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21st Security Forces Squadron improves military excellence, readiness with field training exercise
April 3, 2025
The 21st Security Forces Squadron sharpened its Air Base Ground Defense skills during a recent field training exercise at Peterson Space Force Base.
This exercise was designed to evaluate and refine tactical movements that have been instilled over the past several months, ensuring security forces Airmen are prepared for a deployed environment.
“The 21st Security Forces Squadron is honing foundational warfighting skills,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Andrew Hill, 21st SFS noncommissioned officer in charge of training.
“These tactics are critical to SBD 1’s support during possible real-world operations across the world.”
Hill collaborated with his fellow trainers in the 21st SFS, including Tech. Sgt. Esteban Goniwicha, 21st SFS unit trainer, to plan the exercise.
Hill and Goniwicha both have prior experience as pre-deployment instructors. Their valuable expertise ensures the Defenders of the 21st SFS are a lethal fighting force.
“Airmen need to stay ready,” Goniwicha said. “We need to stay lethal and able to combat any threat we come across.”
That’s exactly what the unit trainers from the 21st SFS reinforced throughout this exercise.
Master Sgt. Peter Patera, 21st SFS NCOIC of weapons and tactics, was also critical to planning this exercise. Both Patera and Hill have gone through the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course.
“Master Sgt. Patera and I are part of a very limited number in our career field, less than 1%.” Hill said about graduating from the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course.
For this exercise, the security forces Airmen were given multiple locations to visit, acting upon intelligence that needed investigating.
The end goal was to set up a Forward Arming and Refueling Point. This is a scenario they could encounter during Agile Combat Employment operations.
En route to the FARP, the Airmen received intelligence from a “local farmer” — someone acting as a local in a deployed environment — of militia presence.
The militia was reported to have planted bombs in the area. The Airmen were tasked with investigating the intelligence en route to the FARP.
During this part of the training, the Airmen experienced what it was like to work in a joint environment with the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight.
After simulating the explosion of an improvised explosive device, the Airmen had to provide Tactical Combat Casualty Care to a wounded member of the EOD flight.
After doing this, they called in a nine-line casualty medical evacuation and transported the wounded individual on a collapsible litter.
“Tactical Combat Casualty Case is a major benefit for anyone who holds that knowledge, as they can provide life-saving care to anyone around them.” said Tech. Sgt. Tyler Bacon, 21st SFS NCOIC of investigation.
Bacon is one of the TCCC instructors for Space Base Delta 1. “This exercise gave our Defenders hands-on experience to further build on their TCCC skillset.”
After this, the team pushed on and successfully established the FARP.
“We’re having to adapt and learn different ways to deal with the strategies that our enemies are employing,” said Master Sgt. Joshua Aleprete, 21st SFS individual mobilization augmentee superintendent.
“This exercise is about not only learning but also putting it to the test.”
Beyond bolstering base security, the skills that the Airmen demonstrated during this exercise are transferable to both defensive and offensive operations.
By incorporating lessons learned from prior Explosive Ordnance Disposal training events, the Defenders of the 21st SFS enhanced their ability to operate effectively in changing environments and demonstrated consistent military excellence and readiness.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4144477/21st-security-forces-squadron-improves-military-excellence-readiness-with-field/
Sharpening the focus: Buckley implements standards, readiness reviews
April 3, 2025
Eyes locked forward, a formation of Airmen and Guardians from Space Base Delta 2, stands at attention at Buckley Space Force Base, March 21.
The silence is palpable, punctuated only by the crisp commands of Master Sgt. Ryan McCammon, Space Base Delta 2 first sergeant, as he inspects each detail of their uniforms.
This is a snapshot of Buckley SFB's proactive approach to mission readiness.
With recent changes like those made to Air Force Instruction 36-2903's regulations on hair, gig lines and nail polish, the force is renewing its commitment to a culture of adherence to standards with a focus on shared "First Principles."
This concept applies the following criteria:
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Valuing the warfighting team over our individuality and mission over function.
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Standards must be easily understood, universally complied with and consistently enforced…at all levels of command.
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Standards and processes should not stigmatize Airmen and Guardians; those in full compliance should not be self-conscious or embarrassed.
"These reviews are about more than just appearances," McCammon stated. "They are a critical component of our commitment to maintaining a culture of readiness and excellence.”
Team Buckley has implemented Standards and Readiness Reviews across all units, underscoring a commitment to maintaining a highly trained and disciplined force.
SRRs, brought back by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, are focused assessments conducted at the unit level to identify and address factors inhibiting mission readiness and execution.
Commanders have been charged with creating a culture of compliance and accountability while promoting unit cohesion and mission pride.
The initiative examines physical and mental health, deployment readiness, training standards and overall resilience.
Ensuring these standards are met individually reinforces the disciplined execution of mission elements necessary for preparedness and lethality.
“When our Airmen and Guardians are held accountable to the standard, it fosters a sense of discipline and professionalism that is essential to mission success,” McCammon said.
“Enforcing standards is a continuous process. We must create a culture of compliance and accountability in order to successfully execute the demands of tomorrow.”
These quarterly inspections are more than just uniform checks; they represent our preparedness to operate in the face of any challenge.
The SRRs will include inspections of different uniforms throughout the year, including both Service Dress and Operational Camouflage Patterns, reinforcing the importance of maintaining standards across all military life.
"Your commitment to excellence makes us a winning team of warfighters. One that is envied across the planet." Allvin stated in a recent memorandum.
"As we follow through on shaping our force to meet the needs of today's strategic environment, we can never lose sight of the fundamental elements that make us who we are."
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4144439/sharpening-the-focus-buckley-implements-standards-readiness-reviews/
Drone video shows extensive tornado damage in Jeffersontown, Kentucky
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Drone footage released on April 3, 2025, shows major tornado damage in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, where buildings were destroyed in an industrial park on April 2.
A separate tornado in Ballard County left four people injured, one critically.
At least five tornadoes struck Kentucky on the night of April 2, 2025, causing widespread structural damage and injuries.
One tornado touched down in Jeffersontown, a suburb of Louisville in Jefferson County, causing significant damage to an industrial park.
Another tornado struck the Gage community in Ballard County, injuring four people when debris hit a church.
In Jefferson County, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that a tornado passed near the Interstate 64 and Interstate 265 interchange before impacting an industrial area in Jeffersontown.
Drone footage released the following day shows at least two buildings completely destroyed, with collapsed walls, roofing ripped from warehouses and office buildings, and multiple overturned semi-trailers.
One of the damaged sites includes JSO Wood Products Inc., located at 1930 Campus Place, where extensive structural loss was observed.
Debris fields, twisted metal, and scattered construction materials are consistent with EF1+ tornado damage, though the official storm rating has not yet been released.
In western Kentucky, Ballard County Emergency Management reported that four individuals were injured when debris struck Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the Gage community.
