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NATO confirms search is 'still ongoing' for four missing US soldiers after spokesman mistakenly said they died
Updated 15:28 27 Mar 2025 GMT
NATO has clarified Mark Rutte's claims about the fate of US soldiers missing in Lithuania, after the Secretary General mistakenly said the group had been killed.
Yesterday (26 March) Rutte claimed the missing personnel had died during a speech at the Warsaw School of Economics, telling reporters: "Whilst I was speaking, the news came out about four American soldiers who were killed in an incident in Lithuania.
"That’s still early news, so we do not know the details, but obviously this is really terrible news, and our thoughts are with families and loved ones.
"I sent a message to the American secretary of defence Pete Hegseth that, of course, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and with the United States."
However, the military alliance has now confirmed on social media that searches for the group are ongoing and apologised for any initial confusion.
"The search is ongoing," NATO wrote on X. "We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown."
Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported that the four US soldiers and their vehicle were reported missing on Tuesday afternoon during an exercise at the General Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in Pabrade, which lies just just six miles from the boarder with Russian allied Belarus.
The US army said a Hercules armoured vehicle the four US soldiers were in during a training exercise had been found submerged in a body of water. It said recovery efforts were under way by the US army and Lithuanian armed forces and civilian agencies.
The soldiers were conducting tactical training when they went missing. Asked on Wednesday evening by reporters if he had been briefed about the missing soldiers, US President Donald Trump said: "No, I haven’t."
The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are all members of NATO, having joined the organisation in 2004. All three nations share a boarder with either Russia or Belarus and were previously members of the Soviet Union until 1991.
https://www.ladbible.com/news/us-news/nato-missing-soldiers-us-clarification-148284-20250327
U. S. Space Force (USSF) Certifies United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Missions
March 26, 2025
U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Assured Access to Space organization has announced the certification of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan launch system for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions.
ULA is now eligible to launch NSSL missions as one of two certified providers.
“Assured access to space is a core function of the Space Force and a critical element of national security,” said Brig. Gen. Panzenhagen, Program Executive Officer for Assured Access to Space.
“Vulcan certification adds launch capacity, resiliency, and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems.”
NSSL certification is a rigorous process for launch service providers to demonstrate their ability to design, produce, and qualify a new launch system that will successfully deliver national security space satellites to orbit.
Vulcan’s certification is the culmination of several years of effort by the Space Force and ULA, which encompassed 52 certification criteria, including more than 180 discrete tasks, 2 certification flight demonstrations, 60 payload interface requirement verifications, 18 subsystem design and test reviews, and 114 hardware and software audits, all to establish the technical baseline from which the Space Force will make future flight worthiness determinations for launch.
“The SSC and ULA teams have worked together extremely closely, and certification of this launch system is a direct result of their focus, dedication, and teamwork,” said Panzenhagen.
“We are proud to have launched 100 national security space missions and honored to continue serving the nation with our new Vulcan rocket,” said Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance.
“We thank the Space Force for their collaboration and confidence, and we are honored to support our national security needs for many years to come.”
Assured Access to Space executes the U.S. Space Force’s Core Competency of Space Mobility and Logistics.
It secures reliable and responsive launch services to deploy the space-based capabilities needed by our Nation's warfighters, intelligence professionals, decision makers, allies, and partners.
Additionally, it operates and sustains resilient and ready launch and test infrastructure to project on-orbit warfighting capability through all phases of conflict and to expand US economic, technological, and scientific leadership.
Further, Assured Access to Space delivers servicing, mobility, and logistics capabilities that operate in, from, and to the space domain.
Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force’s field command responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient warfighting capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space.
SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the DoD and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, and academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats.
Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article/4136016/u-s-space-force-ussf-certifies-united-launch-alliance-ula-vulcan-for-national-s
https://www.ulalaunch.com/
Garuda Aerospace and Andhra Pradesh Partner to Launch Indian Drone City
March 27, 2025
New drone hub in Kurnool aims to create jobs, attract global investment, and build India’s leadership in drone tech
Garuda Aerospace Invests in Future of Drones with Andhra Pradesh Drone City
Garuda Aerospace has committed INR 100 crore (approximately USD 12 million) to the development of the Andhra Pradesh Drone City in Kurnool.
CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash met with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu to move the project forward.
The initiative aims to make Andhra Pradesh a center for drone innovation, with strong support from the state government.
The Indian Drone City will focus on setting up facilities near ports and airports to draw global aerospace companies and increase exports.
Strategic land allocation and infrastructure development are key goals. The site will also include essential services to help attract and support new businesses.
“This initiative will not only accelerate economic growth but also empower entrepreneurs, attract global investments, and shape the future of the industry on a massive scale,” said Jayaprakash.
Jobs, Training, and a Drone Ecosystem
The Indian Drone City is expected to generate around 20,000 new jobs. It will also train 25,000 drone pilots, building a skilled workforce for India’s growing drone industry.
The campus will include drone manufacturing units, research and development labs, training academies, repair centers, and an incubation hub for UAV startups.
The aim is to build a complete ecosystem for drone technology in one location.
Shri Rama Mohan Naidu Ji, Minister of Civil Aviation, emphasized the role of initiatives like the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ and ‘Namo Drone Didi,’ which use drone tech to support national goals and empower rural women.
Driving Growth Across Sectors
India’s drone market is projected to reach INR 60 billion (approximately USD 720 million) by 2030. Garuda Aerospace believes that the Drone City will play a big part in achieving that growth.
The project is expected to attract over 500 drone-related companies and foreign investments of around USD 5 billion.
India plans to expand its drone exports to more than 15 international markets by the end of the decade.
The demand for drones continues to rise across sectors. Agriculture, which covers 350 million acres in India, is a key area.
Other applications include solar panel cleaning, thermal inspections, and large-scale mapping. India still has over 3.3 lakh villages needing mapping under the Svamitva scheme.
https://dronelife.com/2025/03/27/garuda-aerospace-and-andhra-pradesh-partner-to-launch-indian-drone-city/
https://www.garudaaerospace.com/
4th Drone Fragment Found in West Kazakhstan on Russian Border
March 27, 2025
Since February, fragments of at least four suspected unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also called drones, have been found in the West Kazakhstan region.
The suspected drone fragments have all fallen in parts of Kazakhstan closest to the ongoing war in Ukraine, illustrating the dangers posed to neighbors of the conflict.
In two of the four incidents, photos have circulated in the media, which allowed the identification of the drone fragments as of likely Russian origin.
The authorities have not officially identified any of the fragments or explained how they ended up in Kazakhstan’s territory.
On March 26, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service, Azattyk, reported that pieces of a suspected UAV were found in Zhanibek district, which borders Russia.
Local authorities reported in a press release that they were conducting “verification activities regarding the discovery of objects similar to fragments of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the Zhanibek district.”
The press release, per Azattyk’s reporting, stated the fragments were found in a remote, unpopulated, area. The report did not include a specific location or size of the debris.
Two days earlier, also in Zhanibek district, pieces of what is believed to be a UAV were found in the the Uzynkol rural district.
The regional police press service stated that the objects were found 480 kilometers from Oral (Uralsk), the capital of the West Kazakhstan region, in an remote area.
The report did not specify the size of the debris.
Before that, on March 18, a sizable piece of a suspected drone landed near the village of Atameken, in West Kazakhstan’s Taskala district.
Regional media shared a photo of the debris, a three-meter object (9 feet) that resembles the Russian-built version of Iran’s Shahed-136 one-way attack drone.
On February 18 a 1.2 meter (nearly 4 feet) section of a suspected UAV was found in the village of Uyaly in West Kazakhstan’s Bokey Orda (Bokeyordinsky) district.
Local media shared an image of the object, and some suggested that it resembles the Sagem “Crecerelle,” a reconnaissance drone developed by the French in the 1990s.
