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255_413270_UFO's_and_Defense_What_Should_we_Prepare_For

Type

Document, 94 pages

Agency

NASA

Place

N/A

Released

Release 1, May 8, 2026

Open the original on war.gov

The government's description

This file contains an independent report on UFOs written by the French association COMETA (previously published in the French magazine VDS in 1999), which details the results of a study by the Institute of Higher Studies for National Defence. The file also includes a letter from Carol Rosin in which she notes that she was spokesperson for von Braun during the last years of his life.

•

498 Manzanita Ct.
Ventura, CA 93001
April 30, 2001
Hi Dan
Jon (Cypher) and I look forward to seeing you on Friday at 3:30pm in your office.
Jon, you probably recall, is an actor who starred on "Hillstreet Blues" and "Major Dan,"
among many other TV shows, Broadway (wish you could hear him sing ''The Impossible
Dream" which he sang on Broadway in La Mancha), and movies. He's aJso a scholar
(and sings opera in four languages), and speaks eloquently about space. We've been
married for fifteen years.
Since I closed down the Institute for Security and Cooperation in Outer Space a few years
ago, which I founded in '83, we've both been searching for our role in promoting the
space program.
As you know, I was spokesperson for von Braun during the last years of his life. He had
me commit to finding the path to open the doors to space .. . with his full and unlimited
vision. I think I've found a way to do it.

•

We're bringing you a package that will give you the idea. (Don't worry, it won't cost
you or NASA a dime.) And we'll only take as much time as you want ... even just a few
short minutes as I know how busy you are. But it's going to be worth this trip to hand
this to you in person.
Also, we'd love to take you (and yours) to lunch or dinner during the week we'll be in
DC. Possible?
See you Friday.
My best,

~~

Carol Rosin
805-641-1999
Cell 805-340-5121
Rosin@west.net
PS. The photo was taken at the US Space Foundation where we were keynote speakers.

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UFOs and Defense:
·What Should We Prepare For?

-An independent report on UFOs written by the French association
COMETA. This report details the results of a study by the Institute of
Higher Studies for National Defence.-

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This paper originally appeared in a special issue of the magazine VSD
published in France in July 1999.

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UFOs and Defense

--The COMETA Report--

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"Stripping the UFO phenomenon ofits irralional layer"

Foreword by Professor Andre Lebeau, Former chairman of the Centre National

d'Etudes Spatiales
(CNES) (French National Center for Space Studies]
It is not looked on highly in certain scientific circles to be preoccupied with phenomena
that are deemed to come under the heading of popular mythology or that are, at any rate,
outside the realm ofscience. Such was the case with stones falling from the sky, which
was long considered in our country to be the stuffoffable. However, the day that a
meteorite shower over the town of Laigle permitted a collective and indisputable
observation, it entered into the domain of science. One century later NASA, no doubt
hastily, elevated these stones to proof of the existence of primitive life on Mars.
_Phenomena ofthis type pose a preliminary problem for the scientific approach: does a
scientific fact exist?
•
When the phenomenon is a matter of experimentation, the criterion to be used is simple~
the reproducibility of the experiment is the touchstone and furnishes the fact that must
then be interpreted. But the situation is more difficult when the phenomenon is not open
to experimentation, when repeated observation is the only basis on which one can go, as is
the case in astronomy and for the most part in geophysics. However, when the fact, albeit
rare, is collectively and indisputably visible, it is easy to elevate it to the status ofscientific
object. The existence of eclipses, comets, and novas has been recognized_since ancient
times,._even though their interpretation long contained - and sometimes still contains - a
religious dimension. Thus collective and simultaneous observation plays the same role as
the reproducibility of experiments.
This is not true when the event is not only rare but discrete as well, and when there is a
very small amount of evidence at each occurrence, which opens the door to various
suspicions. Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, fall into this category. One runs up
against additional difficulties in the case of UFOs, firstly that of how many human
activities, especially since the beginning of the space age, have generated atmospheric
phenomena the origin of which is not immediately ascertainable by those who observe
them. In any case, UFOs, the origin of which cannot be attributed to either a human
source or a natural mechanism that has been identified by science, are mixed in with a
background noise the origin of which, although difficult to identify, is not at all
mysterious.
Moreover, and above all, the existence of unexplained manifestations, both in the
atmosphere and occasionally on the surface of the earth, inevitably gives rise to a
fundamental question: are we alone in the universe? Could some of these phenomena be
the work of extraterrestrial beings? This question gives the UFO issue a sociological,
media-related, and even religious dimension in a domain that is not that of science and
scientific methods. And it is the very existence of this dimension that elicits reactions of
rejection in the scientific community.
However, a dispassionate examination of the situation should lead those who believe in
the value of scientific method to consider that the very existence ofa strong irrational
environment is another reason to apply the precepts of this method to the issue of UFOs.
COMETA has tried its luck at this in the report that it is presenting, supported, namely,
by the work performed by GEPAN, which later became SEPRA. The significant place
granted to sightings, to testimonies, and to the analysis ofcases that have been explained
shows the major role played here by the establishment of facts. But we also find in this

document a reflection on the hypothesis of extraterrestrial intelligence and of the
importance that it could have if studies came together to confirrn it.
This report is useful in that it contributes toward stripping the phenomenon of UFOs of
its irrational layer. When aJI is said and done, the question of detennining whether or not
those who created this report believe in the exi~tence ofextraterrestrial visitors, concealed
in a variety of phenomena that are surprising in appearance but commonplace with respect
to their cause, is of no real importance. What a scienti?t believes is important in the
conducting of his research because this is what motivates and drives him. But his beliefis
not important to the results of his research nor does it have any effect on those results if he
is rigorous.

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Table of Contents

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Page 5
PREFACE
Page 6
FOREWORD
Page 7
INTRODUCTION
PART l
FACTS AND TESTIMONIES
Page 9
Chapter 1 Testimonies of French Pilots
Chapter 2 Aeronautical Cases Throughout the World
Page 12
Page 17
Chapter 3 Sightings from the Ground
Page 20
Chapter 4 Close Encounters in France
Chapter 5 Counterexamples of Phenomena That Have Been Explained
Page 24

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PART 2
Chapter 6

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Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
PART3
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14

THE EXTENT OF OUR KNOWLEDGE
Organization of the Research in France
Page 27
Methods and Results ofGEP AN/SEPRA
UFOs: Hypotheses, Modeling Attempts
Organization of the Research Abroad

Page 31
Page 35
Page 42

UFOs AND DEFENSE
Strategic Planning
Aeronautical Implications
Scientific and Technical Implications
Political and Religious Implications
Media Implications

Page 55
Page 59
Page 62
Page 64
Page 69

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Page 71

APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Radar Detection in France
Page 74
Appendix 2 Astronomers' Sightings
Page 74
Appendix 3 Life in the Universe
Page 75
Appendix 4 Colonization of Space
Page 75
Appendix S The Roswell Affair - Disinforrnation
Page 77
Appendix 6 The Long History of the UFO Phenomenon - Elements ofa

.· :·

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Chronology
Appendix 7 Reflections on Various Psychological, Sociological,
and Political Aspects of the UFO Phenomenon

Page 80
Page

82
REFERENCES
GLOSSARY

Page 87
Page 90

The photo section from pages 43 to 50, as well as pages 2 and 91, were not part of
the initial report.
Publication of:
[G.S. Presse Communication logo] 79-83, rue Baudin, 92309 Levallois-Perret Cedex.01
55 21 00 50, fax: 01 55 21 00 55. Societe anonyme with FF 250,000 in capital, in business
for 99 years. Sole Chief Executive Officer: Daniel Denis. Publication Director: Daniel
Denis. Art Director: Richard Y otis. Editorial Assistant: Jacques Peron. Illustrations and
Technical Consulting: Bernard Thouanel. Editorial Dept. 0 1 55 21 00 50. E-mail:
vsd_hs@worldnet.fr. Public Relations Agent: Image7/Isabelle de Segonzac 01 44 15 93
94. Sales and restocking: MEP, 01 42 56 12 26,
UFOs AND DEFENSE
What should we prepare for?
COtviETA, an association governed by the Law ofJuly 1, 190 1.
All reproduction, in whole or in part, translation, and adaptation rights reserved for all
countries. Copyright 1999.
terminal ELL. Photoengraving: Key Graphic. Printing: Berger Levrault, 34, avenue du
Roule, 92220 Neuily-sur-Seine. Joint Appeals Board No.: 59521. ISSN 1278-916 X.
Copyright deposit: July 1999.
© G.S. Presse Communication. The editorial department is not responsible for the loss of
or damage to texts or photos that are sent to it for consideration. Reproduction in whole
or in part ofany material published in the magazine is prohibited.

Cover:
Photo taken on September 4, 1971, directly over the Tilaran range in Central America
by an airplane from the National Geographic Institute ofCosta Rica (Bernard Thouanel
collection).

"Concrete problems are raised that call for a response
in terms ofaction"
by General Bernard Norlain,
Former director of the lnstitut des Hautes Etudes de Defense
Nation ale
(Institute for Advanced National Defense Studies
(IBEDN)]

When General Letty visited me in March I 995 at my office at IHEDN to explain to me
his project for creating a new committee for study of UFOs, I assured him of my interest
and referred him to the management ofthe IHEDN Auditors Association (AA), which •
gave him its support. Knowing that some twenty years earlier the AA had produced and
published a preliminary report on the subject in its bulletin, it was but time to update it.
Denis Letty seemed to me to be the perfect one to spearhead this task~ one month
earlier, in February, he had organized, within the framework of the Ecole de l' Air [Air
Force Academy] Alumni Association, a conference on unidentified aerospace phenomena.
Before a large public, some of our comrades, former pilots, spontaneously related their
encounters with UFOs. The person in charge of studying these phenomena at the CNES
then presented his results, and a well-known astronomer described a scientifically
acceptable version of the extraterrestrial hypothesis.
The fields of knowledge affected by the UFO phenomenon are very diverse, and
General Letty was able to find within the AA, but on the outside as well, numerous
experts whose efforts h~ coordinated. The list of high-level civilian and military degrees
of the members of his committee is very impressive: officers, engineers, and specialists in
physics, life sciences, and social sciences were able to deal with all aspects of the study.
This is not a purely academic study. Concrete problems are raised, and not only for
civilian and military pilots, that call for a response in tenns of action. The makeup of
COMETA [Committee for In-Depth Studies], which is the name ofthe committee, took
these into account. Almost all of its members have, or had during the course of their
careers, important responsibilities in defense, industry, teaching, research or various
central administrations.
I express the wish that the recommendations of COMETA, which are inspired by good
sense, will be examined and implemented by the authorities of our country. The first
report of the AA favored the creation within CNES of the only civilian government agency
known in the world dedicated to the study of UFOs. May this new report, which is much
more in-depth, give new impetus to our national efforts and to indispensable international
cooperation. IHEDN will then have well served the nation and, perhaps, humanity.