The injured had been sheltering in a vehicle under the church’s carport when it was hit. One person remains in critical condition, while the others sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The tornadoes were part of a larger severe weather outbreak affecting central and eastern U.S. in which at least three people lost their lives.
https://watchers.news/2025/04/03/drone-video-shows-extensive-tornado-damage-in-jeffersontown-kentucky/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93JsYF2cyxs
Ansarallah Downs US MQ-9 Drone as US Raids Continue in Yemen
April 3, 2025
The Yemeni movement Ansarallah has announced the downing of an American MQ-9 reconnaissance drone, amid ongoing US airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and other Yemeni provinces.
Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesperson, stated on Thursday that Yemeni air defenses shot down the US MQ-9 drone using a locally made surface-to-air missile while it was conducting hostile operations over Al Hudaydah Governorate.
Saree also confirmed that this was the second drone shot down in 72 hours, and the 17th since the start of the “Battle of the Promised Victory”, in support of Gaza.
The Pentagon did not immediately comment on the downing of the new reconnaissance aircraft.
The MQ-9 is a high-tech drone widely used by the US military to strike targets. Each drone costs $56 million, and its operating system is described as “predator” because it enables it to perform multiple missions.
In a related development, Ansarallah-affiliated media reported that a US drone bombed a car in the Majz district of Saada Governorate, northern Yemen, though no casualties were reported.
Yemeni media also reported that US warplanes launched a series of raids on the governorates of Saada, Al Hudaydah, and Sana’a. The strikes reportedly targeted the east and southeast of Saada city, with 17 raids in two waves.
In Al Hudaydah Governorate, the raids targeted the Ras Issa area in Al Salif, killing one person and wounding two others. In Sana’a, a civilian’s car was hit in the Qahza area, south of the city, resulting in one person being injured.
On March 15, US President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered his forces to launch a “major offensive” against Ansarallah, threatening to “completely eliminate” the group.
In response, Ansarallah asserted that Trump’s threat would not deter them from “continuing their support for Gaza,” noting that they had resumed shelling Israeli sites and targeting ships heading to Israel in the Red Sea.
Recent US airstrikes on Yemen have reportedly killed and injured dozens of civilians, including women and children, according to data from Ansarallah’s Ministry of Health.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/ansarallah-downs-us-mq-9-drone-as-us-raids-continue-in-yemen/
https://x.com/PalestineChron/status/1907697056782647403
Drone footage exposing conditions at marine park leads to police raid
Thursday 03 April 2025 13:12 BST
Drone footage of animal conditions at a Florida marine park has led to a raid by local law enforcement and wildlife officials.
Footage showing dolphins at Gulf World Marine Park confined to small, murky pools, sparked outrage after being released by activists last month.
The park has seen four dolphins die since October 2024, most recently with one crashing headfirst into a shallow area of the pool during a public performance in March.
Gulf World was served a search warrant last Thursday (27 March) after refusing access for wellness checks the week prior.
Phil Demers of Urgent Seas, the direct action non-profit who released the footage, said: “The conditions at Gulf World are among the worst we’ve ever observed”.
https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/us-news/dolphin-florida-marine-park-gulf-world-b2726802.html
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/first-day-hearing-for-gulf-world-bankruptcy-case/ar-AA1Cbg6O
Pakistani smugglers’ drone crashes in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar with 500g heroin
Updated At : 05:30 PM Apr 03, 2025 IST
A drone used by Pakistani smugglers crashed in a field in Chak 11-F village, near Sheikhsarpal village, close to the Pakistan border in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar late last night. A packet containing half a kilogram of heroin was found nearby.
Following the incident, a search operation was conducted in the surrounding fields by the Border Security Force (BSF), police, and intelligence agencies with the help of local villagers. No other suspicious objects were found.
According to police sources, the drone fell approximately 700 meters inside Indian territory due to a jammer installed recently to disrupt drone activities coming from across the border.
The incident occurred around 11.30 pm when a BSF patrol party noticed sensor lights flashing in a field. Upon investigation, they found the drone and immediately informed the commander of the nearby Chak 24 border post.
Later, BSF officers from the Sriganganagar headquarters arrived at the scene.
A search of the surrounding fields yielded a yellow packet containing 500 grams of heroin, marked with its purity level. A search operation was launched in other fields with the help of villagers this morning.
A case has been registered against unknown individuals under the NDPS Act. Intelligence agencies are gathering information about outsiders who visited Sheikhsarpal and surrounding areas over the past two to three days, particularly those from Punjab.
It is believed that the drone lost contact with the Pakistani smugglers due to the jammer installed by the BSF near the border, causing it to crash in Indian territory.
The drone, a DGI-83 model with low carrying capacity and inability to fly at high altitudes, was found lying in an empty field after the fencing, as the wheat crop had been recently harvested.
The drone will be sent to the BSF’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Jodhpur for scientific analysis.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/rajasthan/pakistani-smugglers-drone-crashes-in-rajasthans-sriganganagar-with-500g-heroin/
10 kg of marijuana delivered to the country by drone seized
03 Apr 2025 15:58
In the Astara district, 10 kg of marijuana was found on the riverbank, which was attempted to be illegally imported into Azerbaijan using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
As reported by BAKU.WS, officers of the district police department detained a previously convicted 37-year-old Javid Hasanov, who came to collect suspicious packages dropped by a drone at the specified location.
The coordinates of the drop point were transmitted through the UAV.
It was established that the detainee, who was responsible for delivering drugs to various addresses, acted in a pre-arranged conspiracy with an Iranian citizen, who is currently under investigation.
A criminal case has been initiated on this fact, and a preventive measure in the form of arrest has been chosen for the suspect. The investigation continues.
https://baku.ws/en/society/10-kg-of-marijuana-delivered-to-the-country-by-drone-seized
Aramco to use Japanese drone startup to inspect facilities
April 3, 2025, 9:44 AM
Saudi Aramco has entered into an agreement with Japanese startup Terra Drone to inspect its oil and gas facilities using drones, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).
The memorandum of understanding will advance drone technologies to enhance safety and operational efficiency in the energy sector, Terra Drone said in a statement.
In 2023, Terra Drone received $14 million in funding from Wa’ed Ventures, the venture capital arm of Aramco.
Following the investment, it established a branch in Saudi Arabia, aiming to localise its services in the short term, establish local research and development, as well as set up production facilities in the long term.
Terra Drone is expected to commence operations in 2027, CEO and founder Toru Tokushige told Reuters.
“We’re aiming for billions of yen in sales over the medium to long term, three to five years,” he said.
Terra Drone, which was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market 250 Index in November 2024, is yet to turn profitable, the report said.
https://www.agbi.com/oil-and-gas/2025/04/aramco-to-use-japanese-drone-startup-to-inspect-facilities/
Ukraine Just Took Down Russia’s Secret AI War Drone
April 3, 2025
On April 2, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that they had shot down a rare Russian drone, the Albatross M5.
This is the first time Ukraine has taken down this type of drone, according to the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade on Telegram.
