NSEC503 U.S.

National Security

Assignment 1

Ryan Bobber

19 April 2020

UFOs and the National Security State

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. - Carl Sagan

Political:  The purpose of brief is to provide a succinct summary into the ubiquitous nature of

unexplained aerial phenomenon (UAPs) happening across the United States and Globally. In so

doing, this brief is meant to give the unacquainted politician (or concerned citizen) an informed

inquiry into historical events. Otherwise known as an Unidentified Flying Object[s] (UFOs);

these sightings and or events are not new, therefore a thorough examination into said

phenomenon will provide a transparent backdrop for future determinations and the requisite tools

to reach a meaningful course of action when crafting future operational policies.

The objective of this brief is not to provide substantial proof of whether these events are the

result of visitations by “little green men” or aliens from distant galaxies. Be that as it may, our

purpose is merely to advance a general understanding that such phenomenon exists, persists and

requires careful consideration within the spheres of National Security. Our focus in presenting

such phenomenon in a judicious fashion is solely to appreciate that there is a credible existential

phenomenon and to what extent (is it a threat?) and ultimately does it affect our National

Security?

When it comes to the paranormal it is often easier to be skeptical and to draw uninformed

conclusions, rather than remain objective and examine the facts in their entirety. Although, this

topic at first glance seems laughable, whilst drawing criticisms of it being a grand government

conspiracy or highlighting the paranoid rants of “tinfoil hat wearing devotees”, it has nonetheless

remained enduring and captured the imagination of millions. Indeed, questions have lingered on

the peripherals in the minds of skeptics and enthusiasts alike. Undoubtedly, it is an elusive

subject matter when it is regarded as (no pun intended) out of this world, to the contrary ample

historical evidence has suggests otherwise.

From the dawn of human history anecdotal folklore, myths and legends of “visitors” are common

amongst peoples from all corners of the earth. Even the Old Testament in the Holy Bible refers

to Ezekiel being taking up in a fiery chariot and instructed by the Nephilim, otherwise known as

the “Fallen Ones”. (Holy Bible, n.d.) Likewise, ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts describe in detail

stories of flying chariots or palaces otherwise known as Vimāna[s]. Native American accounts

of star brothers from distant worlds forever cataloged in the petroglyphs of the American

Southwest. In the 1930 French anthropologist were perplexed by the profound astronomical

knowledge of Dogon Tribe of Mali in West Africa, despite living in an archaic existence. To

paraphrase, the Dogon had a creation story parallel to the Big Bang, knowledge of subatomic

particles, were aware of place in the Milky Way Galaxy and most convincingly held specific

knowledge of hidden stars in Sirius constellation. The Sirius revelations was only confirmed

decades later once substantial improvements in the design of telescopes were made. (Staff 2019)

Whereas, in the U.S. the term “flying saucers” was originally coined by the Associated Press

(circa 1947), in light of a private pilot Kenneth Arnold testimony of observing flying dics while

flying on a business trip near Mount Rainier over the Cascade Mountains. It was reported,

“[Arnold] spotted nine shiny discs moving in formation at something over 1,200 mph.” (Clark

2018, The UFO Phenomenon: A Historical Overview)

Military:  The Twentieth Century has seen no exception to similar observations of UFOs,

although the pseudonyms vary with the times, the capabilities are remarkably identical. For

example, during WWII puzzling accounts from allied pilots would report an assortment of

strange lights sharing the same airspace in both the European and Pacific theaters of War; “They

usually paralleled or followed aircraft and were seen by aviators on all sides of the action, being

reported by American, British, German and Japanese crews. No Foo Fighter was known or
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reported to have made or attempted any sort of contact, interaction or attack.”  (unknown n.d.)

These lights were commonly referred to as Foo fighters.

In the past, there were many misplaced assumptions of UFOs as advanced foreign weaponry.