"Consider all oftile hypotheses"

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by Denis Letty,
Air Force General, 2nd Section, AA (35)
The accumulation of well-documented sightings made by credible witnesses forces us
to consider from now on all of the hypotheses regarding the origin of unidentifiedflying
objects, or UFOs, and the extraterrestrial hypothesis, in particular. UFOs are now a part
ofour media environment; the films, television broadcasts, books, advertisements, etc.,
dealing with UFOs amply demonstrate this.
Although no characterized threat has been perceived to date in France, it seemed
necessary to the former auditors of the Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense Nationale
(IHEDN) to take stock of the subject. Along with qualified experts from extremely varied
backgrounds, they are grouped together to forrn a private in-depth fact-finding committee,
which was christened COMETA.
This committee was transformed into a COMETA association, which I chair. I would
like to thank General Bernard Norlain, former director of IHEDN, and Mr. Andre Lebeau,
former chairman of the Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales, without whom COMETA
would not have been born.
In addition, I wish to acknowledge the various people who agreed to give their
testimony or to contribute to this study, and namely:
Jean-Jacques Velasco, Head of SEPRA at CNES,
Fran~ois Louange, Chief Executive Officer of Flex.image,
Jean-Charles Duboc, Jean-Pierre Fartek, Rene Giraud, civilian and military
pilots,
Edmond Campagnac, former technical director of Air France at Antananarivo,
Michel Perrier, Squadron Commander, Gendannerie Nationale
M. Soun, ofthe Direction Generale de !'Aviation Civile [Civil Aviation Agency]
Joseph Domange, Air Force General, Auditors Association delegate general.
I must also thank the commander of the Afr Force Air Operations Command Center for
its participation during the investigation into flight AF 3532 on January 28, 1994.
Among the members ofCOMETA who spared no effort for close to three years, it is
possible for me to list:
Michel Algrin, State Doctor of Political Science, attorney-at-law, AA (35), (1)
Pierre Bescond, Weapons Engineer General, 2nd Section, AA (48),
Denis Blancher, Chief of Police, Police Nationale, Ministry of the Interior,
Jean Dunglas, Doctor of Engineering (Ret.), in Water and Foredtry Management AR
(48)
Bruno Le Moine, Air Force General, 2nd Section, AA (41 ),
Fran~oise Lepine, Fondation pour Jes Etudes de Defense [Foundation for Defense
Studies], AA (33),
Christian Marchal, Chief Mining Engineer, Research Director at ONERA
(National Aerospace Study and Research Office),
Marc Merlo, Admiral, 2nd Section, AA (35),
Alain Orszag, Doctor of Physical Sciences, Weapons Engineer General, 2nd
Section.

,~
(/): AA or AR xx: auditor of national or regional promotion no. xx.

INTRODUCTION
In 1976, a committee of the Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense Nationale (IHEDN)
chaired by General Blanchard1 of the Gendarmerie Nationale1 opened the unidentified
flying objects file. The objective: to make proposals for organizing research and the
collection of data on these phenomena. The-goal was achieved, because the
recommendations of this cornm.ittee were followed b, the creation of the Groupe d'Etude
des Phenomenes Aerospatiaux Non Identifies (GEPAN) [Unidentified Aerospace
Phenomena Study Group], the precursor to the current Service d'Expertise des
Phenomenes de Rentree Atmospherique (SEPRA) [Atmospheric Reentry Phenomena
Consulting Department], a division of the Centre National d ' Etudes Spatiales (CNES),
which is in charge of this file. Twenty years later, it seemed useful to us to take stock
once again of the knowledge regarding these sightings, which are becoming of greater and
greater interest to a large public that is often convinced of the extraterrestrial origin of
UFOs. Just look at the number offilms or television broadcasts on this subject.
For the sake ofconvenience with respect to language, we will use the term UFO
(Unidentified Flying Object) generally1 instead of the more scientific term UAP
(Unidentified Aerospace Phenomenon).
Without a doubt, the phenomenon remains and the number of sightings, which are
completely unexplained despite the abundance and quality of data, is growing throughout
the world. On the ground, some sightings, like the Trans-en-Provence sighting in 1981,
have been the subject of in-depth studies proving that something did in fact land on the
ground and parked there. Civilian and military pilots have provided gripping visual
testimonies, often corroborated by radar recordings, as was the case recently in France. In
view of the lack of irrefutable proof regarding the origin of these phenomena, the need for
understanding persists.
We will devote the first part of this report to several particularly remarkable French and
foreign cases.
In the second part, after having recalled the current organization of the research on
these phenomena in France and abroad, we will evaluate the work being done by scientists
worldwide who are interested in UFOs and are proposing, as we will see, partial
explanations that are based on known laws of physics.
Some of these (propulsion systems, non lethal weapons, etc.) could become realities in
the short, medium and long term.
We will review the principal global explanations proposed, focusing on those that are in
keeping with the current scientific data, which range from secret weapons to
extraterrestrial manifestations.
The UFO phenomenon involves defense in the broad sense and calls for a certain
number of measures, which we will examine in the last part:
- [providing] civilian and military pilots with sufficient information to teach them an
adapted conduct when faced with these phenomena and, more generally, [providing] the
public and decision-makers with information,
- developing the actions of SEPRA and promoting supplemental scientific monitoring,
or even research, actions,
- considering the strategic, political, and religious consequences of a possible
confirmation of the extraterrestrial hypothesis, the bizarre connotation of which it is
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advisable to eliminate here and now.

PART I
Facts and Testimonies

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Before going further, it seems worthwhile to us to present several facts and testimonies
that in themselves justify the interest of the in-depth study that we are going to develop
below:
- three testimonies of French civilian and military pilots who encountered UFOs in flight,
- five major aeronautical cases in the world,
- three sightings frQm the ground,
- four cases ofclose encounters in France.
These few examples are among the hundreds of remarkable, that is to say credible and
well-documented, cases observed around the world in recent decades. None of these
cases has been explained, whereas the majority ohimes the investigations enable the origin
of the phenomena observed by the witnesses to be determined; we will give two significant
examples of this.

Chapter 1 - Testimonies of French Pilots
Three French pilots who encountered UFOs in flight came to testify before the
committee. Their testimonies are all the more interesting because they can be eva1uated
better than other aerial phenomena since they pertain to the aeronautic world.

1.1 M. Giraud, Mirage IV pilot (March 7, 1977).
The sequence of events of this incident was reconstructed from radio exchanges
between the pilot and the controller, which are routinely recorded and kept for a specific
period of time in accordance with the procedure in force at all control centers. The
incident occurred on March 7, 1977, at around 2100 hours local time during the Dijon
flyover when the Mirage IV was returning, the automatic pilot engaged, to Luxeuil after a
night mission. [The aircraft was] at an altitude of9600 m and flying at a speed of"Mach
0.9." The flight conditions were very good. The pilot (P), Herve Giraud, and his
navigator (N) observed a very bright glow at "3 o'clock" (time code) from their aircraft,
at the same altitude, coming on a collision course and approaching very rapidly. We will
designate it "assailant" (A1) in the rest of the account. P queried the Contrexeville
military radar station that controlled them to ask whether they had a radar contact on the
aircraft coming towards them. In fact, P and N thought that it was an air defense
interceptor, as is currently being used, that was seeking to intercept their aircraft to then
identify it with its identification beacon.
The radar controller (C), who did not have a corresponding radar contact on his scope,
gave a negative response and asked the pilots to check their oxygen. This request on the
part of the controller is a standard emergency procedure; it shows that the controller is so

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surprised by the crew's question that he suspects an oxygen problem capable of causing a
"hallucination."
"Assailant A I " maintained its course towards the Mirage IV. P initiated a bank to the
right toward A 1, a bank which he was forced to keep tightening (3 to 4 g) in order to try
to maintain visual contact on A I and to keep it from positioning itself to the rear. Despite
this maneuver, A I moved behind the Mirage IV at an estimated distance of 1500 m. At
this point P reversed his bank to regain visual contact on A 1. He saw the glow move
away to " 11 o 'clock." He resumed course to Luxeuil. But 45 seconds after he resumed
course to Luxeuil, feeling like he was being "watched" according to his own words, P
told N, "you wait and see, it's going to come back." And in fact, an identical glow,
which we will call A2, appeared at "3 o'clock."
P then initiated a very tight bank (6.5 g) to disengage his aircraft from what he now
considered to be a real threat. The glow followed the Mirage !Y's maneuver in order to
position itself to the rear at an estimated distance of 2000 m. P reversed, as before, and
once again saw the glow disappear under the same conditions. C still did not have a radar
contact on "assailant A2." P and N continued their flight and returned nonnally to the
Luxeuil base.
Those are the facts. Two points should be emphasized:
- only a combat aircraft could have had performance comparable to that of A 1 and A2
(speed, maneuverability). In this case, C would have had a radar contact on this aircraft,
especially at that altitude, a contact that he would have seen all the better since there was
no other traffic in the vicinity of the Mirage lY .
• - given the apparent maneuvers of Al and A2, regardless of whether or not they were
the same craft, their speed could only be supersonic, which, in the case ofcombat aircraft,
would be manifested on the ground by a very loud sonic boom due to the phenomenon of
the focusing of the shock wave generated by the bank. Th.is would have been noticed in
the surrounding area, especially since it was nighttime. But no sound was heard in the
region.

1.2 Testimony of a Fighter Pilot (March 3, 1976)
Since this pilot (P) wanted to preserve his anonymity, the following lines are extracted
from the written deposition that he wished to send to us (he revealed his name
subsequently~he is Colonel Claude Bose). On March 3, 1976, P, then a student pilot at
the Combat Flight School at Tours, was making a solo night flight in a T-33 training
aircraft. The mission consisted of navigating at an altitude of 6000 m following a Rennes­
Nantes-Poitiers itinerary, then landing at Tours. Several aircraft were following the same
itinerary at 5-minute intervals. The night was dark but cloudless, and the towns could be
detected very clearly at the flight altitude in question. Visibility was greater than 100 km.
While he was flying stabilized at an altitude of 6000 m, at a speed of 460 km/h, P first saw
straig ht ahead, very far off in the distance (at the detection limit oflights on the ground)
what he at first thought was the launching ofa green signaling flare.
In 1 to 2 seconds, this flare exceeded the altitude of his aircraft by 1500 m and seemed
to level off in space before descending in his direction. It approached at a dizzying speed
on a collision course with the aircraft and fi lled the entire front windshield of the cockpit.
Th.inking that impact was inevitable, P let go of the joystick and crossed his arms in front
of his face in a reflex protection gesture. The aircraft was completely enveloped in a very
bright and phosphorescent green light. P saw a sphere (S) that avoided his aircraft at the

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very last moment and passed over his right wing grazing it, all within a fraction ofa
second. P retained the following memory of this incident:
- S was not very large ( l to 2 m in diameter),
- S was extended by a tail, which was comparable to that on a comet, that was also a
fluorescent green color,
- the center of S consisted ofa very bright white light (magnesium-fire type),
- the sighting lasted a total of less than 5 seconds.
P, who was very shocked by this phenomenon, informed the radar controller (-)
ensuring the control of the mission on the ground; the controller had not detected anything
on his radar scope. Upon return, two other pilots who had followed the same itinerary as
P stated that they had seen the phenomenon, but from a distance.

1.3 Air France Flight AF 3532 (January 28, 1994)
Jean-Charles Duboc (P), captain of Air France flight AF 3532, was assisted by Copilot
Valerie Chauffour (CP) in making the Nice-London connection on January 28, 1994. At
1314 hours, while they were cruising at an altitude of 11,900 m in the vicinity of
Coulommiers in Seine-et-Mame [Department] under excellent meteorological conditions,
the chief steward, who was present in the cockpit at the time, pointed out a phenomenon
that appeared to him to be a weather balloon. His sighting was immediately confinned by
the copilot. P, who in tum saw it, first thought that it was an aircraft banking at a 45°
angle. Very quickly, however, all three agreed that what they were seeing did not
resemble anything that they knew of The excellent visibility and the presence of
altocumulus clouds permitted P to estimate that the phenomenon was at an altitude of
l 0,500 m and at a distance of approximately 50 km. Taking into account its apparent
diameter, they deduced that the craft was large. They were struck by the changes in the
shape ofthe craft, which first appeared in the form of a brown bell before transforrning
into a chestnut brown lens shape, then disappearing almost instantaneously on the left side
of the aircraft, as if it had suddenly become invisible. P reported to the Reims Air
Navigation Control Center, which had no information on any mobile air presence in the
vicinity. However, following the existing procedure, Reims informed the Tavemy Air
Defense Operations Center (CODA) ofthe sighting made by the crew and asked P to
follow the "Airmiss" procedure upon landing.
CODA did in fact record a radar track initiated by the Cinq-Mars-la-Pile control center
at the same time that corresponded in location and time to the phenomenon observed.
This radar track, which was recorded for 50 seconds, did cross the trajectory offlight AF
3532 and did not correspond to any flight plan filed. It should be noted that the
phenomenon disappeared from the view of the crew and the radar scopes at the same
instant. The investigations conducted by CODA enabled both the hypothesis of a weather
balloon to be ruled out and the precise crossing distance of the two trajectories to be
determined, consequently bringing the approximate length of the craft to 250 min length.
It should be noted that the Northern Regional Air Navigation Center (CRNA), which
handles 3000 movements per day, has investigated only three cases over the last seven
years, one of which was that of flight AF 3532.