Ukrainian defense blogs have argued that the “resemblance” argument is a bit of Russian disinformation designed to direct blame to Ukraine, and that the drone is actually a Russian Orlan-10.
Other Kazakh media reported that the fallen drone does appear to be an Orlan-10.
The February fragments were found a day after a drone strike on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) Kropotkinskaya pumping station.
The Kropotkinskaya station, located in Russia’s Krasnodar region, is the largest in the CPC system and is a critical node for Kazakhstan’s oil exports west to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
Another station in the system, the Kavkazskaya station, was struck on March 19. According to the Astana Times, citing CPC “… following the shutdown of the Kropotkinskaya station, the expected transportation volume for the year was reduced.
Moreover, with the destruction of the Kavkazskaya station, it will become impossible to transport oil through this route in the near future.”
West Kazakhstan region borders the Russian regions of Orenburg to the northeast, Samara to the north, Saratov to the northwest, Volgograd to the west, and Astrakhan to the southwest.
Astrakhan’s northern portion is home to the Kapustin Yar military training area, where Russia conducts missile testing. In 2018, part of a missile undergoing testing at Kapustin Yar fell in West Kazakhstan.
https://thediplomat.com/2025/03/4th-drone-fragment-found-in-west-kazakhstan-on-russian-border/
North Korea's Kim oversees test of AI-powered suicide drones
Updated Mar 27, 2025 at 12:09 PM EDT
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has overseen tests of newly developed AI-powered suicide drones and called for their increased production, North Korean state media said Thursday.
Photos released from the communist country show Kim inspecting new upgraded reconnaissance drones that are capable of detecting various tactical targets and enemy activities on land and at sea, KCNA state news agency said.
Kim said unmanned control and AI capability must be the top priorities in modern arms development.
In recent months, he has been emphasizing the development of drones, and the tests were the latest display of his country’s growing military capabilities.
"The field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritized and developed in modernizing the armed forces," KCNA quoted Kim as saying of the "defense science research work."
Kim was seen walking with aides with what appeared to be an unmanned surveillance aircraft that resembles the U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance aircraft parked on the tarmac in the background.
Other images showed a fixed-wing drone zeroing in on a tank-shaped target then exploding in flames. Kim previously inspected other demonstrations of drones that explode on impact in November and August last year.
The agency said the test demonstrated the reconnaissance drone’s ability to track multiple targets and monitor troop movements on land and at sea, potentially enhancing North Korea’s intelligence-gathering operations and ability to neutralize enemy threats.
The report said the new exploding drones are designed for various attack missions and feature unspecified artificial intelligence capabilities.
Kim was also seen walking to a large aircraft with four engines and a radar dome mounted on the fuselage.
Analysts have previously reported that North Korea was converting the Russian-made Il-76 cargo aircraft for an early-warning role to help augment the North's existing land-based radar systems, which are sometimes limited by the peninsula's mountainous terrain, London's International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a report in September.
The drone display comes just weeks after North Korea revealed, for the first time, a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that could pose a major security threat to South Korea and the U.S.
It also comes as North Korea has been sending more missiles, artillery equipment and ammunition to help Russia – raising concerns that North Korea may receive Russian technology transfers in return.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has said that North Korea could increase its weapons supplies further depending on the war situation.
Russia and Ukraine recently agreed on a limited ceasefire, though both sides have accused each other of violations.
North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 military personnel to fight alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine in its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War.
The South Korean military assessed that around 4,000 of them have been killed or wounded.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-oversees-test-ai-powered-suicide-drones
Trump Strengthens Ties to Middle East Ally With $2B Drone Sale
Updated Mar 27, 2025 at 12:09 PM EDT
The U.S. State Department approved the sale of advanced MQ-9B drones to Qatar for nearly $2 billion, marking a significant step in the growing defense relationship between the two countries.
This would be the first sale of this type of military equipment to the region. Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Defense and the Qatari government for comment.
Why It Matters
This sale supports U.S. national security and foreign policy goals by enhancing Qatar's defense capabilities, particularly as it is home to Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.