From WWII throughout the Cold War several accounts gained significant attention. One such

example, started in Sweden in 1946, after thousand separate accounts of a “peculiar, fast-moving

objects in the sky… residents described seeing missile- or rocket-like objects in flight, which

were dubbed “ghost rockets” because of their fleeting nature.” (Eghigian 2018) Initially serious

investigations were followed by the U.S., U.K. and Scandinavia intelligence agencies, suspecting

the Soviet were secretly testing a new rocket technology. However, presumptions were quickly

dismissed as mass postwar hysteria and as the result of German V-1 and V-2 crashes during the

war.

Likewise, the United States and Canada has had multiple cases of UFO sightings documented on

or near military installations that housed nuclear armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

(ICBs). One such example happened in 1967 at the Malmstrom Air Force Base, three former Air

Force Officer swore a glowing red object roughly 30 feet in diameter “hovered over nuclear

missile silos around... causing problems with the military base.” (https://www.fox61.com n.d.)

To paraphrase another report from CNN, involving the same incident referred to such problems

as the deactivation of some nuclear missiles. (https://news.blogs.cnn.com 2010) The Soviets

experienced similar situations, “documents smuggled out of Russia in the 1990s confirm that

Soviet nukes were also the focus of UFO interest during the Cold War era.” (Hastings, n.d.) One

must ask, why are UFOs so frequent amongst these highly sensitive areas?

Recently multiple signing have been reported by Navy Aviators (between 2004 through 2015)

during training exercises off both the East and West coasts. Additionally, what makes these
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sightings even more remarkable was the fact that they were captured simultaneously on video by

F-18s sophisticated tactical cameras and advanced naval radars from the air and sea. Three know

videos were released to news media, “One of the vehicles in question is said to have resembled a

giant Tic Tac the size of a commercial plane, and the UFOs were able to “accelerate, slow down

and then hit hypersonic speeds.” Another is said to be “like a sphere encasing a cube.” These

UFOs seem to stay airborne all day, despite having no apparent source of energy.” (Frank 2019)

These UAPs were so frequent it forced the Navy to make drastic changes to long held reporting

procedures that until recently officially turned a blind eye (unacknowledged) toward said

phenomenon. It wasn’t until several near midair mishaps with such phenomenon that this could

no longer be swept under the rug.

Economic: Advanced military and aerospace companies are always leaning forward into the

next battle front and are pushing research at least a generation ahead of contemporary aerospace

technologies. Certain researchers already suspect some UFOs are (in reality) developed right

here on planet Earth. These presumptions are based on eyewitness testimony or even the

statements of key leaders within the military industrial complex. For instance, Ben Rich was the

Father of the U.S. Stealth programs and renowned aeronautical engineer for the secretive

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. Publicly in the 90s he once professed, “We now have the

technology to take ET home” (Staff 2019) Mr. Rich passed away in 1995, so his cryptic

announcement may never come to light. However, for the untrained eye seeing a B-2 Stealth

Bomber or an advanced military drone are basically black triangles. It is easy to misinterpret

what you are actually seeing and make the assumption it’s a UFO in the classic sense.

By the same token, with the retirement of the NASA manned space shuttle flight program it

created a void in the world stage for space exploration and innovation. This lack of competition
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has permitted the Russian Space Agency to be the solitary taxi service for the International Space

Station. Yet space travel and exploration are no longer in the hands of nation states that can

generate the necessary resources required to maintain such programs. Money is the new

motivator and space commerce is the final frontier for daring speculators and is anticipated to be

the first multi trillion-dollar enterprise in human history. The last decade in particular has

witnessed astonishing advancements made by private companies. This has become a

Billionaire’s game, with seasoned entrepreneurs like Richard Branson (Virgin-Galactic), Jeff

Bezoes (Blue Origin) and Elon Musk (Space-X) to name a few. Space-X was the first private

company to have flown to the International Space Station and has successfully done it several

times; “delivering cargo in an uncrewed version and once carrying a dummy astronaut. The first

Crew Dragon [Rocket] flight with astronauts is expected to launch later this year.” (Wendel

2020) This freedom of movement within outer-space is critical to both our National Security and

future commercial opportunities.