Chapter 2 - Aeronautic Cases Throughout the World

.,
It is appropriate to specify that those cases that have been sighted from aircraft are
considered to be aeronautic cases. This chapter describes five significant cases that
occurred in different parts of the world and which were the subject of an investigation by
the authorities of the countries in question. In four cases, the objects were detected both
visually and by radar. In the fifth case, they were observed by a number of independent
witnesses.
2.1 Lakenheath (United Kingdom) (August 13-14, 1956)

The joint USAF - U.S. Air Force - and RAF [Royal Air Force] military bases of
Lakenheath and Bentwaters are located 30 km northeast of Cambridge with respect to the
first and near the coast to the east of this city with respect to the second. Unknown aerial
objects followed by their radars during the night of August 13 to 14, 1956, were judged
··11nide111ified'' by the report published in 1969 by the Condon Commission tasked with
evaluating the research of the U.S. Air Force on UFOs (cf Chapter 9). In September
1971, the magazine Astronautics andAeronautics published a study of the case by Thayer,
the radar expert on the Condon Commission, which was based in part on a study
presented in 1969 by Professor MacDonald, an atmospheric physicist. For the record, we
point out that on several occasions, and namely in 1976, Philippe Klass, editor of the
journal Aviation Week and Space Technology, attempted to criticize this work and to
reduce the case to a series of ordinary events (meteorites, radar propagation anomalies,
etc.). The incidents began at the Bentwaters base, preceded, between 2 100 and 2200
hours, by unusual sightings of the approach control radar [center], which we will not go
into in further detail. They took place as follows:
- At 2255 hours, the radar detected an unidentified object moving east to west passing
over the base, always almost into the wind at an apparent speed of 2000 to 4000 miles per
hour (mph), or 3200 to 6400 km/h. No sonic boom was mentioned. The personnel of the
Bentwaters control tower said they saw a bright light flying over the ground from east to
west "at an incredible speed" at an altitude of approximately 1200 m. At the same time,
the pilot of a military transport plane flying over Bentwaters at an altitude of 1200 m
stated that a bright light passed under his plane tearing east to west "at an incredible
speed. " The two visual sightings confirmed the radar detection.
- The Bentwaters radar operator reported these concurring radar and visual sightings to
the shift supervisor at the Lakenheath [air] traffic radar control center, an American
noncommissioned officer to whom we are indebted for a quite detailed report of these
sightings and those that follow. The report, which was sent to the Condon Commission in
1968 by the then retired NCO, is coherent and does not contradict the documents in the
USAF [Project] Blue Book file except in a few minor points; among these documents, the
regulation telex sent by Lakenheath to the Blue Book team on the day of the incident and
the report forwarded two weeks later to that same team by American Captain Holt, an
intelligence officer at Bentwaters.
- The shift supervisor at the Lakenheath base alerted his radar operators. One of them
detected a stationary object approximately 40 km southwest of the base, almost in the axis
of the trajectory of the supersonic object seen at 2255 hours. The shift supervisor called
the Lakenheath approach radar [center], which confirmed the sighting. The radar
technicians at the air traffic control center suddenly saw the object immediately go from
immobility to a speed of600 to 950 km/h. The shift supervisor notified the base
commander.

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The object changed direction several times, describing line segments ranging from 13 to
30 km, separated by abrupt stops for 3 to 6 minutes; the speed always went from a value
of zero to a value of some 950 km/h without any transition.
Visual sightings were made from the ground and confirmed the high speed and
astounding accelerations. The regulation telex sent by Lakenheath concluded: ''The.fact
that radar and ground visual observations were made on its rapid acceleration and abntpt stop
certainly lend credence to the report."
- After 30 to 45 minutes, the RAF sent a night fighter, a Venom two-seater, in pursuit
of the object. The Lakenheath air traffic radar control center guided it in the direction of
the object 10 km east of the center. The pilot acquired the target visually and on radar,
then lost it. The center then directed the plane 16 km to the east ofLakenheath; the pilot
again acquired the target and said, "my machine guns are locked onto him. " A short time
afterward, he once again lost his target; but the target was followed by the radar operators
at the center. They informed the pilot that the object had made a rapid movement to
position itself behind him and was following him at a short distance. The pilot confirmed
(this]. Watched by the radar technicians, the pilot tried every maneuver for about I 0
minutes in order to move back behind the object (steep climbs, dives, sustained turns), but
he didn't succeed: the UFO followed him at a constant distance according to the ground
radar stations. Finally, low on fuel, he returned to base, asking that someone tell him
whether the object continued to follow him. The UFO did, in fact, follow him for a short
distance, then came to a standstill. The radar technicians then saw the object make several
short moves, then leave in a northerly direction at about 950 km/h and disappear from
radar range at 0330 hours.
- A Venom sent to replace the first had to quickly return to base due to mechanical
problems before having been able to establish contact with the object.
Thayer concluded his article in the journal Astronautics and Aeronautics in this manner:
"taking into consideration the high credibility ofinformation and cohesiveness and continuity
ofaccount. combined with a high degree of'strangeness', it is also certainly one ofthe most
disturbing UFO incidents known today."
2.2 The RB-47 Aircraft in the United States (July 17, 1957)

This case, which appears as "unidentified" in the Condon report, has been cited and
studied extensively for 40 years. Physicist James MacDonald published the results of his
investigation in 1971 in the journal Astronautics and Aeronautics. Phillip Klass, the
aforementioned journalist, then endeavored in 1976 to trivialize the facts, which was
highly contestable from the outset. The bulk ofthis interpretation was refuted at the end
of 1997, upon completion ofan in-depth investigation contained in a memorandum from
the aerospace technology researcher Brad Sparks.
We will summarize here the important sequences of events ofthe case, which show a
luminous unidentified flying object detected at night not only by sight and on radar, but
also by pulsed microwave emissions coming from its direction:
The RB-4 7 was a bomber the bomb bays of which had been converted to hold three
officers each equipped with means enabling emissions from ground radar~ to be detected
and their azimuth direction, but not their distance or the nature of the signals, to be
specified. In the south central region of the United States, where the aircraft was making
a training flight that day, numerous radar stations were emitting signals the frequencies of
which were close to 3000 MHz and the pulses of which lasted 1 microsecond and

occurred every 600 microseconds. The radar~ scanned the horizon four times per minute.
Three other officers (pilot, copilot, navigator) were in the cockpit and, as a result,
could themselves see out of the aircraft. The six officers were questioned by MacDonald
in 1969. They related that:
- The first incident took place above Mississippi, probably at around 09302 (0330 local
time}, when the aircraft, going back to the north from the Gulf ofMexico, was
approaching the coast a little to the east of the Mississippi delta, flying at Mach 0.75.
Captain MacClure detected on his screen a blip corresponding to a pulsed microwave
source located behind and to the right of the RB-47 (at "S o'clock") that rapidly passed
the aircraft and turned around it, departing again on its left in the other direction (between
"6 o'clock and 9 o'clock"). The source was therefore airborne and supersonic. MacClure
noted the characteristics of the signal: they were those ofthe aforementioned ground radar
stations, with the exception of the length of the pulses, which were 2 microseconds. He
did not report this incident immediately, thinking that it was perhaps ·a malfunction ofthe
electronics. As Klass writes, at the time there were no supersonic aircraft either in the
United States or in the USSR large enough to transport a radar, the signal from which
possessed the characteristics that were observed.
- The following incident occurred at 101OZ in Louisiana, when Commander Chase,
pilot, and Captain MacCoyd, copilot, saw an intense bluish-white light aim at the aircraft
from " 11 o ' clock," then jump from their left to their right and disappear while it was at "2
o'clock." Klass showed that this object was perhaps a meteorite the trajectory of which
caused an optical illusion, but, at the time, Chase and MacCoyd wondered whether it
wasn't a UFO. Hearing them, MacClure remembered his prior detection and looked for a
signal of the same type.
- He found this signal at 10302, which was identical to the previous one and, perhaps
by coincidence, came from "2 o'clock." This signal was confirmed by Captain
Provenzano, whose detector was itself also able to operate at around 3000 MHz. It could
not have been the signal from a fixed radar, because its ''2 o' clock" direction remained
unchanged when the aircraft followed its route to the west for several minutes. The
aircraft entered Texas, then came within range of the "Utah" radar [center] located near
Dallas. The crew reported to Utah, which detected both the aircraft and an object
maintaining a constant distance of 18 km from it.
- At 10392, still in Texas, Commander Chase perceived a large red light, which he
estimated was moving 1500 m below the aircraft at approximately "2 o'clock." The
aircraft was flying at an altitude of 10,500 m, and the weather was perfectly clear.
Although the commander was not able to determine either the shape or the size of the
object, he had the distinct impression that the light was emanating from the top of the
object.
At 10402, he received authorization to pursue this object and notified Utah. He
slowed down, then accelerated; Utah informed him that the object was mirroring his
movements, all the while maintaining a constant distance of 18 km.
- At 10422, Chase accelerated and saw the red object tum to the right in the direction
of Dallas; this was confirmed by MacClure.
- At around 10502, a little to the west of Dallas, the object stopped and simultaneously
disappeared from the view of the radar(~) (Utah and the onboard radar that had just
detected the object when the RB-47 had approached it) and from MacClure' s screen (the
disappearance ofan object from a radar screen is less surprising nowadays; it calls to mind
the active stealth technologies currently in development if not in operation). The aircraft
then banked to the left. MacClure picked up a signal that was perhaps the one from Utah.

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Visual and radar contact were regained.
At 10522, Chase saw the object drop to around 4500 m. He had the RB-47 make a
dive from 10,500 to 6000 m. The object then disappeared from his view, from the
Utah radar, and from MacClure' s screen simultaneously.
- At 10572, still near Dallas, the object reappeared on MacClure's screen, and
Utah indicated
that it had prepared a "CIRVIS" (Communications Instructions for Reporting Vital
Intelligence Sightings) report, a secret urgent radio report sent to the Air Defense
Command, which is mandatory in the event ofa sighting by the Air Force of an
unidentified aerial object. At 1058Z, the pilot regained visual contact at ''2 o'clock." A
few minutes later, seeing his fuel reserves drop, he decided to return and headed roughly
north toward Oklahoma City. The object then positioned itself behind the aircraft at a
distance of 18 km, as reported by Utah, which tried to send fighter jets in pursuit of the
unknown [object]. The object, flowing lower than the RB-47 and behind it, could not be
seen from the cockpit, but it was detected on MacClure' s screen until Oklahoma City, well
outside the range of the Utah radar. Then it suddenly disappeared from the screen at
11402.
2.3 Tehran (September 18 to 19, 1976)
This incident took place during the night of September 18 to 19, 1976. Different
newspapers worldwide reported it more or less accurately: for example, France-Soir in
the September 21st issue. An American citizen took laborious steps with the U.S.
authorities to obtain a report, invoking the freedom of information act. He finally obtained
it from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Other U.S. documents have been obtained
since then.
Interviews with generals and the Iranian air [traffic] controller involved in this affair
enabled the DIA report to be confirmed and supplemented a bit, namely with the mention
of proper names. The following summary resulted from a reading of the all the
information:
- At around 11:00 p.m. on September 18, the Tehran airport control tower received
several calls reporting a strange immobile luminous object in the sky above the Shemiran
residential district in the northern part of the capital. The person in charge of the night
shift, Hossain Perouzi, went out to look at the object with binoculars. He testified that he
saw a rectangle, probably corresponding to a cylindrical object, the ends of which pulsed
bluish-white lights. In the middle of the object, a small red light described a circle.
Perouzi reported this strange sighting to the Imperial Air Force Command, which alerted
General Youssefi, the third in command of this air force. He went out on his balcony and
saw an object similar to a star, but much bigger and brighter~ he ordered a Phantom F-4
reaction aircraft, the mission of which he directed through Perouzi as intermediary.
When the F-4 came to 45 km from the object, its flight instruments and all its means of
communication (radio and intercom) suddenly stopped working. The pilot aborted the
interception and headed for his base. The crew then regained use of their instruments and
means of communication.
- A second F-4 was sent by General Youssefi. The UFO's echo on its screen was
similar to that of a Boeing 707. The F-4 approached the UFO at a relative speed of 280
km/h. When it came to 45 km from it, the UFO accelerated and maintained a constant
distance of45 km from the F-4. The crew was not able to determine the size of the object

because it shone so intensely. Its brightness came from lights arranged in a rectangle,
changing rapidly from glue to green, to red, and to orange.
- Suddenly a bright object with an apparent diameter one half or one third of that of the
moon exited the UFO and headed rapidly for the F-4. The pilot tried to shoot a
Sidewinder missile at the object, but at the same instant his fire control console and his
means of communication (radio and intercom) became inoperable. He promptly initiated a
bank and a dive, but the object changed direction and pursued the aircraft at a distance of
approximately 6 km. Finally, the object moved inside the F-4's bank and departed in order
to reenter the UFO from which it had exited.
- A short time afterwards, an object again exited the UFO and rapidly headed straight
down to the ground. The F-4 crew waited to see it explode, but the object seemed to
touch down gently and shine a very bright light over an area 2 to 3 km in diameter. The
crew, momentarily blinded, orbited long enough to recover their night vision before
landing at the Tehran airfield. It noted that it lost communications (radio and intercom)
whenever their aircraft crossed a certain zone. It should be pointed out that a civilian
aircraft also lost communications when it crossed that zone. The next day, the crew was
taken by helicopter to the place where the object had apparently landed, a dried up lake,
but it didn' t find any trace [of the object].
An attached note from DIA was just as astonishing as the report itself; it indicated that
the information had been confirmed-by other sources and ended with this assessment:
"An outstanding report. This case is a classic which meets all the criteria necessary for a valid
study ofthe UFO phenomenon. "
!!:. The obiect was seen by multiple witnesses from different locations... ,