Also important to President Donald Trump's relationship with Qatar is the role that it helped in brokering the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas which allowed for exchanging some Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners before its recent collapse.
What To Know
The State Department approved the sale of eight MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft at Qatar's request, according to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency in a statement released Wednesday.
If concluded, this will be the first sale to Qatar and the region, a source familiar with the matter told Newsweek on Thursday.
"The proposed sale will enhance Qatar's ability to meet current and future threats by providing timely intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, counter-land, and counter-surface sea capabilities for its security and defense," the agency's statement said.
The $1.96 billion arms package includes guided munitions, Hellfire missiles, advanced radar, surveillance equipment, and secure communications systems—improving its aerial reconnaissance and strike capabilities.
Since 2003, Qatar has invested over $8 billion in Al Udeid Air Base, supporting key U.S. Central Command operations. The U.S. has over $26 billion in defense sales with Qatar, making it the second-largest Foreign Military Sales partner.
Since 2016, more than $2.8 billion in direct defense exports have been approved, mainly for aircraft, training, and night vision systems, according to the State Department.
Qatar, designated a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA), played a key role in facilitating negotiations with the Taliban during the Afghanistan peace process and maintains a complex relationship with Iran.
Qatar has also helped mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with the U.S. and Egypt, though it has long been a safe haven for Hamas leaders and has provided financial support to Gaza—raising concerns over its role among some U.S. officials.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency: "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."
What Happens Next
This arms deal strengthens Qatar's role as a regional power broker, influencing U.S. actions in conflicts like Yemen, while boosting military ties to counter regional threats, particularly Iran.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-strengthens-ties-middle-east-ally-2b-drone-sale-2051463
River Ure: Drone image shows moment unexploded Second World War bomb was detonated in Yorkshire river
27th Mar 2025, 13:14 GMT
An unexploded bomb which is thought to be from the Second World War was detonated by the Royal Navy in a Yorkshire river.
North Yorkshire Police called in experts from the Navy to deal with the device after it was discovered in the River Ure in North Yorkshire, between Bishop Monkton and the Newby Hall estate.
The bomb was not deemed to be at any immediate risk when it was discovered at the weekend, but specialist divers detonated the bomb on Wednesday afternoon (Mar 26).
Police have released two images in relation to the incident, one showing the moment a huge pillar of water is sprayed into the air as the bomb went off.
A statement from North Yorkshire Police said: “Police, Navy, fire and a range of other organisations were involved in making the area safe, and managing any potential risk to local wildlife and the river.
“A police cordon that was in place around the area is now lifted and the section of the River Ure is open for passing boats.”
At around the same time, bomb experts were also called to a school in Norton after a suspected artillery round which was taken into school grounds at Frederick Nattrass Primary School.
Cleveland Police said: “Children and staff were evacuated from the school as a precautionary measure.
“The cordon has now been removed and we would like to thank everyone for their patience whilst this incident was dealt with quickly and safely.”
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/river-ure-drone-image-shows-moment-unexploded-second-world-war-bomb-was-detonated-in-yorkshire-river-5054629
Russia and Ukraine Accuse Each Other of Violating Energy Infrastructure Ceasefire
March 27, 2025
Russia and Ukraine on Thursday accused each other of violating a pause in strikes against energy infrastructure, further dimming hopes for even a partial halt in attacks amid the ongoing war.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed Ukrainian forces had directly targeted energy sites, while Ukraine said a Russian strike that left tens of thousands without power was a "violation" of its pledge to pause attacks against the energy grid.
"Despite the Kyiv regime's statements about the alleged cessation of strikes on Russian energy facilities, over the past 24 hours the Ukrainian Armed Forces have continued to strike energy infrastructure," Russia's Defense Ministry said.
It accused Ukraine of launching a drone at an energy facility and firing artillery at a power unit in the Bryansk region, as well as targeting a gas storage site in annexed Crimea.
Ukraine's military dismissed the allegations, calling them "false," while a senior Ukrainian official told AFP that a Russian attack had violated the agreements.