“For the first time, we are taking down a rare Russian drone, the Albatross M5,” the brigade said in a statement.
Earlier investigations by the Cyber Resistance group and the volunteer intelligence project InformNapalm said the drone’s software was linked to the Russian company Kaspersky.
They reported that Kaspersky’s software allowed the drone to use machine vision technology. This means the drone could automatically detect, choose, and follow targets using a built-in neural network.
It was also previously reported that some Russian drones have been fitted with homemade munitions containing dangerous chemicals.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/ukraine-just-took-down-russia-s-secret-ai-war-drone/ar-AA1Cc8sH
Russians Capture Ukrainian Drones Which Infect Their Systems With Malware
Apr 02, 2025, 01:11pm EDT
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has been defined by the widespread use of innovative technologies that have reshaped the modern battlefield.
While cyber warfare was expected to play a prominent role in this conflict, it has been generally overshadowed by the mass fielding of drones and the associated counter-drone systems.
However, a recent video posted to social media suggests that Ukrainian drones are now being used to conduct minor cyber operations against Russia.
The video, which appears to be of Russian origin, warns about various malware recently discovered on Ukrainian drones that have infected Russian systems.
Ukrainian Drone-Embedded Malware
The malware threats mentioned in the video are relatively minor, as they primarily affect the drone itself or the computer it connects to rather than targeting an entire network.
According to the Reddit post featuring the video, the variants of malware on the Ukrainian drones are "burning out the USB port, preventing reflashing, or hijacking the repurposed FPV and revealing the operator location."
The inclusion of malware is significant, as both sides are rapidly competing for an edge in drone domain.
The emerging threat of Ukrainian drone-borne malware infecting Russian computers could force Russia to implement new safety precautions to protect their systems.
These measures would hinder Russian updates to their counter-drone technology which requires extensively studying the internal working of an enemy drone to find its vulnerabilities.
As such, this would extend the timeframe that Ukrainian forces could effectively use a drone before it becomes obsolete due to Russian counter-drone technology.
The malware also appears to be designed to prevent Russia from repurposing captured drones, as one reported variant blocks the drone’s hard drive from being reimaged.
Even if reimaging is possible, another reported variant allows Ukrainian forces to hijack the repurposed drone and potentially locate its new operator.
The risks associated with this exploitation would limit Russia’s desire to reuse captured Ukrainian drones.
Both sides face increasing resource constraints, making the ability to repurpose enemy equipment a valuable asset. By preventing Russia from doing so, Ukraine gains a strategic advantage.
Broader Implications Of Drone-Imbedded Malware
This tactic highlights how Ukraine is leveraging its strong pre-war information technology sector to counter Russia’s advanced military technologies and strong defense industrial base.
Before the war, Ukraine’s IT sector was thriving with a deep talent pool of software engineers and cybersecurity experts.
By embedding malware into their drones, Ukrainian developers have found a way to disrupt Russian counter-drone efforts without requiring additional physical resources, a critical advantage given Ukraine’s logistical constraints.
If successful, Ukraine may begin integrating malware into other electronic systems to limit Russia’s ability to study or reuse them.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/vikrammittal/2025/04/02/russians-capture-ukrainian-drones-which-infect-their-systems-with-malware/
https://www.businessinsider.com/soldiers-confused-at-tower-22-before-drone-attack-killed-americans-2025-3
Confusion gripped US base defenders as a flying bomb struck a deadly blow at Tower 22, investigation says
Apr 2, 2025, 10:00 AM PT
Intelligence had come in before the fatal strike on a US military base that an imminent attack was possible. The base soldiers responsible for tracking threats were monitoring the situation. But they say they never saw the hostile drone coming.
Business Insider obtained via the Freedom of Information Act the US Army command investigation into the January 28, 2024, attack on Tower 22, a small logistics outpost in northeastern Jordan.
The explosive-packed drone launched by an Iranian-aligned militia group killed three American troops and wounded over 100 more.
After the blast, a soldier whose name and position were both redacted in the report jumped out of bed and rushed into the base defense operations center, asking its personnel why they didn't catch it.
Another soldier interviewed for the investigation characterized the inquiries at that moment differently, reporting that they were screaming, asking, "How did you guys not see it?"
Everyone in the BDOC said nothing was on any of their systems, aside from a couple of tracks they dismissed as balloons or trash.
"I could've sworn I was looking at the radar 30 seconds before the attack and didn't see anything on it," a soldier said, adding that they "don't remember seeing anything that was even close."
Just before the attack, though, the BDOC's focus was on a ScanEagle recon drone that was landing at the base. That soldier acknowledged that it might have been a distraction.
Finding failures
The Army investigation report described extensive problems among the command and control soldiers handling base security.
Threat assessments were conducted regularly at Tower 22, and all of them determined there was a high risk of attack. The investigation indicated that base defenders at the time of the attack, however, were unprepared to meet the threat.
The report identified several failures, including a lack of key leadership presence, "cumulative exhaustion from an insufficient number" of base defense crew shifts, and "inadequate, poorly rehearsed, and overly centralized battle drills."
It also said there was a failure to recognize the threat of attacks from certain directions. For example, it said personnel at the base erroneously assumed the southern approach to the base was safe. There was some confusion about where the drone came from.
The investigation said all the soldiers working the night shift at the BDOC during the drone attack said they saw two tracks south of Tower 22 on the radar but didn't look into them.
The soldiers said that the tracks observed to the south of Tower 22 before the attack were "too far away," "moving too slowly," or "possibly birds or trash," the investigation said, adding that this indicated a "negligent departure from their" standard operating procedure.
The report said that "at the time of the attack, the BDOC crew also admitted they were very focused on watching the Scan Eagle recovery and did not interrogate or assess the unknown air tracks to the south of Tower 22 with the Night Hawk camera."
A ScanEagle drone is a low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft made by the US aerospace company Boeing.
Soldiers said that the ScanEagle drone returned to Tower 22 just moments before an explosion rocked the base at about 5:30 a.m.
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The missteps moments before the attack that were described in the report would indicate a command failure for the BDOC crew charged with monitoring threats.
Soldiers, the investigation said, were confused about the leadership roles at the time and felt they couldn't make big decisions "even when faced with imminent danger to the base."
"We do assess that the BDOC night shift crew was not properly manned with the appropriate rank and experience level required of those positions given the current threat environment at Tower 22 and the important decisions required to protect the personnel on the base," even though senior leaders were available, the report said.
US Central Command did not respond before publication to a request for comment about any accountability actions taken.
One document included in the investigation said there was no warning from any radar or other system at either Tower 22 or the nearby Al-Tanf garrison, a US military base several miles away in Syria.
The bomb-laden enemy drone destroyed a six-person housing unit and damaged surrounding ones, killing three Army National Guard soldiers and wounding 104 others.
The Tower 22 blast came amid a larger campaign of Iran-backed militia attacks on American forces across the Middle East over the US stance in the Israel-Hamas war.