!!.:. The credibility ofmany ofthe witnesses was high (an Air Force General, qualified aircrews, and
experienced radar operators),
s Visual sightings were confirmed br radar,
4.. Similar electromagnetic effects (EME) were reported by three separate aircraft,
~ There were physiological e ffects on some crew members (i. e. loss of night vision due to the
brightness o[the obiect),
.f An inordinate amount ofmaneuverability was displayed by the UFOs."

The attempt by KJass to trivialize this case shows how solid it is.

2.4 Russia (March 21, 1990)
This case took place at night in the Pereslavl-Zalesski region east of Moscow. It was
reported in an article by Aviation General Igor Maltsev, Air Defense Forces commander,
which appeared in the newspaper Rabochaya Tribzma ("Workers' Tribune") on April 19,
1990, entitled "UFOs on Air Defense Radars" (cf the book by Marie Galbraith
referenced in Chapter 9. 1).
The article mentions the dispatch ofcombat aircraft on a mission to intercept the UFOs
detected. General Maltsev, who summarized over one hundred visual sightings coHected
by unit commanders, stated:
"I am not a specialist in UFOs, and therefore I can only correlate the data and express mv own
supposition. According to the evidence o[these eyewitnesses, the UFO is a disk with a diameter from
JOO to 200 meters /320 to 650 (eets/. Two pulsating lights were positioned on its sides... Moreover, the
object rotated around its axis and performed an 'S-turn' flight both in the vertical and horitontal
planes. Next the UFO hovered above the ground and then flew with a speed exceeding that ofthe
modern iet fighter bv two or three times .. The obiects flew at altitudes ranging from JOO to 7000 m.
(300 to 24,000 feet/. The movement o[the UFOs was not accompanied by sound o(anr kind and was
distinguished by its startling maneuverability. It seemed the UFOs were completelv devoid o[inertia.
In other words, they had somehow 'come to terms' with gravity. At the present time, terrestrial

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machines could hardh· have such capabilities. "

2.5 San Carlos de Bariloche (July 31, 1995)

Source SEPRA
Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR 674, a Boeing 727 en route from Buenos Aires, was
140 km from San Carlos de Bariloche, a tourist resort in the central Andes where it was
preparing to land.
At that precise instant, a power outage plunged the town into darkness, and the pilot
received the order to stay on standby for a few minutes before making his final approach.
When he began his approach, the pilot noticed a strange star. At the same time, the
control center put a second airplane that had arrived in the sector on standby. Flight AR
674 continued its approach, but when it had completed its tum and was in the ax.is ofthe
runway, an object resembling a large aircraft appeared on its right side and flew parallel to
it! This object had three lights, one of which was red, in the middle of it. The airport
lights failed again, and the runway and approach ramp lights also went out. The airplane
on standby observed the same phenomenon from its position.
Since the pilot could not land, he pulled up and turned again in order to reposition
himself in the ax.is of the runway. At that moment, the object, which had become
luminous, moved behind the airplane, stopped, ascended vertically, and once again
stopped. It moved back in front of the airplane before finally disappearing in the direction
of the Andes Cordillera. The crew and passengers of flight AR 674, those on the other
airplane, the airport controllers, and some of the inhabitants of San Carlos watched this
unusual aerial ballet dumbfounded.
This case is interesting in more than one respect:
- the sighting was corroborated by multiple independent observers both in flight and on
the ground,
- the phenomenon lasted several minutes,
- there were different trajectories, some ofwhich closely followed those of the airplane,
- there was an observation ofan electromagnetic phenomenon (the lights of th~ town
and the airport went out) directly related to the presence of the object.
Chapter 3 - Sightings from the Ground
This chapter deals with sightings from the ground, two of which were reported to the
committee by direct witnesses of the phenomena observed. Here agai~ their testimonies
are all the more interesting since they pertain to the aeronautic world and the phenomena
were observed during the day.
3.1 Phenomenon Observed by Numerous Witnesses at Antananarivo (August 16,
1954)

Testimony before the commitlee
Edmond Campagnac (C), a fonner artillery officer and former chief of technical
services for Air France in Madagascar who is now retired, came to testify before the
committee. The phenomenon described below occurred on August 16, 1954, in

Antananarivo. It was seen by several hundred witnesses.
At 1700 hours, when the personnel of the Air France office were waiting for the mail to
anive, someone spotted a "large ·· green "ball" in the sky moving at high speed. The first
thought of the witnesses was that it was a meteorite. The phenomenon disappeared
behind a hill, and they thought that the green ball was going to crash into the ground and
that they were going to feel the impact.
However, it reappeared after a minute. In passing directly over the observers, it
revealed itself to be "a sort ofmetal rugby hall preceded by a clearly detached green
lens/-shaped portion] with sparks issuingfrom the rear." In the estimation of the
witnesses, the "ball" was the length of a DC4 airplane, or some forty meters long. The
green lens[-shaped portion] separated itself [and remained] a little less than 40 m out in
front, with fairly long sparks [coming out] in the rear. The craft flew over Antananarivo at
an estimated height of 50 to 100 meters, an estimation that was made possible by
comparison with the height of a nearby hill. When the craft was moving, shop lights went
out, and animals exhibited a real anxiety.
After having flown over Antananarivo, the craft departed in a westerly direction. When
it flew over the zebu park in the town, the craft caused a violent fright reaction among
them. This is a surprising detail, since normally these animals do not show any agitation
when Air France planes pass by. Two or three minutes later, an identical craft was
observed 150 km from there above a farm school. There, too, the herds were overcome
with panic. If the craft sighted was the same one as the one in Antananarivo, its speed
would have had to be on the order of3000 km/h. According to C 's account, General
Fleurquin, Commander-in-Chief in Madagascar, assembled a "scientific commission" to
conduct an investigation into these phenomena. No trace of this investigation could be
found in the Air Force archives; however, GEPA (Groupe d' Etudes des Phenomenes
Aerospatiaux [Aerospace Phenomena Study Group]) bulletin no. 6 of the 2nd half of 1964
described this sighting .
3.2 Sighting by a Pilot of a Saucer Close to the Ground (December 9, 1979)

GEPANISEPRA investigation and testimony before the committee
At the time of the incident, former Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Pierre Fartek (F)
was a Mirage III pilot in the 2nd fighter squadron at Dijon. F is currently a pilot for a
private company. F was living, and still lives, in the same village near Dijon. His house is
located at the end of a housing development looking out onto fields. Approximately 250
m away is a grove of trees with an average height of 15 mat maximum. On December 9,
1979, at around 9: 15 a.m., F and his wife saw an unusual object (hereinafter called M) in
the field near their house. The weather and visibility were excellent. M, the dimensions of
which they estimated to be 20 m in diameter by 7 m thick, was hovering approximately 3
m above the g round in front of the grove of trees, which partially concealed it. In
complete agreement with his wife, witness F described it as:
- having the shape of two superposed saucers with very distinct contours inverted one
on top of the other and not exhibiting any portholes or lights,
- being metallic gray on the upper portion and darker (bluish) on the lower portion,
with a perfectly delimited separation between the upper side and the underside ofthe craft.
Th.is color difference could not be due to a difference in lighting g iven the position of the
sun,
- in constant motion as a result of ~ slight oscillations, the frequency of which was
not very rapid, like something trying to balance,

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- not making any noise,
- not causing any turbulence on the ground either when it hovered or when it departed,
- not having left any trace on the ground.
After observing it for a period of time which was hard·for him to determine, F saw M
oscillate faster; he had the impression that M tilted slightly forward (as a helicopter does
after lift-off when it begins level flight). F saw M leave in a horizontal direction at a very
low altitude without making any noise, without leaving any trail, and at a very high speed
and disappear on the horizon in a few seconds. F reported [the incident] to the
Gendarmerie de l'Air at the Dijon air base. He thought that other people had seen the
phenomenon but had not dared to go report it, namely, his neighbors and their cruldren,
who reportedly made the same sighting.
This sighting by a pilot professionally well informed ofaeronautical phenomena was
never explained.

3.3 A Case of Multiple Witnesses at a Russian Missile Base (July 28-29, 1989)
Heading the UFO reports declassified by the KGB in 1991 is a file relating to an army
missile base near Kapustin Yar in the region of Astrakhan, wruch was related in Marie
Galbraith's book (cf. Chapter 9.1). The English-speaking public learned ofit through the
Muscovite journal A URA-Z of March 1993. Military personnel from two centers on the
base prepared written depositions of their visual sightings, wruch were made under good
visibility conditions. The file, which is incomplete, does not mention any possible radar
detections. It begins with a brief summary of the case, the author of which was an
anonymous KGB officer, followed by an account of seven written testimonies:
- Five testimonies from the first center were provided by Lieutenant Klimenko, two
corporals, and two soldiers. On the night of July 28 to 29, these military personnel sighted
UFOs between 2215 and 2355 hours at a distance of3 to 5 km. Up to three objects were
seen simultaneously. One object silently made jerky movements, with very abrupt starts
and stops, and periods of immobility. All of the witnesses saw a fighter jet attempt to
approach one UFO, wruch escaped at lightning speed, "giving the impression that the
aircraft was hovering. " Only the noise from the aircraft was heard, whereas the UFO
must have reached supersonic speed.
- Two other testimonies from a center near the first one concern the sighting of a UFO
from 2330 to 0130 hours at a distance ranging from a few kilometers to 300 m. This UFO
was described by Second Lieutenant Volochine as a disk 4-5 min diameter, surmounted
by a brightly lit hemispherical dome. The second lieutenant attached a sketch of the
saucer torus deposition. The saucer sometimes moved abruptly, but soundlessly, and
sometimes remained immobile 20-60 m above the ground. In the company of soldier
Tichaev, Volocrune saw it emitting a phosphorescent green light, hovering 300 m from
them and some 20 m above a missile depot; it illuminated this depot for several seconds
with a moving beam of light.
In a report that was consistent with the report of his superior, soldier Tichaev stressed
the lack of noise made by the object, even when a short distance away, which prevented
him from confusing it with a helicopter. The two witnesses, who were joined after some
time by the guard team, had watched the maneuvers of the object above the center and the
surrounding area for two hours.

