD has repeatedly denied the
existence of such officials. Sometimes in uniform but mostly in civilian
clothes, these officials have approached witnesses asking them not to discuss
what they have seen with the public or the media. UFO folklore has termed
them the Men in Black (MIB).
The section
in charge of such investigations is Aerospace Intelligence within the MOD.
The MOD,
and Air Staff 2(a) in particular, have been the chief focus of the search
for British information on UFOs. But examination of the MOD's old files
shows the absence of any Royal Navy reports. There is also a component
within the Admiralty in charge of UFO cases reported at sea, about which
researchers have little knowledge. I have also dealt with this component,
though I do not know its name.
How The
Department Of Defense Treats UFOs
Due to
its size the US Department of Defence (DoD) does not have a single unit
to handle UFO reports. Apart from the many departments known to UFO researchers
run from the Pentagon, there is another component about which no public
information is available. In the course of studying a serious UFO case
from the former Soviet Union, I was advised by the National Reconnaissance
Office(NRO) staff in the Pentagon to contact Pentagon House. (2)
Located
outside the Pentagon, Pentagon House showed immense interest and I was
asked to provide them with the raw material I had.
All the
official records made public under the UFO title are unevaluated reports
gathered through various human intelligence means. These reports always
quote the term UFO, as it has been relayed to them by sources. Mostly these
sources are civilians, unaware of the current official terminology used
by the US government.
The US
military uses two main terms in compiling and studying the UFO subject:
Uncorrelated Targets (UCT), for earth-bound unidentified objects, and Uncorrelated
Event Reports (UER) for space related events. I wrote to North American
Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, about their terminology. They replied:
'Historically, the term UFO was used by the Air Force starting in 1947
and ending in 1974 with the shelving of the "Blue Book" project. We all
know what the term UFO means, we just don't use it.....The specific term
"UFO" is not used by this command even though you could say that this term
would equate to UTR [unknown track report], either an uncorrelated event
or an unknown track, since an unidentified flying object could be considered
either.'(3)
Further,
I was told, 'Uncorrelated Events Reports (UERs), which are space related
events on the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) side of the house,
are always classified SECRET.' (4)
Uncorrelated
Targets are categorised as:
Significant
UCTs, Nonsignificant UCTs, Critical UCTs, and
False
UCTs. (5)
Copies
of any serious UCT event are sent to the Missions Systems Integration Board
(MSIB). MSIB is composed of all NORAD and US Space Command directorates
and senior level representatives from Naval Space Command, Army Space Command
and Air Force Space Command. (6)
The regulations
governing the UFO topic is USR 55-12, Space Surveillance Network (SSN)
of June 1 1992, classified by multiple sources.
'This
regulation provides policy and guidance for operations of the worldwide
Space Surveillance Network (SSN). It applies to Headquarters US Space Command;
the component commands, Headquarters Air Force Space Command; the Naval
Space Command, and Army Space Command; the Space Surveillance Centre (SSC),
the Alternative Space Surveillance Centre (ASSC); and the SSN sensors except
RAF Fyling dales. RAF Fyling dales follows guidance specified in 55-122/88771/1/GE(s),
Joint USAF/RAF Operations Manual (JOM) Ballistic Missiles Early Warning
System (BMEWS) Site III, RAF, England.' (7) In conjunction with this regulation
exists US Space Command Regulation 55-20, Warning Verification of Hostile
Space Events, dated 31 January 1990, classified secret.
'This
regulation establishes procedures to provide timely and accurate status
reporting, warning and verification of hostile space events to National
Command Authorities (NCA), collateral agencies, space system owners and
operators, and defense forces from Headquarters, US Space Command, Space
Defense Operations Center (SPADOC).'
Although
the US Space Command is the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) '...for
records relating to Uncorreletated Targets....the evaluations [of reports
are] made by the Command Director and the Air Defense Operations Center
of Cheyenne Mountain Air Station on the Unknown Track data'. (8)
The Air
Defense Operations Center (ADOC) is a NORAD entity. (9)
All Unknown
Track Reports (UTRs) are recorded on NORAD's Form 61, and kept for five
years. Data from these files, in summary form, is sent to all relevant
government agencies on a need-to-know basis. (10)
Obtaining
such records is a legal impossibility because while 'the Aerospace Analysis
Directorate [of US Space Command] does perform analysis on NORAD Unknown
Track Reports....they perform their analysis under the auspices of their
NORAD role, utilising a dedicated NORAD data base' - and NORAD is exempt
from the Freedom of Information Act. (11)
Unknowns
During
the period January to August 1996 NORAD reported 23 Unknowns, some after
scrambling interceptor fighters. For example, between January 2 and February
12 there were three scramble attempts, for three events. In two separate
instances two F15s were scrambled and the subjects could not be identified.