The Biden administration responded days later with widespread airstrikes on Tehran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria.
Drone challenges
Crucially, the Tower 22 attack underscores the challenges of detecting small drones packed with explosives and the related readiness requirements.
These munitions, increasingly being used in combat, are very different from traditional threats such as missiles.
They're more easily acquired by threat actors, have small radar signatures that can be mistaken for other things, and demand vigilance to engage. And even then, they can be missed.
The US recognizes that drones are a significant threat to its armed forces. In December, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that adversary drones "have evolved rapidly" in recent years, adding that "cheap systems are increasingly changing the battlefield, threatening US installations, and wounding or killing our troops."
Toward the end of the Biden administration, the Department of Defense outlined its approach to the drone threat.
The US is looking to build up its inventory of counterdrone capabilities. Such systems were in place at Tower 22, but something else went wrong.
In the recommendations in the Tower 22 investigation, it was suggested that US Army Central, tasked with Middle East operations, establish a "comprehensive and standardized" BDOC/counterdrone crew training plan for all units before deploying to a region where counterdrone capabilities or missions may be needed.
The report recommended that the program "include recent experiences"; tactics, techniques, and procedures; and lessons from across the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
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https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/in-depth/the-rise-of-the-heavy-lift-cargo-drone
The rise of the heavy-lift cargo drone
03 Apr 2025
Unmanned heavy-lift cargo drones could reshape the world of air freight. Jon Excell talks to Dronamics, one of the firms at the forefront of this aviation frontier.
Disruptive innovations often have the most unlikely origin stories.
In the case of the Black Swan - a fixed-wing unmanned drone that promises to reshape the world of airfreight - it was its inventor’s hankering for Bulgarian cheese that kicked things off.
In 2014, whilst studying aerospace engineering at university in the Netherlands and unable to find this taste of his homeland in any of his local stores, Konstantin Rangelov was jokingly encouraged by his brother Svilen to use his engineering skills to figure out a solution.
Just over ten years later, what began life as a lighthearted effort to design a small remotely operated aircraft that could bring him his favourite snack has evolved into Dronamics, a company with hundreds of employees, a fleet of unmanned aircraft and an ambition to transform the lucrative world of air freight.
At the heart of this mission is the firm’s flagship vehicle the Black Swan: an 8 metre long, 16m wingspan unmanned drone capable of carrying a load of up to around 350kg some 2,500km (equivalent to the distance between London and Istanbul) and which is claimed to be 80 per cent faster, 50 per cent cheaper and up to 60 per cent less emitting than alternative approaches to freight transport.
The carbon fibre, propeller driven aircraft - which is roughly the size of a Cessna - carried out its first successful test flight in May 2023 from Balchik airport in Bulgaria and has since performed hundreds more flight tests which have enabled the team to tweak and refine the technology. With commercial deals now in place with customers including ELTA Hellenic Post in Greece, Emirate Post group in the UAE and Qatar Airways Cargo, the aircraft is now poised to enter commercial service.
Outlining his vision to The Engineer, Konstantin Rangelov - now CTO of Dronamics (his brother Svilen is CEO) - said that drones have a number of major advantages over existing approaches to air freight.
“You’re only moving the assets, you’re not moving crew , you’re not over complicating the system with having life support systems and the safety features that are required when you have a person on board,” he said.
“The cost drops down significantly for both manufacturing, licensing, operations, maintenance and everything.”
He added that the technology also offers a potential solution to the aviation sector’s impending pilot shortage. According to estimates by Airbus and Boeing, there will be a need for more than half a million new pilots between now and the end of the next decade.
Whilst the prospect of unmanned cargo drones cluttering airspace may concern some, dealing with the unexpected can be a lot more straightforward if there’s no human on board.
“With the pilotless aeroplane, if somehow we lost control of it, or somebody was hijacking it…we can always as a last-ditch effort shoot it down,” said Rangelov.
Though clearly an undesirable outcome, this obviously isn’t an option for manned aircraft.
Considering the list of advantages, it’s no surprise that a number of organisations are exploring the opportunity.
As previously reported by The Engineer, UK firm Skyports has been trialling the use of drones for delivering medical supplies and mail to remote communities in the UK, whilst offshore wind giant Ørsted last year announced that it was using heavy-lift drones to supply cargo to turbines at Borssele wind farm off the coast of The Netherlands.
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And - whilst estimates vary - the analysts are also getting excited. Indeed, a 2023 Frost & Sullivan report exploring the potential of heavy lift drones (which it defines as drones capable of lifting 30kg or more) predicted the sector to be worth $1.91 billion by 2031.
This growth is currently somewhat hindered by a patchwork regulatory climate.
Across Europe, for instance, whilst the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) permits for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) providing certain criteria are met, the ultimate decision on whether to allow operations rests with member state aviation authorities.
In the UK, BVLOS operation has only been allowed as part of strictly controlled trials, but the Civil Aviation Authority is currently considering proposals to relax the laws.
For now, with regulations widely expected to open up in the short to medium term, it’s very much a waiting game for innovators in the sector.
But Rangelov is confident that when the time comes, Dronamics - which has already become the first drone cargo airline to obtain that EASA certification - is well placed to play a leading role in the sector.
One factor that he believes sets Dronamics’ technology apart is its relative simplicity. “While everybody else is busy making the Rolls Royce of aeroplanes, we’re making the Dacia or the Lada,” he said.
“The aeroplane is really simple and cheap to manufacture and operate and maintain, which basically means that the cost is orders of magnitude lower than the alternatives.”
Rangelov estimates that the prototypes built so far have cost around a million Euros each, an impressive enough figure for a new aircraft of this type.
However, if plans to scale up production and move towards mass manufacture are realised, he believes this cost could ultimately get down to around 300,000 Euro per aircraft.
Meanwhile, the focus on affordable and instantly deployable solutions has led the team to opt for a traditionally-fuelled powertrain, rather than investing resources in experimental electric or hybrid systems.
At the heart of this effort is a multifuel system that Rangelov says is able to switch between different fuels. This, he said, will be key to democratising the technology and the regions in which it can be deployed:
“If you have clients in Northern Europe where people are much more conscious about the environment and are willing to pay a premium for a delivery that’s using sustainable fuels, the same plane that will be operating there may be operating….somewhere else where people have barely access to clean drinking water, let alone gasoline. So whatever fuel they have, we need to be able to accept it.”
Alongside the engineering of the actual aircraft, the team has also given careful thought to how the aircraft are operated and devised a system which uses a tag team of remote pilots: two on the ground at the sending end, two on the receiving end, and then a third team at a central point which manages the handover of the flight.
Whilst the aircraft is, he said, capable of fully autonomous operation, this is part of a conscious effort to drive early confidence in the system by playing it safe and using more ground control than the regulations actually call for.
It’s this bringing together of design, manufacture and operations that really gives Dronamics the edge, claimed Rangelov. “It doesn’t make sense for us to outsource aeroplanes, so somebody else manufactures them and we just use them.
