Many conspiracy theorists and other science enthusiasts have claimed that the US conducts secret operations and programs related to aliens and UFOs. But recently, a leaked document showing that the US Department of Defense has funded a research program related to UFOs.
The highly classified document was published by Popular Mechanics that revealed a Pentagon program produced reports on investigating unusual phenomena such as injuries from 'exotic' propulsion which mention UFOs.
UFO and aliens
As per a 2017 The New York Times report, the existence of a $22 million dollar UFO investigation program, called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, or AATIP was revealed. Just two months ago when Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough told John Greenewald, the curator of the Black Vault, the largest civilian archive of declassified government documents, AATIP had nothing to do with UFOs.
In response, Greenewald wrote that he was told by the Pentagon that the Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Application Program or AAWSAP, another program was the name of the contract that the US government gave out to produce reports under AATIP.
Journalist Tim McMillan, in Popular Mechanics article, revealed documents from Bigelow Aerospace's exotic science division, Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies, or BAASS. These documents indicated that the organization had conducted the operation to explore strange phenomena under the auspices of the AATIP program.
Suspicious report on UFOs
Earlier a BAASS report was leaked to McMillan by an unnamed source. The report appeared on a list of products produced under the AATIP contract for the DIA to publish that was obtained via FOIA laws. Even though it was cited incorrectly on the list, Popular Mechanics tracked down its author, who confirmed its authenticity. The report also talked about the investigation of the exotic propulsion via injuries sustained by people who experienced strange vehicles. It should be noted that the report mentioned UFOs several times.
The report added a section where it stated: "What cannot be overly emphasized, is that when one looks at the literature of anomalous cases, including UFO claims from the most reliable sources, the extent and degree of acute high but not necessarily chronic low-level injuries are consistent across patients who are injured, compared to witnesses in the far-field, who are not."
However, the author of the report Christopher "Kit" Green told Popular Mechanics that BAASS did not give him contract except to produce this report and added that it provides no evidence for extraterrestrial or non-human technologies.
Another BAASS report from 2009 showed that around that time the science division would have been producing reports under AATIP. As per the report, it explored a vast assortment of strange phenomena including "physical effects" of unknown aerial phenomena, "biological effects" after facing an anomaly on biological organisms, as well as a request for documents from the Air Force's UFO investigation program, which is known as Project Blue Book.
Recent revelation
In January, Motherboard access to Skinwalker Ranch, which is currently owned by an anonymous individual engaged in private scientific research. In an interview, the owner said that Skinwalker Ranch continues to be one of the best locations to study and record unknown aerial phenomena or UAP activities and added that "Where else in the world do you have constant monitoring with instrumentation recording across a broad spectrum?"
However, earlier this year, in a statement, the Pentagon told Motherboard that Luis Elizondo, a former Pentagon staffer who claims to have run the AATIP program, was not involved in the program. An unknown source sent documents to McMillan that allegedly supports Elizondo's claims. Elizondo told Motherboard that even though the AAWSAP and AATIP programs are no longer active, the Pentagon is still investigating the sightings of UFOs and encounters with UAP under a different program portfolio.
