Clifford Stone Special Report 6 - Air Force investigation of UFOs

Magazine Overview

This document, "SPECIAL REPORT 6: THE U.S. AIR FORCE'S REAL INVESTIGATION OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS," authored by Clifford E. Stone, Director of Research at the UFO Enigma Museum, and dated September 17, 1992, posits that the U.S. Air Force's genuine investigation into Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) was conducted by a specialized intelligence unit, bypassing the publicly known Project Blue Book.

The True Investigation: 4602d AISS

The report challenges the long-held belief that Project Blue Book was the sole official investigation into UFOs. Instead, it asserts that Project Blue Book primarily served as a public relations program to manage public inquiries. The real investigation, according to the document, was carried out by the Air Defense Command's 4602d Air Intelligence Service Squadron (AISS). This unit has operated under various names over the years, including the 1006th AISS, 1127th USAF Field Activities Group, and 7602d USAF Field Activities Group, and is currently known as the U.S. Air Force Special Activities Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The AISS had a dual mission: a wartime objective of "exploiting downed enemy people, papers, and hardware," and a peacetime mission of providing intelligence teams to "recover or perform field exploitation of unidentified flying objects, or known Soviet/Bloc aerospace vehicles, weapons systems, and/or residual components of such equipment."

Air Force Regulations and Definitions

To understand the AISS's role, the report examines early Air Force documents, particularly Air Force Regulation (AFR) 200-2, dated August 12, 1954, titled "Unidentified Flying Objects (short title: UFOB)." This regulation is highlighted for several reasons:

• It was an Intelligence Regulation, distinct from a Research and Development Regulation (AFR 80-17) that would later be associated with the Condon Project.
• It provided the Air Force's definition of a UFO, distinguishing them from "familiar objects." This definition evolved, especially after the Condon Project.
• It outlined responsibilities for investigating UFO reports, which also changed with the Condon Project.

AFR 200-2 mandated that UFO reports be forwarded to the University of Colorado for the Condon Project. However, the report notes a problem: cases classified at Top Secret levels or under programs like SCI would not be accessible to the Condon Project. This necessitated a review of UFO reports before transmission, a task that fell to the 4602d AISS (then known as the 7602d USAF Field Activities Group).

The report contrasts two definitions of a UFO:

• AFR 200-2: "any airborne object which by performance, aerodynamic characteristics, or unusual features does not conform to any presently known aircraft or missile type, or which cannot be positively identified as a familiar object."
• AFR 80-17: "any aerial phenomenon which is unknown or appears out of the ordinary to the observer."

The author characterizes the AFR 200-2 definition as serious, assuming factual reporting and a real, unknown object, while AFR 80-17 is dismissed as a joke, assuming the observer was mistaken and no unknown objects were involved.

Air Force's Interest and Stance

According to AFR 200-2, the Air Force's interest in UFOs was twofold: first, as a potential threat to national security, and second, to determine technical aspects. The regulation acknowledged that no UFO had posed a threat to U.S. security to date but warned of the possibility that new air vehicles, hostile aircraft, or missiles might be mistaken for flying objects by observers. The report emphasizes that the Air Force explicitly stated it was not looking for extraterrestrial vehicles, maintaining an official stance that they could not exist and therefore did not exist.

Investigation Procedures and Reporting

AFR 200-2 clarified that the Air Defense Command had a direct interest in UFO reports and possessed the capability to investigate them through the 4602d AISS. All Air Force activities were authorized to conduct preliminary investigations, but further action required the 4602d AISS's approval. Base Project Blue Book officers conducted initial investigations, but any follow-on work needed clearance from the 4602d AISS, not Project Blue Book Headquarters. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) would only become involved after the Air Defense Command exhausted its efforts to identify a UFO.

All UFO reports of intelligence value were to be submitted to the Director of Intelligence at Headquarters USAF in Washington, D.C., by the 4602d. Overseas reports were also sent directly to the Director of Intelligence before transmission to ATIC. The report suggests that many overseas cases never reached Project Blue Book.

Furthermore, the report points out that the Air Technical Intelligence Center, Foreign Technology Division, which housed the Aerial Phenomena Branch (Project Blue Book), also housed a unit of the 4602d AISS (now Detachment 22, U.S. Air Force Special Activities Center). Evidence suggests that some reports that should have gone to Blue Book were retained by the 4602d AISS, indicating that the unit continued to analyze UFO reports of intelligence interest.

Evidence Handling and Classification

Suspected or actual items from alleged UFOs were to be collected and safeguarded to prevent defacing or alteration that could reduce their value for intelligence examination and analysis. This task was delineated to the 4602d AISS in 1954, with an Air Force Intelligence Memo (the Betz Memo) stating the 4602d AISS was the only unit capable of this mission.