Or it doesn’t make sense that we sell the aeroplanes, because then they’re out of our control. So we figured that it’s better for us to actually close the loop, close the whole circle around design, manufacturing and operations.
It’s a big ask for a new company, but Rangelov believes that in the longer term, taking on all of the risk for clients and removing the need for them to invest in the design and manufacture of aircraft offers the best chance of success in this exciting nascent sector:
“We knew that it was going to be a monumental task to do all three. But in the long run, it’s going to be cheaper for us, it’s going to be much safer in terms of operations and we’re going to be much quicker in terms of iterations of design changes.”
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Kryvyi Rih Missile Strike Kills Four, Kharkiv Hit by Fifth Drone Barrage in a Week
Apr. 3, 2025, 8:50 am
A large-scale drone attack struck Kharkiv on the night of April 2, damaging warehouses, private homes, and traffic lights, officials said. One district was hit, but no casualties were reported.
The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office said Russian forces launched the attack using Geran-2 drones, striking the city for about an hour starting at 9:45 p.m. Spokesman Dmitry Chubenko said approximately 14 strikes were recorded in the Kyivskyi district, marking the fifth major attack on the city in a week.
Most of the damage was concentrated in an industrial area, but two strikes hit residential neighborhoods, shattering windows and damaging house facades.
Earlier on April 2, Kharkiv endured three drone attacks in a single day, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Drones struck five locations in the Kyivsky district, damaging homes and transport infrastructure but causing no severe destruction.
Meanwhile, Russia launched a separate ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown, killing four people and injuring 14 others. Multi-story buildings were damaged, and a fire broke out at an industrial facility.
An unverified social media video from the scene showed fire and smoke rising from a damaged industrial building, and debris lying around.
“A targeted Russian missile strike hit Kryvyi Rih. All of the victims were civilians. My condolences to their families and friends,” Zelensky said on social media.
“Everywhere in the world, this kind of attack is called the same thing: terror.
This can only be stopped by putting enough pressure on Moscow and the Russian system so that they are forced to abandon war and terror.
This depends on their partners - America, Europe, and others around the world.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/50083
https://t.me/dsns_telegram/40543
Putin Envoy Dmitriev May Visit U.S. This Week, Kremlin Confirms
April 2, 2025
President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for international economic and investment cooperation may visit the United States this week to discuss strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, the Kremlin confirmed Wednesday after media outlets first reported the potential trip.
Kirill Dmitriev, who is under U.S. sanctions, will reportedly meet with special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff for talks, CNN reported Tuesday.
Dmitriev previously hinted at possible cooperation between Russia and the U.S. on Arctic development and rare earth metals projects, as well as Mars exploration with billionaire Elon Musk.
The U.S. government temporarily lifted sanctions against Dmitriev to grant him a U.S. visa, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter.
Reuters reported that Dmitriev, who also heads Russia’s Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), will meet Witkoff on Wednesday.
Witkoff has met with Putin twice in Moscow as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Yes, I confirm that this visit is possible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday when asked to comment on the reports.
“We’re continuing our discussions with the Americans through various channels. I can’t provide you with anything more specific than that.”
Dmitriev said Wednesday that his trip to the United States was still a “maybe,” suggesting in a post on X that U.S.-Russia talks were being met with “resistance” from “entrenched interests and old narratives.”
“But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?” Dmitriev wrote.
Trump has sought warmer relations with Russia since taking office in January and has repeatedly said that he hopes to have an in-person meeting with Putin soon.
However, the U.S. president suggested in recent days that he is growing impatient with Russia’s apparent refusal to accept a U.S.-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine.
Dmitriev’s possible trip to the U.S. may be aimed at de-escalating some of the tensions surrounding the peace negotiation process, according to Reuters.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/02/putin-envoy-dmitriev-may-visit-us-this-week-kremlin-confirms-a88576
https://www.twz.com/news-features/ok-to-shoot-down-cartel-drones-flying-over-border-sought-by-northcom-boss
OK To Shoot Down Cartel Drones Flying Over Border Sought By NORTHCOM Boss
Apr 2, 2025 4:52 PM EDT
The general in charge of defending U.S. skies from drone incursions wants the authority to be able to shoot them down near the Mexican border.
Current law greatly restricts U.S. military counter-drone responses, which you can read more about in our deep dive here.
Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot testified to the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that since President Donald Trump took office, he “proposed…a change to the rule of force.”
It would “allow us to shoot down or bring down drones that are surveilling over our deployed and mobile troops…not just that are in self-defense, but anything that’s surveilling and planning the next attack on us within five miles of the border.”
“Because they’re mobile,” U.S. troops on the border are not allowed to take down drones under current law, Guillot, the commander of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and the joint U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), added.
His testimony came as Mexican drug cartels have been steadily increasing their use of weaponized uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), as well as unarmed types for surveillance and smuggling.
The issue has been so concerning that the U.S. Army recently deployed ground-based radars along the border to help spot and track drones as part of the continued build-up of U.S. military support there.
You can read more about that in our in-depth story here. The Trump administration has made border security one of its major priorities.
The issue of drones flying over the border is not new. As we have reported in the past, pilots have reported seeing and having near misses with them in the skies near Arizona ranges and military bases for years.
Guillot also repeated his call to enable all continental U.S. bases to take action against drones. He also wants to increase the range at which those actions can take place.
At present, only about half of the 360 bases in the U.S. – considered “covered installations” – even have permission to defend against drones.
“We’re working with the services and with the [Defense] Department to increase not only the capability but also to expand the authorities,” Guillot explained.
“We have to knock out not only aircraft or UAS that are a direct threat, but also that are surveilling over the installation.
I’d like to even see it expanded beyond the installation to ensure they can’t see anything sensitive on our bases.”
Expanding the perimeter where counter-drone actions can take place also increases the chances of identifying and capturing the drone operators, Guillot explained.
Guillot testified that he wants increased ability to take action granted under a federal law known as “130(i).”
The subsection of Title 10 of the U.S. Code (10 USC 130i) covers current authorities for the “protection of certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft,” including through the use of kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities.
It contains a number of specific stipulations and where and when those authorities can actually be employed, which you can read more about here.
Any change in those authorities, which Congress is considering, would be on top of the Pentagon’s counter-drone strategy released in the last days of the Biden administration, which you can read more about here.
As we previously reported, the U.S. is not fielding kinetic and directed energy capabilities, such as laser and high-power microwave weapons, surface-to-air interceptors, and gun systems, to defend domestic bases and other critical infrastructure from rapidly growing and evolving drone threats. Instead, the focus is on electronic warfare and cyber warfare, and other ‘soft-kill’ options, at least for now.
The legal and regulatory hurdles limiting how and when counter-drone systems of any kind can be employed within the homeland are confusing even to the military and first responders.
