Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program
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AI-Generated Summary
This memo details the origins, funding, and administrative status of the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program (AATIP). It explains the program's focus on advanced aerospace threats and the subsequent decision by the DIA to transition the project due to limited internal utility.
This information memorandum, addressed to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, outlines the history and status of the Advanced Aerospace Threat and Identification Program. The program was initiated via a $10 million congressional add in the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Supplemental Appropriation Act, sponsored by Senators Reid and Inouye. Its primary objective was to investigate foreign advanced aerospace weapon threats and establish a center of expertise regarding advanced aerospace technologies, specifically focusing on unconventional or leap-ahead aerospace vehicles with national security implications. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) issued a request for proposal and subsequently awarded a contract to Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS), based in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The scope of study included twelve technical areas, such as lift, propulsion, control, and human interface. By September 2009, BAASS had delivered 26 technical reports to the DIA. A subsequent $12 million add in the FY 2010 Defense Appropriations Act resulted in the production of twelve additional reports. The document notes that on June 24, 2009, Senator Reid requested that the Department of Defense establish an alternate compensatory control measure or sensitive access program for the project. Following a review in November 2009, the DIA determined that, based on classification levels, there were insufficient grounds to classify the program as an ACCM or restricted SAP. In a meeting between Deputy Secretary of Defense Lynn and Senator Reid in November 2009, it was determined that the reports were of limited value to the DIA, though they might hold merit for other organizations. The memorandum concludes by suggesting that upon completion of the DIA contract, the project could be transitioned to another agency or component better suited for oversight.
The potential threat posed by unconventional or "leap" aerospace vehicles that could pose national security implications for the United States was a specific area of interest.
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Official Assessment
The program was established to investigate foreign advanced aerospace weapon threats and build a center of expertise. It produced 26 technical reports by 2009 and 12 additional reports following a 2010 funding add. By late 2009, the DIA determined the reports were of limited value to the agency, suggesting they might be better suited for other organizations.