Conclusions

The report concludes that the 4602d AISS conducted the U.S. Air Force's real UFO investigations. Cases with vital intelligence interest were routinely sent to relevant agencies, bypassing Project Blue Book. If the public or media inquired, only limited information, sometimes disinformation, was provided to Project Blue Book to satisfy their questions. Headquarters USAF was responsible for releasing summaries of evaluated data to inform the public. For unexplainable objects, only the fact that ATIC would analyze the data was to be released, due to the many unknowns involved.

Documents released over the years indicate the 4602d AISS's involvement with UFOs continued long after Project Blue Book closed, including cases in the USSR and Belgium. The report asserts that the U.S. Air Force maintains a classified interest in UFOs today.

The author suggests that sufficient evidence exists to prove the existence of UFOs, but frames the issue as scientific rather than legal. He believes concrete evidence and proof can be found within the classified vaults of the U.S. Air Force Special Activities Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which continues the Air Force's real UFO investigation, classified to the extent that the Air Force may neither confirm nor deny the existence of related programs for national security reasons.

Project Moon Dust and Operation Blue Fly

The report mentions that the U.S. Air Force changed the code name to Project Moon Dust when it became compromised, likely between 1980 and 1985. By March 1991, the code name had not changed to Operation Blue Fly. These programs, whether Moon Dust or Blue Fly, dealt with two primary items of intelligence: the recovery of objects of unknown origin or known Soviet/Bloc space debris. Both programs remain highly classified.

Senator Bingaman's Request and Government Secrecy

On February 24, 1992, Senator Bingaman's office requested files concerning the alleged UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico, on July 2, 1947, from the U.S. Air Force Special Activities Center. As of the report's writing, over seven months later, the agency had not responded. When the author made a similar request, the agency replied that they could neither confirm nor deny the existence of information concerning these projects, as any response would reveal classified information. The report questions what constitutes a national security interest when the item in question is not considered a threat by the government itself.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The central theme of this report is the assertion that the U.S. Air Force conducted a clandestine and serious investigation into UFOs through its intelligence apparatus (primarily the 4602d AISS), distinct from and more significant than the public-facing Project Blue Book. The report emphasizes government secrecy, classification, and the potential for disinformation regarding UFO phenomena. The author's stance is critical of the official Air Force position, suggesting that evidence for UFO reality is suppressed and that the true investigation continues under extreme classification. The report advocates for a scientific approach to UFOs, implying that the necessary evidence resides within classified government archives.

This document is a collection of declassified intelligence reports and a response letter concerning unidentified phenomena, primarily UFO sightings. The reports originate from various US intelligence agencies and detail observations made in the USSR and Belgium.

Report on Shadrinsk Sighting (August/September 1974)

This report, dated November 26, 1987, details a UFO sighting in Shadrinsk, Kurgan Oblast, USSR, during August or September 1974. The source, described as having above-average intelligence and being very cooperative, personally observed the phenomenon. The sighting involved a strong, bright light in the form of a triangular segment that emanated from an unidentified flying object. The object was observed low on the horizon and moved from south to north for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before being obscured by a building. No sound was detected. The source stated the segment appeared three-dimensional and would have appeared conical if viewed from above or below. The source was accompanied by the senior navigator of the flight-training department, and both agreed that the light was brighter and stronger than anything they had ever observed, and that no known aircraft could produce such a light. They speculated it could be new Soviet technology, hostile US activity, or an extraterrestrial craft. The source, a former navigator with extensive knowledge of Soviet aircraft capabilities, was reportedly very much astounded.

Observations of Lights and Objects in the USSR

Further observations, with exact dates not recalled, consisted of domes of light, points of light, and ellipse or cylindrically shaped objects.

Domes of Light

On one occasion, a silver-colored light was observed in the Azerbaijan region of the USSR. A bright center point emitted light in all directions, which slowly increased the size of a less bright dome. The center light continued for about 15 minutes, while the dome lasted over 30 minutes. The source did not believe it was caused by a strategic rocket launch. A similar phenomenon, with an orange center light and dome, was observed near Kuybyshev, USSR.

Points of Light

During springtime, four points of greenish light were observed over the Caucasus Mountains. The lights were spreading and appeared approximately 150 to 200 kilometers from the source. Each point emitted a separate light. Cloud cover prevented the lights from being seen from the ground.

Objects

• Personal Sighting: Near the Black Sea, the source observed an object flying in vertical circles. The bright silver-colored object was approximately 50 to 60 km from the source. It moved away as the source approached and then moved back. The dimensions and exact shape were difficult to determine.
• Unidentified Object: In the spring of 1984, a friend of the source reported an unidentified object approaching the coastline of the Black Sea. The pilot never acquired a visual identification.
• Ellipse Shaped Object: During night flights, several aircrews reported an ellipse-shaped object flying more than 20 km away, emitting a light in one direction that looked like it was coming from a movie projector.