Amid the frenzy of drone sightings reported over U.S. military and power facilities that we were the first to report about last November, runways at Stewart Airport in upstate New York were shut down because of a drone incursion in December. The airport is also home to an Air National Guard base.
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“Several very, very sizable drones came within 25 feet of our C-17 fleet,” said U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan during Tuesday’s hearing.
Ryan said there was confusion at the time about how to respond. Base officials “still don’t have full clarity on authorities,” Ryan stated, adding that Stewart also lacks “the tech and some of the other support pieces that they need.”
During the drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base in December 2023, which The War Zone was the first to report on, base officials were not given the authority to respond, the congressman representing that district stated during the hearing.
The drones over Langley “weren’t trying to hide anything,” said U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA). “I felt bad for the base commander because he wanted to do something and wasn’t getting backing from folks up the chain of command.
We had a bunch of resources there where we could do things. None of those were used. If it wasn’t for NASA Langley next door, we wouldn’t even have the sensors to be able to sense those unmanned aerial systems…”
That lack of response sent the wrong message to foreign adversaries who observed it, Wittman complained.
“I believe that our adversaries are probing, trying to figure out what we can do, what we can’t do, and that’s very telling to them what they saw that day or what they saw over that month,” he explained.
“It was very telling to them that there wasn’t the type of reaction that was necessary.”
In the wake of the Langley incursion, NORTHCOM asked for and received “responsibility to synchronize the DOD and if necessary, inter-agency response to counter UAS incursions,” Guillot told Wittman.
“During that time we conducted three assistive responses where we can use our new responsibilities to bring capabilities on a base similar to what you saw at Langley.”
He did not elaborate where or when those responses took place. NORTHCOM later told us Guillot was referring to Edwards Air Force Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base and Picatinny Arsenal.
While it is up to the military services and installations to defend the bases from drones, NORTHCOM is looking to surge counter-drone equipment to assist them in what Guillot calls “flyaway kits” that include counter-drone equipment and the personnel to operate it.
“We don’t have those kits yet, but we’re in the process of acquiring” them, he told committee members.
Guillot’s testimony and statements by legislators further highlight concerns about dangers posed by drones that The War Zone has been making for years.
We laid out a detailed case through dozens of reports that adversaries were taking advantage of the lack of aerial domain awareness over and above the homeland.
The issue has been complicated by the fact that unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), are also tied up in this deeply. You can read all about this here.
Congressional interest in mysterious UAS flying in the skies was further fueled by the so-called Jersey Drone craze.
It began with sightings over Picatinny Arsenal and spread throughout the region to the point where the FBI fielded more than 5,000 reports.
TWZ saw no evidence of large-scale drone incursions over New Jersey, with a chronic issue of people reporting normal aircraft as mysterious drones being glaringly apparent.
The Biden administration repeatedly stated that there was no foreign connection to any of these flights. The Trump administration ultimately told the public that these drones were largely FAA-authorized or research-related.
During this period, U.S. air bases in England experienced a week-long spate of drones flying overhead, which The War Zone was also first to report.
The origination of those drones and identity of their operators remains publicly unknown.
The Congressional reaction to Guillot’s testimony seemed to heavily favor giving him more authority to shoot down drones near the border as well as all U.S. military installations.
Given our long and leading interest in this topic, we will continue to monitor that progress.
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Chilling declassified CIA file reveals aliens committed 'revenge massacre' after UFO was shot down
Updated: 12:53 EDT, 3 April 2025
A bone-chilling document declassified by the CIA has exposed an alleged massacre by aliens from a crashed UFO who turned an entire military unit into stone.
According to the report, Soviet troops shot down a flying saucer hovering over the Soviet military unit in Siberia roughly 35 years ago, and what happened next was truly terrifying.
In the document, summarizing a 250-page top secret file acquired by US intelligence agents, eyewitnesses said five aliens climbed out of their wrecked craft, combined themselves into one creature, exploded in a burst of intense energy, and turned 23 soldiers into solid rock.
One CIA official referred to the shocking battle as 'a horrific picture of revenge on the part of extraterrestrial creatures, a picture that makes one's blood freeze.'
The agency added that the 'extremely menacing case' proved the aliens who visited Earth possessed weapons and technology far beyond the US government's 'assumptions' - suggesting they were already aware of the aliens' existence.
The unearthed document, declassified in 2000, was recently the topic of the AI or Evil podcast, where host Josh Hooper revealed that two of the soldiers at the UFO crash site actually survived the encounter.
However, the 23 'petrified soldiers' could not be saved. Their remains and the debris from the spacecraft were reportedly moved to a secret research base near Moscow.
An even more detail of the CIA file is description of the aliens reportedly involved in this massacre has been mentioned in UFO reports and sightings for nearly 80 years.
The subject of the document states: 'Paper reports alleged evidence on mishap involving UFO.'
This extraordinary tale was also published in the Ukrainian newspaper Holos Ukrayiny on March 27, 1993.
The incident, which a Canadian newspaper believed took place between 1989 and 1990, was only uncovered by the CIA after the fall of the Soviet Union and its 'secret police' organization, the KGB.
The CIA document explained that the alleged alien craft was flying low and quietly above the Soviet unit while they were engaged in a training mission.
Officials wrote that 'for unknown reasons' the Soviets launched a surface-to-air missile at the UFO, sending it crashing to the Earth near the unit's position.
According to the only two soldiers who survived, when the soldiers approached the craft, the five aliens freed themselves of the debris and came close together near the wreck.
Moments later, the soldiers said the group of aliens 'merged into a single object that acquired a spherical shape.' In simpler language, the aliens beings somehow morphed into a giant ball.
That's when the new ball-like alien began to buzz and hiss before igniting into a brilliant white light.
With the soldiers still looking on, the ball of light erupted like a giant flare of energy, turning 23 of the 25 Soviets into 'stone poles.'
The report stated that the only reason two of the men survived was because they were standing in a shaded area at the time of the alien energy blast.
Testing of the soldier's bodies showed the alien flare had somehow changed living tissue into a substance that closely resembles limestone.
The CIA document added that 'a source of energy that is still unknown to Earthlings' was responsible for the blast which fatally transformed the Soviets.
Even in 2025, the science behind such a shocking transformation is still difficult to explain medically and technologically.
According to the Journal of Applied Physics, it is possible to use high-energy radiation or electromagnetic pulses to change normal matter into plasma - a form that's not a liquid, solid, or gas.
In the report, the CIA described the aliens as short humanoids with 'large heads and large black eyes.'
The account matches who UFO researchers, alleged alien abductees, and others who believe in alien life refer to as a race called 'the Greys.'
Their features have become the classic image the public thinks of when discussing aliens from outer space - a small, skinny, grey-skinned alien, with an oversized head and large black eyes with no iris.
The Greys would eventually become linked to the infamous Roswell Incident of 1947, as CIA documents would later suggest that alien beings were pulled from the alleged wreck in New Mexico.