"There has been shelling, seemingly not aimed at the energy sector, but the energy sector was affected," the official said, referring to an artillery strike on Kherson that left 67,000 people without electricity.
"We qualify this as a clear violation," the official added.
The accusations follow earlier reports that Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to halt strikes on energy targets after U.S.-mediated talks.
On Tuesday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ceasefire “can start today,” though it was not immediately clear whether he officially ordered his military to stop attacks on energy infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he ordered a 30-day halt on strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure starting March 18, following a highly anticipated phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The White House, in its turn, said that Trump and Putin “agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.”
After diplomatic talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, the White House and Kremlin said officials had agreed to “develop measures” to implement and enforce a pause on striking energy facilities, raising questions about whether Putin had actually ordered his military to halt such attacks.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/27/russia-and-ukraine-accuse-each-other-of-violating-energy-infrastructure-ceasefire-a88512
Latvian police granted authority to land or neutralize drones in case of potential threat
March 27, 2025
On Thursday, members of the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) approved final amendments to the law, granting police the right to land or neutralize drones in cases of potential threat.
Amendments to the Law on Police stipulate that police will have the right to use special equipment to stop the movement of remotely operated devices in the air, on water, or on land if they pose a threat to public safety, individuals’ lives or health, the security of protected sites, or critical infrastructure.
These actions will be permitted if the device is being used illegally or if there are suspicions of possible criminal activity.
The legal changes will also enable police special forces to respond in cases where there is suspicion that a drone is being used for criminal purposes, police representatives previously emphasized.
Until now, only border guards or military personnel had the right to land or shoot down drones in cases of potential threat.
Until now, the State Police had the technical capability to identify unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including their flight route, altitude, and the location of the remote pilot.
However, there were no legal grounds to capture, destroy, or forcibly land them—even when they posed a risk to public safety or critical infrastructure—according to the lawmakers behind the proposal.
On the 13th of January, Latvia’s airspace saw three instances of temporary restrictions due to drone activity in the area of Riga International Airport. Multiple drones were used during these incidents.
According to the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA), defence systems failed to detect the drones because their identification functions had been disabled.
The CAA stated that available information suggests the drone flights may have been carried out deliberately to threaten the safety of civil aviation or disrupt the functioning of Latvia’s civil aviation sector.
As a result, the CAA contacted both the State Police and the State Security Service, requesting a criminal investigation into the threat posed to civil aviation.
The State Police has since confirmed that a criminal investigation has been launched into the unauthorized drone activity in the Riga Airport area.
https://bnn-news.com/latvian-police-granted-authority-to-land-or-neutralize-drones-in-case-of-potential-threat-266405
Billy Carson | City 2km Below Pyramids, Egypt, Manifestation, Hidden Knowledge with Infinite Waters
March 27, 2025
Billy Carson - https://www.4biddenknowledge.com
Infinite Waters - www.ralphsmart.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8pPV7-S5Hg
Billy mentions Thoth and others being on the doors of the Library of Congress
Our Bronze Doors
December 4, 2009
In an earlier post I mentioned that the bronze doors greeting our patrons depicted the history of the written word through the sculpted figures.
Perhaps, like me, you wondered how those figures actually represented the history of the written word and whether they were mythological or real.
While researching this building we ran across an older brochure (pre 1975) titled “The Bronze Doors of the Library of Congress.”
This brochure and the Encyclopaedia Britannica provide some insight on the figures portrayed and their significance to the written word:
Thoth, in Egyptian mythology, was held to be the inventor of writing, the creator of languages, interpreter and adviser of the gods.
Ts’ang Chieh (aka Cangjie) is the Chinese patron saint of pictographic letters.
Nabu, Sumero-Akkadian god of the stylus. Nabu was the patron of the art of writing and his symbols were the clay tablet and the stylus.
Tahmurath, a Persian deity who was taught the art of writing in 30 different languages by the defeated demons in return for sparing their lives.