Similarly, on February 10 two F16s were scrambled but failed to identify
the object. (12)
NORAD
commented, 'Normally 80% of NORAD unknowns are identified. The remaining
20% continues to be called un-known and no further action is taken.' (13)
Another
category of reports come from USAF personnel. These reports might be generated
by using the International Urgency Signal, PAN, or by ground relay of airborne
reports or post-landing reports using FLASH procedure, and are governed
by Communication Instructions Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings(CIRVIS).
These reports are maintained in places such as Tyndall Air Force Base (1st
Air force), Elmendorf Air Force Base (11th Air force) and NORAD's Canadian
headquarters in Ontario, Canada. These reports are compiled in accordance
with the Air Force Manual, where it states:
'Report
the following specific sightings:
* Hostile
or unidentified aircraft which appears directed against the United States,
Canada, or their forces. * Missiles * Unidentified Flying Objects * Hostile
Flying Objects * Hostile or Unidentified military surface missiles or sub-marines.'
(14)
As to
any specific terms adopted by NORAD in the course of pilot/radar control
communication exchange for UFOs, the answer is 'Unknown Track'. (15)
I asked
NORAD if the recovery of downed UFOs was within their jurisdiction - if
so which particular teams, or components deal with it? If not, which other
particular teams or components, and from which command has such authority?
The answer was:'We do not deal with down unknowns, which you refer to as
UFOs. Normally, local law enforcement officials and/or security personnel
from the nearest military installation get involved with downed aircraft
etc. until positive identification is made. Then the vehicle is turned
over to its primary agency and/or organisation.'
In contrast
to the MOD's repeated assertion that UFOs are not considered a threat to
national security, for the US Government 'all unknown tracks are considered
a possible threat until proven otherwise.' (16)
NORAD
informed me that although there are no British forces assigned to NORAD
facilities, 'the British Ministry of Defence does interface and cooperate
with NORAD and the United State Space Command(USSPACECOM), on military
space systems as they provide support to the warfighter.' (17)
Although
'there are no NORAD facilities outside the Continental United States (CONUS)
and Canada....NORAD does receive classified data from England.' (18)
Footnotes
["IIIBJ"]
1. My
archives contain several military intelligence records of unevaluated reports
on UFO conferences and symposia. Most of the better known UFO organizations
have deep, as well as casual, penetration by both military and intelligence
agencies. This has been brought to my attention on several occasions by
individuals who were assigned to such missions.
2. This
information was made available to me prior to the declassification of the
NRO in 1993.
3. NORAD
(North American Aerospace Defense Command)letter to author 19 December
1995.
4. NORAD
letter to author November 13 1995
5. US
Space Command correspondence 28 April 1993 to author
6 US Space
Command letter to author 7 April 1994
6. US
Space Command letter to author 7 April 1994
7. US
Space Command Regulation USR 55-12, Space Surveillance Network (SSN) June
1 1992
8. US
Space Command correspondence with author, 21 July 1995.
9. Ibid.
'The North American Aerospace Defense command (NORAD) is a bi-national
Command established by international agreement (33 United States Treaties
1277), and is subject to control by both US and Canadian executive agencies.
It is not a US Government agency as defined in the ACT, and consequently,
it is not subject to the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).'
10. NORAD
letter to author 13 November 1995.
11. NORAD
letter to author 24 August 1995.
12. Current
NORAD records in the author's possession.
13. NR
55-1, Aerospace Reporting System has been revised and altered to 55-14,
written by NORAD operators (Nj30G) in the Space Control Centre of Cheyenne
Mountain Air Station. NORAD communications of 3 and 13 May 1994 to author.
14. Air
Force Manual 10-206, September 1 1995, Operational Reporting, chapter 5,
para 5.7.3
15. NORAD
letter of 16 December 1995 to author
16. Ibid.
17. NORAD
communication with author 17 March 1994
18.
Ibid. NORAD also informed me that 'Russia's aerospace command is called
the Strategic Rocket Forces, some aspects of their command is similar to
NORAD and the USSPACECOM to include surveillance and tracking, early warning
and related areas. But their command also includes operational control
of all strategic and defensive ballistic missiles.' |