Social:  The social impact to a widespread observation of UFOs within the United States is

uncertain. Many civilian organizations already exist for the reporting of said phenomenon, like

the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). They receive tens of thousands of reports annually and

conduct their own research. If there was unequivocal massive event/evidence of a noteworthy

proportions how would we respond? On the one hand, imagine the constant stream of 24-hour

new media feeds wild speculations, or asking our government for answers they don’t have.

Massive runs for food and guns/ammo, lack of essential services as people stop showing up for

work or school, even church. The potential for mass panic exists whenever there is a paradigm

shift to people’s daily life, deep held religious convictions or even their place in the universe.
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On the other hand, UFOs and to a greater degree Aliens Life has been center stage in our

entertainment industry for at least a half a century. Some of the most iconic Hollywood movies

have centered around UFOs and our advancement into a space faring race, such as Star Wars,

Independence Day, War of the Worlds or Star Trek have packed theaters and captured the

imagination of countless fans. And with a steady trickle of a slow drip of hypothetical UFO

(discloser) via the Big screen, it is plausible the public reaction will be one of apathy. If one were

to do a cursory investigation into UFOs there is no lack of resources since the advent of the

internet, countless books or documentaries.

Infrastructure: The United States has arguably the most superior tactical fighter aircraft[s] in the

world. Our Air Supremacy has been unmatched by terrestrial competitors. However, these

UFO’s show capabilities that defy the laws of physics and are beyond our current capabilities.

Notwithstanding, we at least have the resources to monitor this activity with our vast network of

military airbases, long range radar, and Air Traffic Control facilities. Certainly, the United States

has some of the most sensitive and advance radar technology in the world. Including NORAD

(North American Aerospace Defense Command) that monitors the airspace above U.S. and

Canada, it also coordinates space satellites from colliding as well as serves as the first strike

command center in the event of a Nuclear War.

Currently our ability travel in space is limited to low Earth orbit at best, where some scientist

argue messages from distant worlds will come about via radio signals. Like Dr. Shostak, the

senior astronomer, and director of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute,

suggesting, "we are going to find alien life within the next 20 years." (Rabinowitz 2011) Though,

our infrastructure will soon encompass space, the moon and possibly even Mars. A long-time

proponent of interstellar exploration, Elon Musk had made numerous statements, including

“publicly talked about ventures such as building a greenhouse on the Red Planet and, more

ambitiously, establishing a Mars colony.” (Howell 2019) Recently President Donald Trump

created a new U.S. Space Force within the Department of the Air Force; through the National

Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020. As this new military branch takes shape since it

is only in its infancy it will be interesting what its mission statement will be and what capabilities

they will possess.

Information: Over the years there has been a multitude of official studies into this matter. One of

the more notable was an Air Force investigation named project Blue Book. Between 1948 and

1969 Project Blue Book examined over “12,618 reported UFO sightings and said that 701

remain "unidentified." But in the end, the project concluded: No UFO reported, investigated, and

evaluated by the Air Force has ever given any indication of threat to our national security.”

(Levenson 2019)

Ongoing research into unidentified aerial phenomena has persisted under the little know

intelligence program AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program). A

spokesman for AATIP Christopher Sherwood acknowledged “The Department of Defense is

always concerned…,[in] reports of unidentified aircraft encountered by US military aviators in

order to ensure defense of the homeland and protection against strategic surprise by our nation’s

adversaries.” (Greenstreet 2019) The Department of Defense allegedly still investigates sightings

of alien spacecraft, even though the AATIP program was cancelled in 2012.