Hermes, Greek god with many attributes, among which was the invention of the alphabet and numbers.
Itzamna, chief god of the Mayas, said to have been a hero who gave humankind writing and the calendar and was patron deity of medicine.
Brahma, supreme god of the East Indian trinity, said to have brought the knowledge of letters to the human race.
Odin, in Norse mythology the originator of the science of written communication. Odin was the great magician among the gods, and also the god of poets.
Quetzalcoatl, serpent god said to have been the founder of Aztec culture. In Aztec times he was revered as the patron of priests, the inventor of the calendar and of books, and the protector of goldsmiths and other craftsmen.
Cadmus, honored in Greek legend as the one who brought the alphabet from Phoenicia to Greece.
Ogma, in the mythology of prehistoric Eire the inventor of letters and designer of the alphabet. Ogham script, an Irish writing system from 4th century CE, seems to have been named for him.
Sequoyah, famous American Indian who invented an alphabet for the Cherokee language and taught his people to read. First experimenting with pictographs and then symbols adapted from English, Greek and Hebrew letters to represent the syllables of the spoken Cherokee language.
Also noted in the portion of the brochure displayed above are the figures on our south doors, the male figure representing physical labor and the female symbolizing intellectual labor.
To research these figures further, follow the links to other materials in our catalogs.
https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2009/12/our-bronze-doors/
https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2009/11/inside-adams/
https://www.aaro.mil/
https://www.aaro.mil/Portals/136/PDFs/case_resolution_reports/AARO_Puerto_Rico_UAP_Case_Resolution.pdf
https://x.com/DoD_AARO/status/1903062501190688996
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Case Resolution: “The Puerto Rico Object”
20 March 2025
AARO Assessment and Case Status:
AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhibit anomalous behavior or transmedium capabilities. AARO assesses with moderate confidence that the objects were a pair of sky lanterns.
Case Overview
On April 26, 2013, an infrared (IR) sensor onboard a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) De Havilland Canada 8 aircraft flying above Rafael Hernandez Airport near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico captured thermal video footage of two objects drifting at wind speed and direction.
The objects appeared to move at a high rate of speed over the airport and surrounding area before separating from one another.
The objects seemed to enter, exit, and disappear into the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico's northwestern coast.
During the encounter, the CBP aircraft flew in an arc around the Rafael Hernandez Airport, gaining approximately 1,725 feet in altitude before losing sensor contact with the objects at 3,600 feet.
The aircraft entered a layer of scattered clouds as it passed 3,000 feet in altitude. These clouds partially obscured the sensor's view, potentially affecting the objects’ sensor return.
The range between the aircraft andthe objects nearly tripled during the encounter. These factors contribute to the video’s diminishing quality over time.
Figure 1 reconstructs the aircraft's flight path, sensor lineof-sight to the ground, and position relative to the objects.
cont.
1/2
2/2
The Pascagoula Abduction: Did aliens kidnap two fishermen?
March 27, 2025
Are we alone in the universe? Many tantalising reports have suggested not. One example is the tale of the Roswell incident, which sparked conspiracy theories that the US government had secretly recovered remains of an alien spacecraft.
However, many other UFO stories have captured the public imagination since the supposed crashing of this spacecraft in 1947. For a start, there’s the alleged Pascagoula Abduction of 1973, when two men are said to have been kidnapped and examined by aliens.
Though the history of UFO sightings can be traced back centuries, face-to-face encounters with extraterrestrial beings have been reported much more rarely. So, did the Pascagoula Abduction actually happen? Sky HISTORY investigates…
How did the ‘Pascagoula Abduction’ unfold?
Of course, when two men say they have met aliens, your first instinct could be to search for holes in the story. Unsurprisingly, more than one person did exactly that after shipyard workers Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker made the claim.
Nonetheless, with Hickson and Parker having long corroborated each other’s version of events, many elements of the Pascagoula Abduction story have remained remarkably consistent.
These include that it all started with the two men meeting up to fish together on the west bank of the Pascagoula River in Mississippi.
