The U.S. government’s involvement in UFO/UAP research spans over 75 years, with programs ranging from public Air Force projects to classified Pentagon initiatives only recently acknowledged.
Historical Programs (1947-1969)
Project Sign (1947-1949)
- First official UFO study
- Concluded some UFOs were interplanetary
- Report rejected and destroyed by Air Force leadership
- Replaced due to extraterrestrial hypothesis
Project Grudge (1949-1952)
- Debunking-focused successor
- Aimed to explain away all sightings
- Public relations effort to reduce UFO reports
- Criticized for poor investigation methods
Project Blue Book (1952-1969)
- Longest-running public program
- 12,618 cases investigated
- 701 remained unexplained
- Terminated after Condon Report
The Hidden Years (1969-2007)
Despite official claims, evidence suggests continued classified study:
- Project Moon Dust: Retrieved space debris (possible UFO materials)
- Operation Blue Fly: Quick reaction teams for anomalous objects
- DSP Satellite Program: Detected “fastwalkers” in space
Modern Era Programs (2007-Present)
AAWSAP (2007-2012)
Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program
- $22 million funding via Senator Harry Reid
- Contracted to Bigelow Aerospace
- Studied UFOs and paranormal phenomena
- Produced 38 classified reports
AATIP (2007-2017?)
Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program
- Led by Luis Elizondo
- Focused on military UFO encounters
- Analyzed Navy pilot videos
- Existence revealed by NY Times in 2017
UAP Task Force (2020-2022)
- Established by Deputy Secretary of Defense
- First official acknowledgment since Blue Book
- Produced June 2021 UAP Report to Congress
- Confirmed 144 encounters, 1 explained
AARO (2022-Present)
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
- Expanded scope beyond aerial phenomena
- Congressional mandate with regular reporting
- Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick first director
- Investigating current and historical cases
Special Access Programs (SAPs)
Whistleblowers allege additional programs:
Alleged Recovery Programs
- “The Program”: Crash retrieval operations
- Reverse Engineering: Study of recovered materials
- Biological Studies: Non-human entity research
Compartmentalized Research
- Private aerospace contractor involvement
- “Need to know” basis limiting oversight
- Congressional members claim exclusion
- Inspector General investigations ongoing
International Cooperation
Recent developments include:
- Five Eyes intelligence sharing on UAP
- NATO working groups established
- United Nations discussions initiated
Key Revelations
- Continuous Study: Gap between Blue Book and modern programs likely filled by classified work
- Private Contractor Role: Most research potentially in corporate facilities
- Congressional Oversight: Historically limited, now expanding
- Multi-Domain Focus: Modern programs study air, sea, space phenomena
Current Legislative Actions
UAP Disclosure Act (2023-2024)
- Eminent domain for recovered materials
- Review board for declassification
- Protections for whistleblowers
- Timeline for public disclosure
Schumer-Rounds Amendment
- Presidential authority over UAP records
- Independent review board creation
- Presumption of disclosure
- Corporate contractor compliance
What We Don’t Know
- Full scope of Special Access Programs
- Extent of recovered materials
- Results of reverse-engineering efforts
- International program coordination
- Private contractor holdings
The evolution from Project Sign to AARO represents not just bureaucratic reshuffling, but a fundamental shift in how the U.S. government approaches the phenomenon—from denial and debunking to acknowledgment and investigation.