These strange creatures would also go on to represent alien life in countless science fiction shows and movies, including Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Despite their prominent place in extraterrestrial research, this disturbing incident appears to be the first time humans have alleged that these beings could have accomplished such terrifying feats.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14564689/CIA-aliens-massacre-UFO-Siberia-declassified.html
https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/the-ufo-whistleblower-congress-and-classified-briefings-new-dod-oig-emails-and-what-they-reveal/
https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/DODOIG-2024-000451.pdf
The “UFO Whistleblower”, Congress, and Classified Briefings: New DoD OIG Emails And What They Reveal
April 1, 2025
A series of internal Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) emails referencing “UFO Whistleblower” David Grusch were released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) following a request filed by The Black Vault.
The request, processed under case DODOIG-2024-000451, sought all emails—including attachments—sent to or from Randolph R. Stone, the Assistant Inspector General for Evaluations of Space, Intelligence, Engineering and Oversight, that contained the keyword “GRUSCH” from January 20, 2021, through to the date of processing in mid-2024.
The released documents—75 pages in total—offer a limited but interesting window into the awareness and handling of Grusch-related matters within the DoD OIG, particularly as interest in unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) surged in Congress and the media.
On November 1, 2021, an internal email thread within the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) was initiated under the subject line “Heads up: Contact with UAP interviewees.”
The message originated from an individual within the Space, Missile and Nuclear Evaluations division, part of the Evaluations Component of the OIG.
The full content of that initial message is entirely redacted under FOIA exemption (b)(5), offering no insight into what was originally communicated.
However, it prompted a reply from another OIG staff member later that same day, stating, “Grusch reached out to me Thursday evening.”
Further into the correspondence, an exchange dated June 27, 2022, shows David Grusch emailing a DoD OIG staff member and copying Randolph Stone, stating: “Please see JWICS.
DNI IG is requesting any records produced from my 12 Jul 2021 interview with you and your staff.” While Grusch refers to the “DNI IG,” there is no known Office of Inspector General within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
It is more likely that Grusch was referring to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (IC IG), rather than a “DNI IG,” which does not formally exist.
The IC IG is an independent oversight entity established under the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, and while it operates within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), it serves a broader mission by providing oversight across all 18 elements of the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Referring to it as the “DNI IG” implies an internal inspector general specific to the ODNI, which is not the case.
The IC IG is the proper entity for handling whistleblower complaints and likely the office Grusch intended to reference in his communication.
Stone forwarded this message to colleagues with a brief “FYSA” (For Your Situational Awareness), but he provided no additional commentary.
By September 1, 2022, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) had begun making inquiries about Grusch, as noted in an email where a DoD OIG Legislative Affairs staffer stated:
“The SASC reached out to ask if we have any information on an NGA employee named Dave Grusch.” The Office of the Inspector General responded by reviewing internal records to assist with potential congressional oversight.
Multiple messages from September 2023 further show that Grusch was mentioned in relation to a classified report on UAPs that the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability (HCOA) was requesting to review.
The committee staff expressed a desire to hold a classified meeting and “noted that the Committee is interested in learning about Mr. David Grusch.”
The messages from late September show logistical planning and concern over clearances, including questions from Stone such as, “how can we confirm that the staffers have the proper clearance (TS/SCI)?
… I don’t want a spill!!!” highlighting the sensitivity of the information and the classified nature of the UAP-related report.
In July 2023, just days before the House Oversight Committee’s hearing featuring Grusch as a witness, internal emails within the DoD OIG revealed that Stone was not invited to the hearing, responding to a colleague asking if he was going with, “I wasn’t invited.”
The response to that simply stated, “That’s good,” with a redacted line of additional commentary.
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The public and political spotlight on Grusch intensified as news networks and even local reporters began reaching out to the DoD OIG. On July 30, 2023, a reporter from KOMO4 TV in Seattle emailed Stone asking for comment:
“Can you comment on the status of these investigations? Are you willing to testify before Congress in upcoming UAP hearings?” No direct response is included in the released material.
Also among the documents is a September 12, 2023, email from Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, then director of the Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), sent directly to Stone.
While the message itself is completely redacted under FOIA exemption (b)(5), which protects deliberative communications within the government, its presence in a release focused on David Grusch suggests it may have pertained to internal discussions about UAP-related matters or Grusch’s claims, along with the IC IG (the emails subject).
One important note was the fact that Kirkpatrick’s email had “contents of this email are deliberative process privileged and fall under FOIA exemption (b)(5)” within the footer.
While this exemption does permit agencies to withhold predecisional and deliberative materials to protect internal discussions, its application is not absolute.
Under the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, agencies must demonstrate that releasing the information would cause foreseeable harm to the interests protected by the exemption.
Simply labeling an email as deliberative or citing (b)(5) is not sufficient justification to withhold it in full. Courts have consistently held that exemption claims must be accompanied by a specific and reasoned explanation of the harm that would result from disclosure.
In this case, Kirkpatrick’s blanket statement does not, on its own, justify full redaction under the law, and the lack of any segregable content raises questions about whether the exemption was appropriately applied.
Moreover, it is the responsibility of FOIA release authorities — not the sender or a disclaimer in the footer of an email — that determines whether a record qualifies for withholding under the law.
The Black Vault has appealed this, and other, aspects of these denials and redactions. (See other emails released from Dr. Kirkpatrick not withheld under FOIA exemption (b)(5), and released to the Black Vault, some of which holding the same exact footer line.)
There is also correspondence from October 19, 2023, referencing a planned member-level classified briefing on UAPs for the House Oversight Committee.
It was confirmed that “some Members have gone down and looked at [the report]ahead of time,” and while the focus was stated to be on the UAP report, the same email hinted the briefing team should be “prepared” for additional lines of questioning—likely involving Grusch.
What they should be prepared for is entirely redacted.
While the documents are heavily redacted in parts and provide limited insight into the substance of Grusch’s allegations or the conclusions of any investigative actions, they do confirm internal DoD OIG awareness of and engagement with Grusch as early as mid-2021.
The emails also reflect the congressional and media interest that escalated throughout 2022 and 2023 as Grusch became more publicly vocal about his claims.
The FOIA response noted the redactions were made under exemptions (b)(5) for deliberative processes, (b)(6) for personal privacy, and (b)(7)(E) for law enforcement techniques and procedures.
The Black Vault has filed an appeal to argue these redactions.
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https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/the-pentagon-says-aatip-wasnt-about-ufos-but-the-man-slated-to-take-it-over-ended-up-designing-the-governments-uap-strategy/
https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/22-F-0863.pdf
The Pentagon Says AATIP Wasn’t About UFOs—But the Man Slated to Take It Over Ended Up Designing the Government’s UAP Strategy
April 2, 2025
A newly released batch of documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), reveals that a senior Pentagon official—identified by Luis Elizondo as the person intended to take over the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP)—later played a central role in classified UAP briefings, high-level meetings, and the creation of the Pentagon’s UFO office known as AOIMSG.