Chapter 4 - Close Encounters in France

4.1 Valensole, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (Department] (July 1, 1965)

In-depth investigation by the Gendarmerie Nationale
At Valensole on July 1, 1965, Maurice Masse, who left his home at 5:00 a.m., headed
for his lavender fields located on the plateau near the village. Before starting his tractor at
around 6:00 a.m., he lit a cigarette and at that moment heard a hissing sound that attracted
his attention. Emerging from behind a pile of stones, he saw an object resting in his field
approximately 90 m from him. Its shape was reminiscent of that of a "Dauphine"
automobile standing on six legs with a central pivot. He approached it with caution, at a
distance of ten meters or so, thinking he might surprise people about to steal his lavender
from him. He then saw two small beings, one of whom, who was turned in his direction,
reportedly pointed a tube at him that he took from a sort of bag hanging on his left side.
Maurice Masse indicated that he was totally immobilized in place, numbed and paralyzed,
but completely aware of the events that were unfolding before his eyes. The two beings
then got back in their craft. He watched them while they were behind a sort of dome, and
he heard a heavy noise when the object lifted up off the ground. He also remarked that
the tube that was under the object, touching the ground, began to tum, as well as the six
legs, which retracted under the machine. The object then ascended in a vertical direction
before tilting diagonally and disappearing more rapidly than a jet. Maurice Masse
remained immobilized in this manner for about 15 minutes before coming to, then
resuming his work and going to tell his story in the village, where the gendarmes, having
learned of the incident, questioned him during the day.
The Valensole gendarmerie force, then the Digne investigations squad, investigated this
case fo r several days. The investigations of the gendarmerie established the existence, at
the spot indicated by Maurice Masse, ofa depression impressed into the ground, which
had been soaked in that place. In the center of it was a cylindrical hole 18 cm in diameter
and 40 cm deep with smooth walls. At the bottom of the hole were three other bent holes
6 cm in diameter. Along the object's axis offlight, over some one hundred meters, the
lavender beds were dried up. This phenomenon lasted for several years, during which time
the witness tried in vain to replant the plants within a radius of several meters around the
tracks.
Despite a few contradictory elements in Maurice Masse's account, the data collected by
the two gendarme brigades confirmed the plausibility of the facts, particularly the effect on
the environment and on the witness himself, who slept twelve to fifteen hours a night,
followed by the paralysis of which he had been a victim, for several months. The
investigation into the witness's character did not turn up any specific information that
would permit one to suspect him of mythomaniac behavior or of staging a hoax.
4.2 Cussac, Cantal (Department] (August 29, 1967)

GEPAN/SEPRA investigation
The Cussac incident has occupied a special place among the UFO cases, since a second
inquiry was conducted in 1978, as an example, at the request of the GEP AN scientific
council. On August 29, 1967, at around 10:30 a.m., during a beautiful sunny morning on
the high plateaus in the center of France, two young children were watching the family' s
herd. The dog that accompanied them alerted them that a cow was getting ready to jump

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over the low wall of the enclosure. The boy, who was 13 years old at the time, got up to
make the cow come back, when he spotted four children whom he did not recognize on
the other side of the road.
Surprised by what he saw, he called his sister, when he noticed an extremely bright sphere
back behind the unknown children. They then realized that these were not children but
small black beings whose height did not exceed 1.20 m. Two of them were standing next
to the sphere, another was kneeling before it, and the fourth, who was standing, held in its
hand a sort of mirror that blinded the children. The boy tried to call out to them, but the
small beings then hurriedly returned to the sphere. The children saw them rise from the
ground and penetrate the ball from the top, diving in head first. The sphere took off with
a hissing sound, then rose into the sky describing a continuous spiral movement at high
speed. The dog barked, the cows started to moo, and a very strong odor of sulfur filled
the air. The second inquiry began in 1978 with a team of investigators from GEP AN and
qualified outside advisors, one of whom was a former examining magistrate.
The highlights of this second inquiry did not have to do with the facts or the account, but
with new elements such as secondary witnesses found at the site who provided
supplemental information and strengthened the credibility of the case. In particular, a
gendarme who arrived on the scene immediately following the incident found tracks on the
ground at the place indicated by the children and noted the very strong odor ofsulfur.
Likewise, another witness also came forward who admitted being in a granary close to the
site and clearly remembered a hissing sound very different from that of a helicopter ofthe
time.
The reconstruction at the site in the presence of the two main witnesses confirmed both
the descriptive accounts and the circumstances that followed the sighting. At the time the
children gave off a strong odor of sulfur, but, above all, they suffered from physiological
disorders, and their eyes ran for several days. These facts were certified by the family
doctor and confirmed by their father, who was mayor of the village at the time. In the
conclusion of this_, second inquirythe judge gave his opinion on the witnesses and their
testimony: "There is no flaw or inconsistency in these various elements that permit us to
doubt the sincerity ofthe witnesses or to reasonably suspect an invention, hoax, or
hallucination. Under these circumstances, despite the young age ofthe principal
witnesses, and as extraordinary as the facts that they have related seem to be, I think
that they actually observed them. "

4.3 Trans-en-Provence, Var [Department] (January 8, 1981)
GEPANISEPRA investigation
In Trans-en-Provence on January 8, 198 1, at around 5:00 p. m., a man who was
building a small shed for a water pump in his garden reportedly was witness to what is
perhaps one of the most unusual cases ever observed and studied in France. A reflection
of the sun on something moving in the sky supposedly attracted his attention, allowing him
to observe the descent, then the abrupt landing on a platform ofearth located below his
house, ofa silent metal object. The object, which was ovoid in shape, did not exhibit any
apparent projections, wings, control surfaces, or engine that would permit one to liken it
to some type ofaircraft. The object rested on the platform ofearth for a few short
seconds, still without emitting any noise, then it took off and disappeared at high speed in
the azure blue sky. The account could stop at this simple visual sighting if there hadn't
been visible mechanical tracks and imprints in the shape ofa crown, which pushed the case

into the domain of the unexplained.
The gendarmerie and then GEPAN conducted an in-depth investigation including
numerous interviews with the witness and his neighbors. The expert's appraisals of the
ground - the talcing of soil and plant samples fo llowed by analyses - showed unequivocally
that it really was a case ofan unidentified heavy metal object that had actually landed on
the platform ofearth. The analyses of plant samples taken at the site indicated that they
were not dealing with any type of [known] aircraft, or even a helicopter or military drone,
which were hypotheses that were considered and analyzed.
The vegetation at the landing site - a sort ofwild alfalfa - had been profoundly marked
and affected by an external agent that considerably altered the photosynthesis apparatus.
In fact, the chlorophyll, as well as certain amino acids of the plants, exhibited significant
variations in concentration, variations which decreased with the distance [of the plants]
from the center of the mechanical track. These effects disappeared completely two years
later, thus revealing a specific and particular type of traum·a . According to Professor
Michel Bounias of the ecology and plant toxicology laboratory oflNRA [National
Institute for Agronomic Research] who performed the analyses, the cause of the profound
disturbances suffered by the vegetation present in that ecosystem could likely be a
powerful pulsed electromagnetic field in the high frequency (microwave) range. Studies
and research are still being conducted in regard to this case and numerous leads have been
explored. None of these leads has-been able to satisfy all of the conditions that would
enable the object that landed in Trans-en-Provence on January 8, 1981, to be identified
with certainty, and this is all the more true with respect to the detennination of its origin.

4.4 Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle [Department], the so-called "Amaranth" Case
(October 21, 1982)

GEPANISEPRA investigation
The "Amaranth" Case concerns the sighting during the day by a witness, a cellular
biology researcher, of an object that hovered above his garden for 20 minutes. The
testimony recorded by the gendarmerie less than 5 hours after the sighting is summarized
as follows:
- The witness was in his garden in front of his house at around 12:35 a.m. after work
on October 21, 1982; he saw a flying craft, which he first took for an airplane, come from
the southeast. He saw a shiny craft. He indicated that there were no clouds, that the sun
was not in his eyes, and that visibility was excellent. The craft's speed of descent was not
very great, and he thought that it was going to pass over his house. Once he realized that
the trajectory of the craft was bringing it toward him, he backed up 3 to 4 meters. This
craft, which was oval in shape, stopped approximately one meter from the ground and
remained hovering at this height for about 20 minutes.
- The witness stated that since he had looked at his watch, he was absolutely certain
about the length of time the craft hovered. He described the craft as follows: ovoid in
shape, approximately I min diameter, 80 cm thick, the bottom half metallic in appearance
like polished beryllium and the upper half the blue-green color of the inner depths of a
lagoon. The craft did not emit any noise, nor did it seem to emit any heat, cold, radiation,
magnetism, or electromagnetism. After 20 minutes, the craft suddenly rose straight up, a
trajectory which it maintained until it was out of sight. The craft' s departure was very
fast, as if it were under the effect of strong suction. The witness indicated, finally, that
there were no tracks or marks on the ground and the grass was not charred or flattened,

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but he did remark that when the craft departed, the grass stood straight up, then returned
to its normal position.
The interest ofthis sighting, apart from its strangeness, lies in the visible traces left on
the vegetation and, namely, on an amaranth bush, the tips of whose leaves, which had
completely dried up, led one to think that they had been subjected to intense electrical
fields. However, despite short time delays before intervention, the sampling conditions
and then the storage of the sample did not permit this hypothesis to be verified definitively.
Based on an earlier study on the behavior of plants subjected to electrical fields, it
emerged that:
- the electrical field, which was what probably caused the blades ofgrass to lift up, had
to have exceeded 30 kV/m,
- the effects on the amaranth that were observed were probably due to an electrical
field that had to have far exceeded 200 kV/mat the level of the plant.

Chapter 5 - Counterexamples of Phenomena That Have Been Explained
The cases reported in the preceding chapters have remained unexplained, despite the
richness oftheir data. Such cases are in the minority. Many sightings of aerial phenomena
made in France that the witnesses could not understand and reported to the gendarmerie
have been explained after a short investigation by the gendarmerie and/or
GEPAN/SEPRA: the causes of these have been the moon, planets, aircraft, weather
balloons, reflections from automobile headlights on clouds; etc., and, very rarely, hoaxes.
Sometimes the investigation yielded more unusual explanations. We will give two
examples.

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5.1 A Strange Object Crosses a Highway (September 29, 1988)
GEPANISEPRA investigation
An auto mechanic driving on the Paris-Lille freeway saw an enormous red ball cross the
road a few dozen meters away from him and roll down below the road. Casting •
reflections oflight and enveloped in dense smoke, it finally came to a halt in a field.
Troubled by this disturbing observation, the auto mechanic apparently reported it to the
highway gendarmes. On the chiefs orders, the gendarmerie then sealed off the freeway
and a zone several kilometers around the object. The principal witness and his family were
taken to the hospital, where they underwent a series of examinations. Civilian and military
security officers went to the site of the incident, equipped primarily with Geiger counters.
At that time, in fact, they were waiting for the Soviet satellite Cosmos 1900, which was
equipped with a nuclear power generator, to fall, and precise instructions had been given.
When consulted, CNES very quickly informed them that Cosmos 1900 was overflying_the
Indian Ocean at that very moment. Did the red ball come from space? Advancing with
caution, monitoring their nuclear radiation detectors, the security specialists drew near a
sphere approximately 1.50 min diameter. Under the bright light from the searchlights,
they saw that it bore no sign of the considerable heat build-up or mechanical effects that
atmospheric reentry would have produced. It appeared to be intact, and small mirrors
covered its surface. No smoke or radioactivity were detected near it.
It was later learned that this sphere, which was intended to serve as a decoration at a
Jean-Michel Jarre concert, had fallen from the truck that was carrying it to London. The

small mirrors stuck to its polystyrene casing were for reflecting the show' s lighting
effects ...
5.2 A Bright Glow in a Village in the Dombes Region (March 10, 1979)

GEPANISEPRA investigation
On March 13, 1979, the local [gendarrnerie] force ofa small village in the Dombes
region was alerted by an inhabitant who said he had seen an unidentified flying object over
the town during the night of March IO to 11 . In the course of its investigation, the
[gendarmerie] force recorded a total offour testimonies, three of which were totally
independent of one another. The first witness, a restaurateur in the village, described the
phenomenon as a bluish and purplish luminous mass slightly oval in shape and around 15
meters in length. The light was so bright that the village square was lit up as if it were
broad daylight, to such a degree that the public lighting, which goes on automatically,
went out. Two other witnesses, who were in a car close to the village, reported that this
luminous mass preceded their vehicle on the road about 2 m ahead of them. They
informed the gendarmes that this light went out suddenly after an orange-colored light
appeared on each side of the glow.
Finally, a fourth witness, a fish farmer, said he had been awakened that night by a dull
noise and had seen a bright bluish glow. The next day, all the fish in one of his fish
(-------) tanks, catfishes, were found dead. The presence ofa power line hanging over the
tank enabled the gendarmes to focus their investigation on phenomena of an electrical
ongm.
GEPAN/SEPRA did the same during the investigation that it conducted on the site a
few days later. It discovered very quickJy that the IO-kV power line hanging over the tank
had melted. The information provided by [the French electricity company] EDF enabled
them to demonstrate that since this line was some thirty years old, it was very likely that
corrosion and oxidation of the aluminum wires had caused a power arc effect in the line,
probably in conjunction with a corona effect. This would explain, on the one hand, the
bluish glow and the noise heard by the witness and, on the other hand, the public lighting
going out. The glow was, in fact, bright enoug h to trigger the photoelectric control cell,
which was located close to the melted line.
Finally, the fish died as a result of being poisoned by drops of aluminum that fell in the
tank for several minutes.