Report on Belgium UFO Issue

This section pertains to a request made by Mr. Clifford E. Stone on April 19, 1991, for a message entitled "Belgium and the UFO Issue." The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), in a letter dated May 1, 1991, from Robert C. Hardzog, Chief of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Staff, responded that some portions of the document were withheld under 5 U.S.C. 552 (b) (1) and (b) (2). The DIA stated that the agency has no requirement for the collection of information pertaining to UFOs and therefore does not analyze such information. The letter also advised Mr. Stone on how to appeal the decision to withhold records.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in these documents are the observation of unexplained aerial phenomena, particularly in the Soviet Union, and the official stance of US intelligence agencies regarding the collection and analysis of UFO-related information. The DIA's response clearly indicates a policy of non-involvement in UFO analysis, citing a lack of requirement for such data collection. The reports themselves, however, document detailed observations by credible sources, including military personnel and aircrew, suggesting a persistent interest in these phenomena within certain intelligence circles, even if not officially analyzed.

This document is an evaluated intelligence report classified by the Department of Defense, dated March 1990, concerning UFO sightings in Belgium. The report, identified by DOI (U) 900326 and IIR 6 807 0136 90, draws information from French language newspapers 'La Dernier Heure' and 'Le Soir'.

Summary of UFO Sightings in Belgium

The report indicates that numerous UFO sightings have been made in Belgium since November 1989. The credibility of individuals reporting these sightings varies, ranging from unsophisticated observers to well-educated and prominent individuals. While some sightings have been explained by natural or man-made phenomena, others remain unexplained. The Belgian Air Force (BAF) is continuing its investigation into these events.

Key Witness Accounts and Incidents

Professor Leon Brenig's Observation

Source A cites Mr. Leon Brenig, a 43-year-old professor of statistics and physics at the Free University of Brussels. He claims to have taken pictures of a phenomenon, which are being developed and will be published by the Belgian Society for the Study of Space Phenomena if of good quality. On Sunday, March 18, 1990, at 20:30 hours, while driving on the Ardennes autoroute in the Beaufays region near Liege, Mr. Brenig observed an airborne object approaching from the north. The object was described as being in the form of a triangle, about the size of a ping-pong ball, with a yellow light surrounding a reddish center that varied in intensity. Its altitude was estimated to be between 500 and 1000 meters. It moved at a slow speed, made no sound, and did not behave like an aircraft. Mr. Brenig's friend, who came to the area and took pictures with a zoom lens, confirmed that the object could not be an aircraft or a hologram projection, especially as the sky was cloudless.

Belgian Television Interview with Col. Debrouwer

Source B discusses a Belgian television interview with Col. Wil Debrouwer, Chief of Operations for the BAF. Col. Debrouwer noted the large number of reported sightings, particularly in the Liege area during November 1989, and stated that both the BAF and the Ministry of Defense (MOD) are taking the issue seriously. BAF experts have been unable to explain the phenomena. Col. Debrouwer specifically addressed the possibility of the objects being USAF B-2 or F-117 stealth aircraft, noting that while these might not appear on Belgian radar, they could be visually sighted at low altitudes in the Ardennes. However, he clarified that no USAF overflight requests for such missions had been received, and the observed phenomena did not correspond to the characteristics of US aircraft.

Belgian Air Force Officer's Sighting

Another incident, similar to Mr. Brenig's, reportedly happened to a Belgian Air Force officer in the same Liege area during November 1989. The officer and his wife were allegedly blinded by a huge, bright flying object as they were driving on the autoroute. They abandoned their car in fear and ran into the woods. Although they could not provide a detailed description, they insisted the object appeared real, and their credibility was noted as solid.

BAF and MOD Response and Findings

Col. Debrouwer confirmed that the BAF is concerned about the UFO issue and is taking action to investigate the information they have, though he is not optimistic about resolving the problem. The BAF has ruled out some sightings being caused by inversion layers, laser beams, or other forms of high-intensity lighting hitting clouds. However, a significant number of sightings occurred on clear nights with no nearby explainable activity. The USAF confirmed to the BAF and Belgian MOD that no USAF stealth aircraft were operating in the Ardennes area during the relevant periods.

Comments and Analysis

Comments within the report indicate that concrete information is limited, except for verifying the large volume of sightings and their similarity during November 1989. The BAF's concern and ongoing investigation highlight the seriousness with which the phenomenon is being treated, despite the lack of definitive explanations.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this report are the prevalence of UFO sightings in Belgium, the varying credibility of witnesses, the official investigations by the Belgian Air Force and Ministry of Defense, and the lack of concrete explanations for many observed phenomena. The report maintains a neutral, fact-based stance, presenting witness accounts and official responses without overt speculation, while acknowledging the ongoing nature of the investigations and the challenges in resolving the issue.