How does the rest of the often repeated story go? It is said that, while fishing, Parker, then aged 18,n saw blue lights and thought they were from the police.
(He had spotted 'Posted' signs suggesting he and Hickson, then aged 42, would get into trouble with the law for fishing at this particular spot.)
On closer inspection, the blue lights turned out to be emitted by a mysterious oval-shaped object 30-40 feet wide and 8-10 feet high.
Three bulky, robotic figures emerged from the object and seized the fishermen before magically ’floating’ them onto what looked increasingly like a spacecraft.
No alien eyes, but one (apparent) robotic one?
Who were these strangers? Aliens? They have been described as grey and wrinkly with crab-like claws, not to mention spiky protrusions where noses and ears would be.
However, on multiple occasions when reiterating the Pascagoula Abduction story, Hickson appeared convinced that these visitors were robots rather than living creatures.
Hickson and Parker were 'conscious but paralysed' for much of the encounter. For this reason, they were helpless to resist as they were each examined — in Hickson’s case, by what he said looked like a robotic eye.
What was it? A camera, perhaps? Whatever it was, it reportedly floated close to his face before moving further down his body.
The traumatic aftermath of the Pascagoula Abduction
The grey robotic figures eventually returned Hickson and Parker to the riverbank, leaving the two men in shock as the UFO vanished.
Hickson and Parker subsequently reported the incident to the local Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies there initially (and unsurprisingly) found the story hard to believe.
Their skepticism was shaken after they left Hickson and Parker alone in a room with a tape recorder secretly running.
The two men were recorded not admitting to fabrication but instead sticking with the story and expressing shock about what had supposedly happened to them.
Though Hickson and Parker did pass lie-detector tests, the Pascagoula Abduction tale was met with ridicule by many locals.
How the Pascagoula Abduction left a lasting legacy
For decades after 11th October 1973, Hickson jumped on opportunities aplenty to elaborate on what he claimed happened to him that fateful day.
He gave many interviews and became something of a TV celebrity, even appearing as a guest on the American game show To Tell the Truth.
It was a very different situation for Parker, who shunned the spotlight and kept changing jobs to escape the inevitable attention from curiosity seekers.
'This is something I really didn’t want to happen', Parker said about the Pascagoula Abduction 40 years later (and two years after Hickson’s death).
It was not until the late 2010s that Parker started opening up more about his life-changing experience, even writing a book about it. In 2019, he attended the unveiling of a commemorative plaque erected close to the abduction site.
The historical marker quotes UFO expert Dr J Allen Hynek, who interviewed Hickson and Parker, concluding that 'these men have had a very real, frightening experience'.
https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-pascagoula-abduction
UFOs And The Misinformation Machine : WEAPONIZED : Episode #70
Mar 25, 2025
A new documentary film about the UFO/UAP mystery debuted this month, with testimony from nearly three dozen scientists and government officials about the need for transparency and honesty.
But in spite of the overwhelming and unified message expressed in the film, major media outlets continue to insult, muddle, or ignore the topic, as well as insult the insiders who take it seriously.
In this episode of Weaponized, George and Jeremy mention the premiere of "The Age of Disclosure" film in the context of hostile or incomplete media reports, in particular, a scathing Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal which slimed a key witness and whistleblower as a "mental patient," as well as a high-profile report by 60 Minutes which examined a five-year wave of "mystery drone" incursions. While laudable for taking on the drone mystery, 60 Minutes ignored, downplayed, and mischaracterized key evidence, testimony, and images from the most dramatic drone incidents, including the 2019 UAP swarms that buzzed the USS Omaha, USS Russell, and eight other Navy ships.
The inference that those drones were launched from a cargo ship named Bass Strait is scurrilous and inaccurate.
For decades, media organizations have ignored, ridiculed, attacked, or undermined the sanity and integrity of witnesses, whistleblowers, and legitimate inquiries, including the former UAP Task Force, which has had the effect of stifling and intimidating others from coming forward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9bkWXJcNM8