PART2
The Extent of Our Knowledge
Chapter 6 - Organization of the Research in France
In I977, the Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales was tasked with the mission of setting
up a permanent structure for the study of unidentified aerospace phenomena (UAP): the
Groupe d' Etudes de Phenomenes Aerospatiaux Non Identifies (GEPAN). This

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establishment had within it the skills and resources appropriate to this mission, in
particular, engineers and personnel with high-level technical knowledge who were in close
touch with scientific circles. A scientific council chaired by Hubert Curien and composed
of twelve members who were representative ofthe social and exact sciences guaranteed
that this complex and delicate subject would be handled with all the necessary precision.
This council had the job of guiding, organizing, and reviewing the work ofGEPAN
annually.
Three phases can be distinguished in the progression of the activity connected with the
study of UFOs in France, which culminated in 1988 in the creation of the Service
d'Expertise des Phenomenes de Rentree Atmospherique (SEPRA), which succeeded
GEPAN, still within CNES:
- a phase that consisted of setting up the organization and defining the procedures for
the collection and processing of data, which is described in this chapter,
- a phase that consisted ofdefining the scientific method for studying cases,
- a phase that consisted of implementing the previously defined methods and
procedures, the last two of which are discussed in the next chapter.
SEPRA plays a more limited role in the study of UFOs than does GEPAN, the scientific
council of which has ended its mission

6.1 The Setting Up the Organization Phase
GEPAN's first job was to form a partnership among the different public, civilian, and
military agencies with a view to organizing the collection and analysis of reliable data.
The Gendarmerie Nationale, the civil and military aviation authorities, the National
Weather Service, etc., were approached and brought together in this organization via
agreements and protocols established with GEP AN.
The first goal set was the rapid acquisition and provision of data collected at the sites
where a phenomenon was sighted. To do this, in accordance with the directives of the
scientific council, GEP AN was tasked with the mission offorming teams ofspecialized
investigators for the collection of psychological and physical data, such as, for example,
taking samples of tracks in the ground. In parallel to this organization, various civilian and
military research laboratories were asked to participate in expert' s appraisals and analyses
of the data collected in investigations, such as, for example, the processing of
photographic documents and radar recordings.

6.2 Participation of the Gendarmerie Nationale
It was in February 1974 that the first instructions were given tasking the Gendannerie
Nationale with the job of collecting and centralizing spontaneous testimonies on UFOs.
Previously, these testimonies had been collected on an occasional basis in the regional
[gendarmerie] forces and rarely gave rise to the drafting of reports or to in-depth
investigations (the Valensole case in [ 1965]). The administrative or technical authorities
did not process or use these documents.
Beginning in May 1977, one of the six copies of the report drafted by the regional
gendarmerie forces was forwarded to GEPAN, which from then on became the recipient
ofall information collected on UFOs.

6.2. t Role and Action of the Gendarmerie Nationale

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Each gendarmerie force possesses a manual, the "gendarmerie handbook," which
contains all of the instructions on the procedures to be followed in the collection of data
on unidentified aerospace phenomena. Depending on the degree ofcomplexity of the case
reported, the level of intervention may range from the simple transcript of a testimony to
an actual investigation, which may be conducted jointly with the GEP AN/SEPRA
departments at the locations of sightings and often results in an in-depth report .
6.2.2 Use of Data Collected by the Gendarmerie Nationale
Once the information has been collected locally by the gendarmerie, it is forwarded in
the form ofa report to the Gendannerie Nationale headquarters in Paris, which issues a
copy of it to GEP AN/SEPRA. The latter processes it at two different levels:
- at the first level, the report is analyzed, then entered into a database, and perhaps is
processed statistically for the purpose of establishing classifications and typologies of
phenomena,
- at the second level, which relates to more complex "UAP D" (category D unidentified
aerospace phenomena) cases, the investigation in the field generates a set of research
activities with respect to elements for furt her processing that results in the drafting ofa
detailed, in-depth investigation report~the report may be used for track interpretation
studies.
6.2.3.Assessment and Results of the Cooperation with the Gendarmerie Nationale
Since 1974, over 3,000 gendarmerie reports representing an average ofthree
spontaneous testimonies per document have been collected and forwarded to
GEP AN/SEPRA. Added to this are some one hundred investigations and interventions in
the field, conducted jointly with the local [gendarmerie] forces. AU of these have
permitted the characterization of a set of rare, natural and artificial phenomena that have
occurred with varying frequency which would not have been able to be identified without
this type of organization. Thanks to this collaboration, it has been possible to study UFO
cases like the Trans-en-Provence and "Amaranth" cases (see Chapter 4) under excellent
conditions, showing that there was a remnant of events the nature of which had yet to be
identified. A volume of information describing the objectives sought by CNES in the
study of UFOs was widely disseminated to all of the regional [gendarmerie] forces.
Supplemental information and training, [end of line cut off] direction of officers and
lower-level gendarmes, is regularly provided by the Gendarmerie Nationale schools to
sensitize the [gendarmerie] force commanders to this subject.

The results of this collaboration could be more effective. Regular updating of the data
collection procedures would be desirable, as well as shorter time delays before
intervention for investigations between the time the local [gendarmerie] force learns of the
case and the time when SEPRA intervenes. This reduction in the intervention time would
considerably diminish the loss of information, particularly with respect to effects on the
environment. It would also be important fo r the gendarmerie forces to be routinely
informed of the results of work and investigations carried out by SEPRA. However, the

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resources currently available in terms of personnel and budget allocations do not permit a
response with the efficacy desired.
6.3 Participation of the Air Force
Just after World War II, the first reports of French aeronautic UFO sightings were
collected and archived by the Air Force Chiefof Staff's Office of Planning and Studies
(EMAAIBPE).
When GEP AN was created, a memorandum of understanding defined the respective
roles of the two agencies for the processing of information relating to cases of military
aeronautic sightings. In principle, all UFO sightings must be reported to the military air
[traffic] control center in question, which forwards the information to the Air Operations
Center (CCOA) in Tavemy. The latter is responsible, in collaboration with the Air Force
Chief of Staff's Space Office, for forwarding it to GEPAN/SEPRA. At the same time, all
radar information is recorded in the radar control centers and kept for a minimum of one
month and longer on request. This information is made available to investigators if
needed.
A protocol established with the Anny defines the conditions for the forwarding of
information collected in flight by pilots of the Army Air Corps (ALAT).
6.4 Participation of the Civil Aviation Authority
The same type of organization and procedures is used by the civil aviatiori authority to
collect and process the information relating to UFO sightings made by civilian pilots. A
protocol signed between the Civil Aviation Directorate (DGAC) and CNES permits
GEPA.N/SEPRA to have access to UFO sighting reports drafted by national and foreign
airlines crews. To this end, a sighting report form prepared jointly by DGAC and
GEPAN/SEPRA is made available to crews at the air [traffic] control centers of the civil
aviation authority and airlines. In addition, the radio conversations between the crew and
the air [traffic] control [center] are routinely recorded and attached to the detailed sighting
report.
There is also a regulation concerning flight incidents that could involve safety. In this
case, the flight captain must follow the "Airrniss" procedure, which routinely triggers an
investigation by the DGAC.
6.5 Additional Research Resources
Numerous civilian (public or private) and military bodies contribute to the expert
appraisals performed in investigations and work by GEPAN/SEPRA. This involvement
takes place at two levels, either in the collection of data in the field and the utilization of
sighting reports or in the
analysis of data after the expert's appraisal and the theoretical and experimental research
that are deemed necessary.
Cooperation agreements have been established, particularly with various bodies that can
benefit in return from the results of investigations of interest to their own area of study,

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for example:
- lightning (EDF, CEA [French Atomic Energy Commission], the National Weather
Service, ONERA, CEAT [Toulouse Aeronautic Test Center]),
- meteors (CNRS [National Center for Scientific Research], DGA [French General
Delegation for Annaments]),
- line disturbances (EDF, France Telecom [French telecommunications company]),
- group sociology and, in particular, sects (CNRS, universities),
- photography, the study of films, the processing of satellite imagery (Flex.image
company).
The following three applications should be emphasized:

6.5.1 Sample Analysis
GEP AN/ SEPRA is supported by various civilian and military laboratories, including
those of the Etablissement Technique Central de l' Annement (ETCA), [Central Technical
Annaments Institution] for analyzing soil and plant samples collected during the course of
investigations.

6.5.2 Use of Photographs
Image processing work was performed at ETCA between 1981 and 1988. This work
enabled the techniques and procedures, listed in GEP AN technical memorandum no. 18,
for studying supposed UFO photographs to be defined. Diffraction filters were_ issued to
each gendannerie regional unit to permit on-site collection of information over the light
spectrum emitted.

6.5.3 Sky Surveillance System
A system called "ORION' was studied and partially deployed by [the Ministry of]
Defense for the purpose of monitoring, identifying, and predicting the passage of satellites,
particularly over national territory. It should meet, at least partially, the need for the
surveillance ofUFO-type light phenomena. The system consists of
- the current surveillance and tracking radar systems and listening antenna on the ship
Monge,
- two radar and optical surveillance systems and one optical imaging system:
• the "GRAVES" surveillance radar system, which will be capable of detecting
objects from I n12 [in size] at a distance of 1500 km,
• the "SPOC" [Sky Observation Probe System] optical surveillance system, which
uses CCD cameras to detect and determine the trajectory of orbiting satellites or
magnitude 7 to 8 space debris (the installation of equipment at two sites is currently under
way),
- finally, the development of the 4 m diameter "SOLSTICE'' telescope, which may be
provided with adaptive optics, for the observation of objects m geostationary orbit
(36,000 km).

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Chapter 7 - Method and Results of GEPAN/SEPRA
7.1 Method Developed by GEPAN
GEPAN developed an original method for studying rare, randomly occuning
phenomena. Meteorites are among these phenomena. Scientists have long refused to
consider sightings of stones that have fallen from the sky, which are generally reported by
rural inhabitants. Fortunately, in 1803, the physicist Jean-Baptiste Biot conducted an in­
depth investigation in the village of Laigle in Orne [Department] about three weeks after_it
was reported_ that stones had fallen from the sky. Biot examined numerous stones and
certain evidence (broken branches, perforated roofs, fires) and questioned many
independent witnesses. He prepared a convincing report that gave scientific ~xistence to
meteorites.
The method developed by GEP AN was approved by its scientific council. It basically
consists of identifying initially unknown phenomena and perfonning a joint analysis of four
types of data concerning:
- witnesses: physiology, psychology, etc.,
- testimonies: accounts, reactions to questions, general behavior, etc.,
- the physical environment: weather, air traffic, photographs, radar data, traces left on
the environment, etc.,
- the_psychosocial_environment: readings and beliefs of witnesses, possible influence of
the media and various groups on these witnesses, etc.
Gendarmerie reports often contain sufficient data in order to be able to identify the
phenomenon sighted. In many cases, the phenomenon turns out to be an airplane, a
planet, a satellite, etc. In other cases, a fairly large supplemental investigation is
conducted by GEPAN/SEPRA. An in-depth study can take up to two years. The analysis
of traces left on the environment may result in specialized laooratories being called on for
assistance (see the Trans-en-Provence and "Amaranth,, cases in Chapter 4).
Finally research was conducted in collaboration with the universities in order to perfect
the investigation method. CNES, out of a concern for scientific precision, adopted the
term "UAP" instead of the term UFO, which is more well known but more restrictive.
GEPAN is the group that studies UAPs.