In conclusion, this phenomenon in my assessment is a National Security risk, yet the scope of

whether or not it is a threat needs to be determined. Extensive breaches of our controlled

airspace have become commonplace, interference with Military Exercises, even probing around

the International Space Station. Although we possess the greatest military capabilities in the
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history of mankind these UFOs seem to be outperforming us exponentially. In like manner, the

interference with Nuclear Arms is also very concerning, and justifies further investigation.

Yet there remains a small but well financed, highly organized and exceedingly classified

elements within the federal government unofficially referred to as the deep state; it consists of

various factions of our military, NASA, law enforcement, and intelligence communities that

have maintained an ongoing yet clandestine investigation for at least 80 years.

Reference List:

Clark, Jerome. 2018. Cultural Studies: The UFO Encyclopedia. N.p.: Omnigraphics,

Inc. https://search-credoreference-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/content/title/ogiufo?

tab=entry_view&entry_id=273.

Eghigian, Greg. 2018. “How UFO Reports Change With the Technology of the Times.”

https://www.smithsonianmag.comFebruary 1,

2018. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-ufo-reports-change-with-technology-times-

180968011/.

Frank, T.A. 2019. “Please, God let it be aliens and not Trumps Space Force.”

https://www.vanityfair.comMay 10, 2019. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/please-

god-let-it-be-aliens-and-not-trumps-space-force.

Greenstreet, Steven. 2019. “The Pentagon finally admits it investigates UFOs.”

https://nypost.comMay 22, 2019. https://nypost.com/2019/05/22/the-pentagon-finally-admits-it-

investigates-ufos/.

Hastings, Robert. “The UFO / Nuclear Weapons Connection.” https://www.ufohastings.com

Accessed April 19, 2020. https://www.ufohastings.com/documentary.

Howell, Elizabeth. 2019. “Elon Musk: Revolutionary Private Space Entrepreneur.”

https://www.space.com/August 20, 2019. https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html.

https://news.blogs.cnn.com. 2010. “UFOs eyed nukes, ex-Air Force personnel say.” September

27, 2010. https://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/27/ufos-showed-interest-in-nukes-ex-air-force-

personnel-say/comment-page-1/.
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https://www.fox61.com. 2020. “Aliens, flying discs and sightings — oh my! A short history of

UFOs in America.” Accessed April 19,

2020. https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/outreach/awareness-months/aliens-flying-discs-

and-sightings-oh-my-a-short-history-of-ufos-in-america/520-f8c16e40-f61c-4903-8554-

aa16c5feab7b.

Levenson, Eric. 2019. “Aliens, flying discs and sightings -- oh my! A short history of UFOs in

America.” https://www.cnn.comSeptember 20, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/20/us/ufo-

sightings-history-scn-trnd/index.html.

Staff, Gaia. 2019. “Ben Rich, Lockheed Martin and UFOs.” https://www.gaia.comDecember 3,

2019. https://www.gaia.com/article/ben-rich-lockheed-martin-and-ufos.

Rabinowitz, Marco. 2011. “How Would an Extraterrestrial Arrival Affect the Markets?”

https://www.benzinga.comDecember 17,

2011. https://www.benzinga.com/general/politics/11/12/2214332/how-would-an-extraterrestrial-

arrival-affect-the-markets.

Staff, Gaia. 2019. “Was the Sirius Star System Home to the Dogon African Tribe?”

https://www.gaia.comOctober 13, 2019. https://www.gaia.com/article/did-this-african-tribe-

originate-in-another-star-system.

unknown. “FOO FIGHTERS:WORLD WAR II UFO'S BEFORE AND AFTER.”

http://sped2work.tripod.com Accessed April 18,

2020. http://sped2work.tripod.com/foo_fighters.htm.
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Wendel, JoAnna. 2020. “SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explains why we need a 'whole new

architecture' for space travel.” https://www.space.comMarch 10,

2020. https://www.space.com/elon-musk-spacex-starship-new-spaceflight-architecture.html.