Thanks so much for sending the statement. Will send follow up questions once received. Joe We got this. are working this now. Will have something in the next 90 minutes or so. Make sure the Post understands that we will have good answers that will be helpful for the article. Just need a little Thanks, lynn From: Gradisher, Joseph F CIV USN DCNO N2N6 (US) > Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 12:10 PM To: Wright, B Lynn SES USN DCNO N2N6 (USA) ; Stratton, John F (Jay) SES USN NIMITZ OPINTELCEN DC (USA) Cc: Kohler, Matthew J VADM USN (USA) ; OPNAV ALL N2N6 Front Office ; Hicks, Gregory L CAPT USN CHINFO WASHINGTON DC (USA) Subject: WASHINGTON POST followup Query on Politico story Not surprisingly, in response to the Politico article, CHINFO has received queries from a number of other media outlets. In response, they provided the statement we used for politico (attached). In the email below to CHINFO, the Washington Post had some followup questions. Can we put together something to responds to the Post? Has the draft guidance been finalized/released? Is it a classified or unclassified directive? They want to publish this afternoon! Joe Gradisher Captain, U.S. Navy (ret) N2N6 Strategic Engagements Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 11:43 AM Subject: [NonDoD Source] RE: Statement on unexplained aerial phenomena reporting Hello, Im still waiting to receive the official statement from you. As a matter of expediency, below are follow up questions. Id appreciate the opportunity to speak with someone this morning. Were aiming to publish early afternoon. What does the U.S. Navy constitute as a strange aerial sighting, for purposes of the new guidelines? The statement published by POLITICO says, There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various militarycontrolled ranges and designated air space in recent years. Can you elaborate on what this means? o Is recent years the last two years? Five? Ten? o Has there been an increase in sighting over that time period or has it remained constant? What prompted the Navy to draft these guidelines now? o How many sightings have there been? What are the drafted guidelines? Could you provide us with a copy of them? Prior to this, was there anything similar in place for unidentified aircraft sightings? Are there parallel guidelines for other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, like the Air Force? What type of analysis will be conducted? Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 11:28 AM Subject: Statement on unexplained aerial phenomena reporting Thanks so much for sending the statement. Will send follow up questions once received. NTIFIED AIRCRAFT REPORTING/POLITICO Responded to Politico ( ) query TODAY on recent Hill briefings by the Navy regarding unidentified aircraft. Responded: "There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various militarycontrolled ranges and designated air space in recent years. For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the USAF take these reports very seriously and investigate each and every report. As part of this effort, the Navy is updating and formalizing the process by which reports of any such suspected incursions can be made to the cognizant authorities. A new message to the fleet that will detail the steps for reporting is in draft. In response to requests for information from Congressional members and staff, Navy officials have provided a series of briefings by senior Naval Intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety." Article attached. CAPT Greg Hicks Acting Chief of Information Navy Office of Information Navy Pentagon 4B463 Sent: Monday, April 22, 2019 10:37 AM To: Hicks, Gregory L CAPT USN CHINFO WASHINGTON DC (USA) Subject: Re: [NonDoD Source] Free for a quick catch up? Sorry to be a pest but should I hound ONR directly? Thanks. Sent from my iPhone On Mar 29, 2019, at 1:22 PM, Hicks, Gregory L CAPT USN CHINFO WASHINGTON DC (US) Sorry , nothing really. Only that it is in the intel lanes. VR/ Greg Sent: Friday, March 29, 2019 3:02 PM To: Hicks, Gregory L CAPT USN CHINFO WASHINGTON DC (US) Subject: RE: [NonDoD Source] Free for a quick catch up? Any thing to report here yet? Thanks Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Hicks, Gregory CAPT CHINFO, OI00 Sent: Friday, March 1, 201 Subject: RE: [NonDoD Source] Free for a quick catch up? Sorry, nothing yet. Ive asked the team to respond and reach out in our lifelines. Sent with BlackBerry Work (www.blackberry.com) Date: Friday, Mar 01, 2019, 1:57 PM To: Hicks, Gregor y CAPT CHINFO, OI-00 Subject: [Non-DoD Source] Free for a quick catch up? From: Miller, DeWolfe H VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC SAN CA (USA) Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 5:03 PM To: Wright, B Lynn SES USN DCNO N2N6 (USA) Cc: Kohler, Matthew J VADM USN (USA) ; Gradisher, Joseph F CIV USN DCNO N2N6 (US) Reynol ds, Jason A SES USN Subject: RE: WASHINGTON POST followup Query on Politico story Lynn good timing. I will be in the building tomorrow and Friday. My Friday meetings end before noon, so Ill have my Aide see if we can align schedules to discuss, or at a minimum, provide me the opportunity to swing by and read the background paper. Thanks and VR Sent with BlackBerry Work (www.blackberry.com) From: Wright, B Lynn SES USN DCNO N2N6 (USA) Date: Wednesday, Apr 24, 2019, 3:34 PM To: Miller, DeWolfe H VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC SAN CA (USA) Cc: Kohler, Matthew J VADM USN (USA) , Gradisher, Joseph F CIV USN DCNO N2 Subject: FW: WASHINGTO N POST followup Query on Politico story to make sure you are tracking an uptick in press interest in the range fouling activity for Oceana. Politico article came out last night, dealing with WASHPOST and potentially a NY Times article this afternoon. Potentially Fox News Network today as well. U.S. Navy drafting new guidelines for reporting UFOs The service