7.2 First Classification of UAPs (Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena)
After a study is conducted, each case is classified by GEPAN/SEPRA into one of the
following four categories, depending on the extent to which it has been identified:
- Category A: completely identified phenomenon,
- Category B: phenomenon that can probably be identified but which cannot be
identified with certainty due to a lack of evidence,
- Category C: phenomenon that cannot be identified due to a lack of data,
- Category D: phenomenon that cannot be identified despite the abundance and quality
of the data.
Category D UAPs represent 4 to 5% of the cases and are called UAP Ds. They include
sightings of phenomena, some of which were close to the ground1. within a few meters of
the witnesses. The strangest and most mysterious cases in this category are generally

labeled CE3s (close encounters of the third kind) according to the classification proposed
by Professor A. Hynek, an astronomer and consultant to the USAF, within the context of
the Blue Book Project (cf. Chapter 9. 1).
7.3 Typology of UAP Ds
The detailed statistical analysis of UAP Ds enables a precise determination of the
distribution of their physical characteristics: speed, acceleration, silence, shape, effects on
the environment. It is interesting to note that statistical studies in the USSR yielded
distributions comparable to those determined by Claude Poher, the first head of GEPAN,
from some 200 French cases, or 1,000 cases worldwide. It would be desirable to be able
to develop UAP D statistical studies in France.
7.4 Investigations of Remarkable Cases
Around one hundred investigations have been conducted by GEP AN/SEPRA. Some of
them have highlighted rare physical atmospheric phenomena associated, for example, with
lightning~others have revealed unusual psychological behavior of witnesses caused, for
example, by taking hallucinogenic drugs. Several very in-depth investigations based on
analyses of evidence have demonstrated, in the end, the physical presence ofa
phenomenon the nature and origin of which remain unknown. Two cases related in
Chapter 4 stand out in our minds, the Trans-en-Provence case of January 8, 1981, and the
"Amaranth" case of October 2 1, I982. The investigations lead us to believe that double­
saucer-shaped objects were close to the ground for some time, then departed toward the
sky leaving traces on the vegetation and, in the Trans-en-Provence case, on the ground
itself. They are detailed in GEP AN technical memoranda no. 16 and no. 17 (see the
reference list in Chapter 6).
7.5 Aeronautical Cases

7.5.l Data on French Aeronautical Cases
- Twelve French aeronautical cases have been brought to the attention of
GEPAN/SEPRA~only three or four of these can be considered to fall into category D .
- The first UAP D case identified dates back to 1951 . It involved Vampire military
aircraft in the Orange area. In two other very extraordinary sightings, which are presented
in Chapter 1, military pilots reported the presence ofobjects with aeronautical
performances inconsistent with the maneuvers ofclassic aircraft over the region of Tours
in 1976 and ofLuxeuil in 1977. However, not until January 28, 1994, was the crew ofa
regularly scheduled Air France commercial airplane able to collect the first case of a visual
sighting correlated with a radar detection over 50 seconds long (see Chapter 1.3).

7.5.2 Aeronautical UAP D Cases Worldwide
The aeronautical UAP D cases known since 1942 were initially enumerated in a
document entitled Rencontres dans le cie/ {Encounters in the Sky], by Dominique
Weinstein, the French portion of which SEPRA contributed to. The list of sightings

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worldwide includes the description of 489 well-documented cases ofaeronautical UAP D
sig htings the sources of which were duly verified. Most of the infonnation on these
aeronautical UAP Ds is drawn from official sources, government authorities, the Air
Forces of different States, or agencies like SEPRA.
This list offers a classification according to criteria with respect to the quality of the
sighting. It ranges from simple visual sightings, describing the specific performances or
maneuvers of the phenomenon observed (speed, acceleration, maneuverability, silence,
etc.), to more elaborate sightings, mentioning environmental disturbances caused by the
aeronautical UAP Ds, such as radio interference or radar jamming, navigation instrument
malfunctions, or even physical effects on the crew (heat, blinding, etc.).
Between 1947 and 1969, that is(-) during the time of the U.S. Air Force Blue Book
Project on UFOs, 363 sightings were identified. 1952 is the year in which the greatest
number ofsightings were recorded: 68. A total of63 countries are cited as having been
the scene ofat least one aeronautical sighting.
•

7.5.3 "RadarN isual" Cases Worldwide
"Radar/visual" cases are those in which a visual sighting is associated with an onboard
radar and/or ground radar detection. It is noted that:
- the first sightings in Japan and the USSR date back to 1948,
- 30 of the 68 countries cited in the list reported "radar/visual" cases,
- of the 489 cases in the report, 101 were "radar/visual" cases (21%),
- of the 363 cases in the Blue Book report, 76 were "radar/visual" cases (21%),
- in 1952, I 6 out of68 cases were "radar/visual" cases (23 .52%).
In conclusion, we can clearly establish that from 1942 to 1995, at least 500 well­
documented and recognized aeronautical UAP D sightings were identified throughout the
world, nearly 20% ofwhich were "radar/visual" cases. They furnish proof ofa physical
reality of phenomena that exhibited paradoxical maneuvers.

7.6 The Physical Reality of UAP Ds
7.6.1 An Initial Report as Early as September 1947 in the United States
We have seen that the work of GEPAN/SEPRA showed that there was an entire
category of rare physical phenomena occurring at varying frequency that could not be
classified as known natural or artificial phenomena. These phenomena, UAP Ds, which
we have higWighted, both in the aeronautical sphere (military and civilian aeronautical
cases) and close to the ground ( cases ofclose encounters), support other cases of well­
documented sightings that have been verified by official authorities throughout the world.
It is interesting to note that as early as November [sic] 1947, right at the start of the very
first wave of modem UFO sightings, in the United States, General Twining, head of the
Air Material Command, drafted a report on "flying disks, " the conclusions of which are
very explicit:
I. The phenomenon reported is something real~.and not visionary or fictitious
2. Disk-shaped objects the size ofwhich is comparable to that ofour aircraft do exist.
3. It is possible that some sightings correspond to natural phenomena.
4. The very high rate-of-climb observed, rhe maneuverability. and the escape

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maneuvers when the disks are detected lead one to assume that they are piloted or
operated by remote control.
5. Most witnesses describe objects with a metal surface that are circular or elliptical
in shape, the upper portion ofwhich is dome shaped, flying without making any
noise in a fonnation of three to nine objects ...

7.6.2 GEPAN/SEPRA's Work

We do not have irrefutable tangible proof in the forrn of material, either whole or in
fragments, that confirm the physical nature of UAP Ds and their artifact character.
Nevertheless, the collection and expert appraisal work carried out at GEP AN/SEPRA for
over 20 years confinns the statements Genera] Twining made in 1947.

7.6.3 French Aeronautical Cases
The study ofFrench military aeronautical UAP D [sightings] (Orange in 1951, Tours in
1976, Luxeuil in 1977) supports General Twining' s conclusions, namely the fourth one.
The testimonies of the pilots do in fact lead one to assume that the objects were "either
piloted or operated by remote control": all of the pilots reported that it was "the object"
that appeared to be moving toward them and not the other way around. Moreover, all of
them considered the maneuvering abilities of the object to be far superior to those that
they were familiar with.

7.6.4 Cases of Close-Up UAP D Sightings in France
For their part, the cases ofclose-up UAP D sightings in France are very much in
keeping with Twining' s conclusions 4 and 5. In Trans-en-Provence (Chapter 4), the
expert appraisals made at the site support the local testimony and show that the object
with a metallic appearance and circular shape landed, then took offsilently within a very
short space of time not very far from a wall 2.5 min height. No modem aircraft is capable
of these silent maneuvers, nor of this degree of precision when landing. It is hard not to
imagine a piloted or remote-controlled flying machine, or else one having highly advanced
cybernetics.
The other French cases ofclose encounters described in Chapter 4 also strongly
suggest the existence ofan intelligent [civilization] behind the UAP Os. In the Valensole,
"Amaranth" and Cussac cases, once the witness or witnesses are brought face to face with
the UAP D, everything generally happens very quickly, and the object escapes without
having shown the slightest aggressiveness toward the witnesses.

7.6.5 Foreign Cases - Conclusion
The study of certain foreign cases leads to conclusions similar to those drawn from the
French cases. One may reread in this spirit the description of the aeronautical cases
presented in Chapter 2. We could also relate foreign cases ofclose encounters, such as

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the Socorro (New Mexico) case, which is similar to the Trans-en-Provence case, but the
critical overview of which would needlessly weigh down this report.
One strong conclusion emerges from this set of facts: some UAP Ds do seem to be
completely unknown flying machines with exceptional perforrnances that are guided by a
natural or artificial intelligence.
Chapter 8 - UFOs: Hypotheses, Modeling Attempts
8.1 Partial Models

Credible sightings ofaeriaJ objects can be reinforced by plausible technical explanations
of the phenomena reported. Among the most striking observations in relation to the
current state of our_knowledge, we cite:
- aerial movements canied out silently with very rapid accelerations and/or very high
speeds,
- the shutting offof the engines of nearby land vehicles,
- the locomotive paralysis of witnesses.
Insofar as the sightings that are the most well documented, and the most credible owing
to the obvious competence of the witnesses, come from aircraft pilots, it is their sightings
ofaerial movements, sightings which are, moreover, supported by radar plots, that should
be explained first.
8.1.l Travel

There are, from the standpoint of the concept, various principles of propulsion that do
not require propellers or jet engines that could thus be silent. The most advanced uses
magnetohydrodynamics, abbreviated MHD, but many others can also be considered. We
will review these.
8.1.1.1 MHD Propulsion

The principle of MHD propulsion, which cannot be envisioned in a vacuum, consists of
causing an electrical current to flow in the medium surrounding the .ship At the same
time, the ship emits a magnetic field. According to Laplace' s law, this field exerts a force
on the current and thus on the medium in which it is flowing; this is the principle of most
electric motors. The medium being thus displaced in relation to the ship, it is in fact the
latter that undergoes, by reaction, a force that enables it to be propelled. It remains to
create the necessary field and current:
- for the magnetic field, this is easily accomplished by installing windings (like those in
electric motors}, in which a suitable electrical current travels, in or under the walls ofthe
ship,
- for the electrical current, all depends on the medium.
In sea water it is easy to cause a current to flow using electrodes positioned on the hull.
This is why MHD propulsion has been experimented with, so far successfully, in the
United States and Japan on both surface and submarine ship models.
In air, which is naturally insulating, it is more difficult to cause an electrical current to
flow, but air can be made conducting by using, for example, strong electric fields generated
here again by suitable electrodes (air, when rendered conducting, can become more or less

luminous, which has frequently been observed around unknown objects). As for the
magnetic field, it can be created as it is for boats.. However, propulsion is much more
difficult to achieve in air, since, in that case1 it must not only propel the aircraft but first of
all compensate for its weight. The electrical and magnetic fields required are therefore
much stronger than for a _naval ship and, in practice, obtaining the very strong fields that
are essential is scarcely conceivable without having recourse to superconductive wirings.
Still theoretical until a only few years ago, their use in an aerial vehicle has been a credible
prospect since 1991 , with the discovery of superconductors capable of operating at near­
ambient temperatures.
Propulsion in the atmosphere without propellers or jet engines is, therefore, completely
possible in principle with MHD, and the calculations show that the power necessary is not,
in certain cases, incompatible with our current aeronautical engines. The fact that no
cooling system has been seen (or heard) on the objects that have been observed close up
can be explained as long as the length of the craft's flights does not. exceed a few dozen
minutes. Furthermore, other motors that we already use - electric motors, from energy
stored onboard or flywheels if they are not yet powerful enough - would not need immediate
cooling, which duly proves that this problem is not insurmountable.
Numerous witnesses have been struck by the silence accompanying the maneuvers of
the objects, which do not create a "bang" even at supersonic speeds (cf. Part 1, Chapters
1, 2, and 3). :MHD propulsion could account for this silence: preliminary experiments in
noise reduction by eliminating the wake and shock wave, albeit under very special
conditions, are encou raging.
There has been extensive work on the different aspects of MHD propulsion of aircraft
abroad: in the United States at Rensselaer P olytechnic Institute in Troy (NY), and
according to the journal New Scientist (February 1996), in Great Britain and in Russia.
To sum up, based on the current state of our knowledge, an MlID aircraft model is
conceivable in the short term, while the creation of a craft having the same movement
capabilities as the aerial vehicles described by the witnesses seems quite· likely to us within
a few dozen years. For the time being, only the quasi absence of perceptible air flow and
noise while hovering close to the ground pose problems.