That office would ultimately evolve into what is now the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
This connection adds a new layer to the long-running controversy surrounding AATIP.
Although Elizondo has long maintained that the program investigated UFOs and that he led it until his 2017 resignation, the Pentagon has issued conflicting statements—at times denying both AATIP’s focus on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and Elizondo’s leadership. According to Elizondo, he had planned to transfer AATIP to Neill Tipton, a senior executive within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD[I&S]). But that handoff, Elizondo says, never materialized.
Emails between Elizondo and Tipton, previously leaked to and published in part by Popular Mechanics in 2020, and later officially obtained and verified with additional emails revealed by The Black Vault via FOIA in 2024, appear to partially support this claim.
In one message dated October 3, 2017, Elizondo wrote to Tipton, “I took the liberty of drafting a memo at the Unclassified level that helps you better assume the new responsibilities for AATIP.”
Yet, despite the plan outlined in these emails and memo released via the FOIA, Tipton would never join the ranks of AATIP, nor would he lead the program, according to Elizondo.
“Neill got cold feet about taking my place at AATIP—something I wouldn’t have expected from him—and began to backpedal, telling people people that he knew nothing about AATIP, its focus, or my involvement,” Elizondo said in his book Imminent.
“I was disappointed that my friend chose to do what he did, especially given the vast amount of emails and witnesses who knew Neill was slated to take over AATIP when I left.”
After Elizondo’s retirement, the Department of Defense frequently denied that Elizondo ever had a role within AATIP, and repeatedly stated that the program did not have a focus on UFOs.
But, in what appeared to be an about face with at least part of their stance, Pentagon spokesperson Christopher Sherwood told the NY Post in 2019, “AATIP did pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena.”
Many rejoiced at the confirmation about what Elizondo had already said for some time, but the excitement about what many hoped to be a new era of transparency about AATIP was short-lived.
Sherwood’s statement was corrected seven months later by another Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough. Gough had taken over being the sole public affairs official speaking on the UAP topic.
“Neither AATIP nor AAWSAP were UAP related,” Gough wrote in a 2019 e-mail to The Black Vault.
“The purpose of AATIP was to investigate foreign advanced aerospace weapons system applications with future technology projections over the next 40 years, and to create a center of expertise on advanced aerospace technologies.”
When asked about the discrepancy between her statement and Sherwood’s, Gough stated to The Black Vault, “At the time, Mr. Sherwood was repeating the information that had been provided by a previous spokesperson some two years earlier.”
She continued, “That previous spokesperson is no longer with my organization, and I cannot comment on why that person’s explanation of AATIP included that it had looked at anomalous events.
According to all the official information I have now, when implemented, AATIP did not pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena; that was not part of the technical studies nor the reports produced by the program.”
The previous spokesperson no longer with the DoD that Gough referred to, was Lt. Col. Audricia Harris, who stated to researcher Roger Glassel in 2018 that AATIP had researched “…anomalous events (such as sightings of aerodynamic vehicles engaged in extreme maneuvers, with unique phenomenology, reported by U.S. Navy pilots or other credible sources).”
According to Gough, Sherwood simply translated this previous statement as AATIP pursued UAPs during their research, and issued his statement to the NY Post erroneously.
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Finally in 2021, all of that was seemingly changed yet again when the Pentagon released another statement claiming that, “In developing the reports and exploring how to create a ‘center of expertise,’ the [AATIP] contract allowed for research drawn from a wide variety of sources, including reports of UAPs. However, the examination of UAP observations was not the purpose of AATIP.”
Despite this constantly shifting position by the DoD, this new FOIA release on April 1, 2025, in response to a 2022 request filed by The Black Vault, contains multiple email threads and internal communications placing Tipton at the center of UAP planning and strategizing in 2021 and 2022.
In a July 13, 2021, email to senior DoD officials, Tipton described a high-level UAP briefing to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), noting that 28 senators attended—an unusually high turnout that was “nearly unprecedented for an engagement like this”—and that “continued very high interest from the Senate” was evident. He confirmed his direct participation in the briefing, alongside representatives from ODNI, the Navy, the Air Force, and NORAD.
Just months later, Tipton was involved in the establishment of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG), the office stood up by the Pentagon following the dissolution of the UAP Task Force.
In a November 23, 2021, email, Tipton confirmed that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks had signed the AOIMSG stand-up memo and stated that his team was “already working implementation direction.”
These details paint a complex picture. Although Tipton never assumed leadership of AATIP, as Elizondo intended, his later prominence in classified UAP briefings and the establishment of the Pentagon’s UFO infrastructure raises new questions—especially given the Pentagon’s earlier denials that AATIP had anything to do with UFOs. In other words, why Tipton out of everyone else within the DoD’s massive infrastructure of people within it?
For critics of Elizondo’s narrative, the Pentagon’s 2018 and 2019 statements denying his leadership role or AATIP’s UAP focus seemed definitive.
But the trajectory of Tipton—named by Elizondo as the intended recipient of AATIP responsibilities—suggests the subject matter was, in fact, deemed serious enough to warrant his engagement through classified briefings, organizational leadership, and strategic planning when it came to UAPs.
The Department’s own documents now confirm that Tipton himself “hosted an ASD-level meeting” on UAP issues; helped develop a “DoD Collection and Analysis Strategy;” and participated in drafting the framework for a “Technical Roadmap,” according to September 2021 internal correspondence released in this FOIA case.
While Elizondo has faced scrutiny over the exact nature of his role, even by The Black Vault, these documents show that his intended successor was not only involved in UAP discussions—but instrumental in advancing them.
The Pentagon has yet to publicly reconcile these apparent contradictions.
This FOIA release represents just one more piece of a broader puzzle still being put together. More documents and records may further clarify how—and by whom—the Pentagon’s UFO investigations were managed in the years leading to the formation of AARO.
And as this never-before-told chapter continues to unfold, The Black Vault will publish all additional records that may surface in the future. Numerous FOIA requests remain outstanding.
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UFO whistleblower David Grusch: 'We are not alone' | Official Ross Coulthart NewsNation interview Rebroadcast
April 2, 2025
Editor's note: In March 2025, Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., hired David Grusch to work on his staff and advise on UFO investigations (https://x.com/BlakeBurman/status/1904…)
NewsNation’s reporting on the unidentified anomalous phenomenon issue was followed by Congressional hearings, newly proposed legislation, changes within the Pentagon and reduced stigma for U.S. military personnel reporting unidentified object sightings encountered during missions and training.
In June 2023, NewsNation aired an exclusive TV interview with retired Maj. David Grusch, a U.S. Air Force veteran who had top secret security clearance while working at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, where he co-led the agency’s UAP portfolio.
In the interview, Grusch discusses his investigation and his formal whistleblower complaint. He alleges, under oath, that his UAP Task Force was refused access to a broad crash retrieval program to secure technical craft of nonhuman origin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBAISwCZ2v0