Click to enlarge
The above table compares public statements made about UAP in 2021 with those made publicly (and secretly) about UFOs before 1971. The left hand side represents statements made in a
2021 report by US National Intelligence while the right hand side has statements made in an archived
1971 report by Australian Intelligence which is publicly available through National Archives Australia or
The Black Vault.
The striking similarity between public UAP/UFO statements made 50 years apart makes one wonder if the underlying beliefs and agenda are still the same.
While the short public unclassified 2021 report doesn't explicitly unpack all those beliefs and agenda the 1971 report does so in some detail which may lead to helpful insights when interpreting today's 'Disclosure' environment.
Let's examine the underlying processes, beliefs and agenda considered in the 1971 report for each of the types of statement listed in the above table.
UAPs/UFOs are real and need further study
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: Official US investigations as early as 1947 believed that some reported UFO phenomena were real, and initially Soviet advanced aircraft were suspected. Further study was called for which was publicly stated to be for the collection and analysis of more UFO incidents while for some government agencies it was more about determining UFO propulsion methods. Considerable funds were later allocated to investigate and control gravity through six Gravity Control Centres.
We don't know what they are?
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: While initially suspecting Soviet advanced aircraft, by 1948 most US investigators were focussing on an interplanetary origin. The Pentagon rejected any interplanetary conclusions due to a lack of hard evidence. In 1949 US Intelligence recommended placing more effort on collecting factual evidence that included photographs, radar, physical evidence and data on size and shape, rather than recording, analysing and evaluating all UFO incident reports.
During the 1950s several recently retired US Intelligence Officers repeatedly stated that it was already known that some UFOs were extraterrestrial. In 1960 it became an offence under the Espionage Act for retired service personnel to reveal data on UFOs.
UAPs/UFOs are a threat to national security
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: UFOs being a threat to national security was often expressed although this view wasn't universally accepted. UFO data collection became classified and attempts were made to discredit any acceptance of UFOs. During 1949 official investigating personnel were replaced "with personnel willing to ridicule the concept of UFOs".
In 1953 an intelligence report based on the work of a panel of scientists concluded that there was no direct threat to national security.
There are UAP/UFO safety concerns
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: In 1952 there was a twenty fold rise in reported UFO activity which raised concerns that overcrowded military communications and defence forces involvement lessened the level of national alertness against possible enemy attack. In 2021 the concern expressed about UAP activity in the public report was more about air traffic safety.
We have limited data on UAPs/UFOs
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: Throughout the years of the UFO phenomenon, there has been a persistent official view that the percentage of unknowns would be reduced if more data was available. This is a misleading view since thousands of incident reports were available. By the mid 1950s 900 incident reports were considered to be 'Good' or 'Excellent' and formal reporting procedures were in place for many government agencies.
Scope: Narrow
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: In the past formal public reports on UAP/UFOs narrowed the range of incident reporting years that were considered to reduce the perceived number of unknowns "no matter how senseless the identification became". This was more about a process of managing public perceptions than honest reporting. During 1953 the purpose of Project Blue Book was changed to be "a means of publicly "debunking" UFOs".
Natural explanations are most likely
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: Many UFO incidents can be attributed to natural phenomena however this fact has been deliberately over emphasised to imply that most UFO incidents are natural phenomena and those that remain unknown will eventually turn out to be natural phenomena.
In 1949 a 600 page report on UFOs concluded that all incident reports "were the result of misidentifications, mass hysteria and hoaxes".
In 1953 an Intelligence report called for the public to be educated to recognise balloons and meteors, and that "a policy of "debunking" should be introduced to reduce public interest". "The public is to be only informed of the results of individual cases where "the object is positively identified as a familiar object". "
The 2021 UAP report only identified one incident. "We were able to identify one reported UAP with
high confidence. In that case, we identified the object as a large, deflating balloon."
Trained observers with instrumentation provide more reliable reports
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: The value of trained observers was recognised in both the 1971 and 2021 reports. It was also recognised by the public. In 1954 airline pilots "were coerced by military intelligence... to agree to not informing the public of their UFO sightings".
Control of public awareness of the UFO situation was tightened in 1953 when service personnel were prohibited from discussing UFOs and threatened with 10 years jail and up to a $10,000 fine.
By erecting a façade of ridicule the US hoped to "allay public alarm" and provide a "cover for the real US programmes developing vehicles that emulated UFO performances".
The 1971 report noted that many countries gave credence to the public façade and uncritically accepted information that had been widely discredited by retired US service personnel as well as by scientists.
The 2021 report noted that there was a 'stigma' associated with reporting UAP incidents. (See UAP Collection Challenges.)
We need a more scientific approach
Processes/Beliefs/Agenda: In 1966 well-publicised Michigan sightings were officially identified as being 'swamp gas' which caused a public outcry. There was a call for a more scientific approach and that university teams should be involved. However this move was discredited when the academic called on to lead the project publicly stated that "my attitude right now is that there's nothing to it, but I 'm not supposed to reach a conclusion for another year". A memorandum was also revealed outlining a method to trick the public.
There have been constant calls for greater scientific involvement however even the 2021 report noted that stigma and "reputational risk" complicates scientific pursuit of the UAP topic. The 2021 report believes that "
the effects of these stigmas have
lessened as senior members of the scientific, policy, military, and intelligence
communities engage on the topic seriously in public."
Moving forward...
It's clear that UAP/UFO incidents and studies have a long history coloured by many factors. I'm not really interested in finger pointing. I am interested in processes to move forward and co-create preferred futures.
UAP/UFO 'Disclosure' as some have noted is a long and complicated process. Some of the beliefs, attitudes and successful management of public perception through the 1940s to 1960s became deeply ingrained in society and culture - and not just in the US.
It's also clear that through the 1940s to 1960s there were competing processes, beliefs and agenda between and even within government agencies dealing with UFO phenomena. That's probably still true today.
However while there may be many similarities between the 2021 and 1971 reports we live in a very different world today. As the preliminary June 2021 report notes there is now public engagement by senior members of scientific, policy, military, and intelligence communities.
Christopher Mellon and others believe there has been significant progress towards open transparency.
Over the last couple of decades in parallel to the intelligence/military conversation many credible scientists, academics and investigative journalists have been progressing our understanding of the UAP/UFO issue through a range of publications. There are even comprehensive courses on Exo Studies. It's in this space that we find a deeper understanding and conversation of both UAPs/UFOs and related phenomena - including the nature of extraterrestrial intelligences.
Since 1971, and particularly since 2001, many more ex service personnel and others have credibly spoken out about alleged 'secret projects' in the UAP/UFO space. Much more has potentially been revealed since the 1971 report. It remains to be seen how the next ODNI report will address these complex issues and the long standing competing agenda discussed above.
Fifty years ago the 1971 Australian Intelligence report hopefully asked for increased transparency that was "scientifically sound and intellectually honest towards unravelling the UFO mystery". This is now emerging as a multidisciplinary and global conversation.