says it has also "provided a series of briefings by senior Naval Intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety." Read in POLITICO: https://apple.news/ARhbdnHIfR3aFQYaC0tevsw Below is our response to the followup questions from the Washington Post. We will send to Jason on JWICS the background paper for your information. B. Lynn Wright ADCNO for Information Warfare (Acting) OPNAV N2N6B From: Stratton, John F (Jay) SES USN NIMITZ OPINTELCEN DC (USA) Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 2:25 PM To: Wright, B Lynn SES USN DCNO N2N6 (USA) Subject: RE: WASHINGTON POST followup Query on Politico story Safety of aircrew is always a paramount concern to the US Navy and the Department of Defense. The wide proliferation and availability of inexpensive unmanned aerial systems (UAS) such as commercially available quadcopters has increasingly made airspace deconfliction an issue for our aviators. In this increasingly complex airspace including both military and civilian aviation environments, the US Navy is proactive in exercising due diligence in investigating any observation in training areas that could affect the safety of our aircrew. Based on this increased airspace complexity, US Navy aircrew were provided with reporting instructions in order to determine the frequency and location of any UAS operating in our training areas. In response to past reports, the US Navy issued guidelines for responses to observations. Based on continued reporting under those guidelines, the US Navy has decided to further develop ways to help better understand the source and nature of the observations. As an example, in 2012 there were a number of lasing events near Naval Air Station Oceana, the US Navy took these hazards to aviation very seriously and working with Law Enforcement identified and prosecuted the individual. While the US Navy acknowledges that these hazards to aviation may be inadvertent or unintended, just as with the lasing events, the US Navy remains vigilant in addressing any and all hazards to aviation. We are currently updating guidelines to be more aircraft specific in order to facilitate reports that support an objective data driven analysis while helping to remove any stigmas from reporting anything unknown in the airspace. Due to the operational and aircraft specific nature of these guidelines, security considerations preclude their disclosure. The US Navy is at the forefront of this effort but works across the Department of Defense to ensure other service partners maintain awareness for the safety of their aircrew. The US Navy is not working with any entities outside of the US government. Military and civilian aviation has always had channels for reporting airspace violations and hazards to aviation safety. However, based on the enhanced guidelines that were implemented reporting became more consistent which lead to our recognition that more specific guidelines were needed. The US Navy continues to operate and train safely throughout the world. From: Wright, B Lynn SES USN DCNO N2N6 (USA) Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 12:25 PM To: Gradisher, Joseph F CIV USN DCNO N2N6 (US) ; Stratton, John F (Jay) SES USN NIMITZ OPINTELCEN DC (USA) Cc: Kohler, Matthew J VADM USN (USA) ; OPNAV ALL N2N6 Front Office Hicks, Gregory L CAPT USN CHINFO WASHINGTON DC (USA) Subject: RE: WASHINGTON POST followup Query on Politico story Will have something in the next 90 minutes or so. Make sure the Post understands that we will have good answers that will be helpful for the article. Just need a little Thanks, lynn From: Gradisher, Joseph F CIV USN DCNO N2N6 (US) Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 12:10 PM To: Wright, B Lynn SES USN DCNO N2N6 (USA) ; Stratton, John F (Jay) SES USN NIMITZ OPINTELCEN DC (USA) Cc: Kohler, Matthew J VADM USN (USA) ; OPNAV ALL N2N6 Front Office Hicks, Gregory L CAPT USN CHINFO WASHINGTON DC (USA) Subject: WASHINGTON POST followup Query on Politico story Not surprisingly, in response to the Politico article, CHINFO has received queries from a number of other media outlets. In response, they provided the statement we used for politico (attached). In the email below to CHINFO, the Washington Post had some followup questions. Can we put together something to responds to the Post? Has the draft guidance been finalized/released? Is it a classified or unclassified directive? They want to publish this afternoon! Joe Gradisher Captain, U.S. Navy (ret) N2N6 Strategic Engagements Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 11:43 AM Subject: [NonDoD Source] RE: Statement on unexplained aerial phenomena reporting Hello, Im still waiting to receive the official statement from you. As a matter of expediency, below are follow up questions. Id appreciate the opportunity to speak with someone this morning. Were aiming to publish early afternoon. What does the U.S. Navy constitute as a strange aerial sighting, for purposes of the new guidelines? The statement published by POLITICO says, There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various militarycontrolled ranges and designated air space in recent years. Can you elaborate on what this means? o Is recent years the last two years? Five? Ten? o Has there been an increase in sighting over that time period or has it remained constant? What prompted the Navy to draft these guidelines now? o How many sightings have there been? What are the drafted guidelines? Could you provide us with a copy of them? Prior to this, was there anything similar in place for unidentified aircraft sightings? Are there parallel guidelines for other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, like the Air Force? What type of analysis will be conducted? Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 11:28 AM Subject: Statement on unexplained aerial phenomena reporting Thanks so much for sending the statement. Will send follow up questions once received.