8.1.1.2 Other Propulsion Methods
In a vacuum, the absence or scarcity of molecules or atoms prevents current flow in the
medium as well as the projection of a mass of sufficient substance pulled from this
medium. MlID propulsion is therefore not possible, and it is necessary to formulate other
hypotheses. Jet propulsion by means of chemical reactions, comparable to our rocket
engines - even though its performance is more advanced - should not be ruled out a
priori. In fact,. the space phase of the travel of unknown objects takes place very far from
sight.
In addition, skins for stealth purposes render them invisible to telescopes and radars
beyond a few lcilometers or a few dozen kilometers. Consequently, at these distances,
these objects could very well use classic propulsion systems without being detected.
Mainly, then, problems with respect to power consumption and mass to be expelled are
raised, but the method reviewed below in 8. 1.1.3 would enable these problems to be
partially solved.
More advanced technologically are propulsion systems that call for very high velocity
exhaust - a considerable fraction of the speed of light - of particle beams. Due to the

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extremely high exhaust velocity, the mass expelled is low and expulsion can be continued
for a very long time. Such particle beam generators that can be loaded on board satellites
have been developed for space warfare in the former USSR (at the von Ardenne
laboratory in Soukhoumi, Georgia) and the United States, especially at the Argonne
National Laboratory. At present, ofcourse, these beams are much less powerful than
what would be necessary here, but they are already of interest as low-power engines once
out of the proximity of planets. The U.S. probe "Deep Space 1,,, which should narrowly
miss asteroid 1992 KD on July 29, 1999, was equipped with an engine of this type.
Other methods ofspace propulsion are being studied very actively: nuclear propulsion
using fission ("NERVA/' "ORION," and "DAEDALUS,, projects) and, more recently,
fusion, which would offer respective gains of one and over two orders of magnitude in
comparison with the best engines at present. Beyond this, the use of power stored in the
form ofantimatter - which has become credible since CERN [European Council for
Nuclear Research) created an anti hydrogen atom and demonstrated the means for storing
it - will offer gains even one hundred times greater.
This is why a growing number of research centers are doing work on this subject: the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, the Air Force Astronautical
Laboratory (Edwards Air Force Base), where antigravitation is also being studied,
according to the June 10, 1996 issue of Jane 's Defence Weekly. The latter topic is
reportedly also being pursued in Great Britain and in the CIS [Commonwealth of
Independent States].

8.1.1.3 Use of Planetary or Stellar Impulse
Closer to our current technologies, even though, strictly speaking, it does not have to
do with propulsion, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory imagined, in 1961, that a spacecraft
. slingshotting off the potential [gravity] wells ofsuitably selected planets could attain higher
and higher speeds without expending any energy. This method is now routinely used for
missions to the remote planets in our [solar] system. One can then envision that by using
"reflections,,, not only by planets but also by stars, as Dyson proposed in 1963,
considerable speeds could be attained (limited only by escape velocities) and interstellar
distances could be crossed using relatively little energy at the price, ofcourse, of the time
necessary for the departure and arrival slingshots
This method would lead to interstellar voyage lengths probably figuring in thousands of
years, thus with an order of magnitude greater than lengths anticipated for the envisioned
antimatter propulsion.

8.1.1.4 Conclusion Regarding Travel
To sum up, for travel both in the atmosphere and in space, we can formulate reasonable
hypotheses o n flight without any apparent means of lift in the first case and on the crossing
of great distances, up to an interstellar scale, in the second.

8. 1.2 The Shutting Off of Land Vehicle Engines
To explajn this phenomenon, which has been reported frequently abroad, it is necessary
to consider a remote action. [Since] no beams of light appear to be associated with these
engine , immobilizations we can imagine radio-frequency radiation, such as microwaves,

which we know can cause effects of this type and which can be easily formed into beams
to act from a distance. Under these conditions, microwave emissions from unknown
objects would be likely to create around the vehicle an electrical field strong enough to
cause, when added to the ignition volt.~ •.?s, ionization and electrical breakdown of the air around
the high voltage circuit of the engi1 l(ignition] coil, distributor, spark plug wire), thus
short-circuiting the firing pulses to the engine mass and shutting it off.
Since electronic ignition came into widespread use in the 70s, the action of microwaves,
apart from the mechanism previously described, may be exerted directly, paralyzing the
electronic circuit generating the high voltage. We can therefore envision the action of
unknown objects on land vehicles, including nowadays those with diesel engines, which
are made vulnerable due to their more and more common electronic regulation circuit. Let
us recall that the ability to generate high power microwave beams is within the capabilities
of our own technologies, as demonstrated by the intensive work being carried out in the
United States and the former USSR to develop microwave weapons intended precisely to
destroy or immobilize enemy electronic systems from a distance, and even to act on
perso;1nel. In France, high power microwave generators that can be used for this purpose
are being studied.
This does not rule out the possibility of other types of radiation being used. Charged
particle beams would be capable of analogous effects, passing through, if necessary, living
matter, such as the bodies of some witnesses, without being felt by the latter or leaving
any notable or lasting sequels..
This can be illustrated by the beams of accelerators used in proton therapy, which begin by
passing through tissue without causing too much damage and becoming destructive only
when their energy falls below a certain threshold as a result of their penetration.
This mode of action corresponds, moreover, to certain testimonies that report the
observation of beams oflight passing through physical obstacles; in fact, by ionizing the
air, proton beams generally do become visible in the form of truncated beams of light the
length ofwhich is a function of their initial energy.

8.1.3 Locomotive Paralysis of Some Witnesses
This phenomenon is less common. It is remarkable in that the paralysis reported only
affect certain voluntary movements, but not respiration or posture (balance, in particular,
is not compromised; the witnesses do not fall down) or eye movements. From the
standpoint of concepts, it can be remarked that in human beings posture and respiration
are controlled by the cerebellum, an organ that is independent of the cerebrum, which
governs voluntary movements. The paralysis effects observed can reasonably be
attributed to microwaves acting from a distance on certain parts of the human body (this is
also one of the objectives of the work mentioned above on nucrowave weapons). We
should note that these effects, among others, are being studied at the Air Force Weapons
Laboratory at Kirtland AFB.

8.2 Modeling and Credibility
The fact that we can formulate a credible hypothesis on the propulsion of the objects
sighted is obviously only a positive indication, but not proof of their existence, no more
than that of their conformity to the model that we imagine.
In this regard, the history of the technique teaches hunulity, but it can also yield quasi

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certainties:
- humility in noting prognostic errors committed in the past. It suffices to recall the
affirmations made by or attributed to several very great scientists: "You cannot breath in
tunnels, " "science is almost finished, " "something heavier than air cannot fly, " etc. It
would therefore be presumptuous to claim to foresee, based on _our current knowledge and
accomplishments what might be technologies (-----) only slightly more advanced than our
own - or our own technologies in one or two centuries. Let us consider that only 150
years ago, engines, electricity, the existence of the atom, and Hertzian waves were
unknown! We can also reread Jules Verne: Paris au XXe siecle [Paris in the 20th
Century} or Hier et demain {Yesterday and Tomorrow}. ..
- certainties, since scientific and technical progress can only continue, supported by
more scientists and engineers than there have ever been, spurred by competition among
nations. This competition, in our now "closed" world will focus on all of the resources that
once were free: potable water, the deep sea, the polar regions, "air, space, radio
frequencies, etc.
Although it is risky to predict the results of an increasingly accelerated scientific and
technical development, it is, at least, almost certain that our own knowledge will have
advanced greatly even within a few decades. There's no telling what progress will be
made beyond that time! Under these circumstances, we can conclude with a high degree
of certainty that movements of objects that at present are just beyond our capabilities will
be technically possible within a few decades, or even a few centuries, even if the
knowledge put into play is not what we are predicting.
To the extent that the preceding conclusion is acceptable, let us go further and
comment that only a few million years will have elapsed (barring a catastrophe) between
the appearance of man and the future stellar expeditions of our descendants ( cf. Chapter
8.3.6 and Appendix 4).
This interval between the appearance on earth of a conscious intelligence and the time
when we will be able to perform the same feats as those performed by the objects we are
dealing with here is infinitesimal (one to two thousand years) compared with the age of the
earth or even with the 600 million years that separate us from the appearance of the first
living organisms at the beginning of the Cambrian period.
But the development of other intelligent [beings] on other worlds cannot have taken
place at exactly the same rate as on earth. Ifthe age of these other worlds, like that of the
earth, is on the order of 4 billion years, and ifa conscious life [form] appeared, neither the
rate of its development nor the epoch in which that world was created cannot have been
exactly the same as ours.
Under these conditions, even a minuscule deviation of 0. 1%, for example, in regard to
these initial data would make it possible to place such a civilization between several
million years ahead of ours and several million years behind ours.
Thus the probability of the extent of development of two civilizations in the universe,
and in the same solar system, being equal appears to be very low, and in all likelihood we
have only two possibilities:
- our "neighbors" are several thousand or several million years behind us (or do not yet
exist as a conscious species), and it will be we who discover them,
- our neighbors are ahead of us, but then the probability is that this advance figures in
the thousands of years or more, rather than in years or even hundreds ofyears, and if we
can judge from the rate of our own development, their level of development would
certainly exceed our forecasting capabilities in every domain.

8.3 UFOs - Overall Hypotheses
For several dozens of years, the systematic collection and scientific study of unusual
atmospheric phenomena have permitted a number of major advances. Ofcourse, on
analysis, a good proportion of the sightings have proven completely explicable: satellite ,
re-entries sounding balloons, etc. This has furthermore enabled the precision of the
observers, as well as the veracity and consistency of the testimonies, to be tested. Cases
of hoaxes are, on the whole, very rare and quite easy to detect. The majority of the
observers provide reliable reports, although it is necessary to take into account the
problems of diverse assessments.
Most ofthe sightings of all types have also enabled the credible and well-documented
sightings called UAP Ds (category D unidentified aerospace phenomena)l for which no
explanation has been found .i..to be classified separately. However, these phenomena are
often attested by means ofconsistent testimonies all the way up to visual sightings coupled
with radar sightings. Ofcourse, if there had only been ten or so UAP D [sightings], this
ambiguous file could just have been classified as "no action," but we are no longer at that
point and are far beyond that. Thus we are forced to seek plausible explanations. AJI
sorts of hypotheses have been constructed, and they may be classified as follows:

8.3.1 Non Scientific Hypotheses
"We are being manipulated without realizing it " (by a very secret, very powerful, and
very knowledgeable group of people; by strange, unknown, or even extraterrestrial beings;
by spirits; by the devil; by our psychological fantasies; etc.). Obviously, we cannot say a
priori whether these hypotheses are true or false [since] they cannot be proven; their main
drawback is that they aren't much good to us.
Parapsychological phenomena and collective hallucinations should be classified in this
category.
The same is true of the idea that is sometimes expressed that the futuristic craft _sighted
are actually products of the future activity of humanity. Our descendants of the distant
[future], who have found the way to go back in time, come to observe us...
It is obviously classic to try to reconstruct and observe the past via any of the traces
that it leaves, and one could theoretically observe it directly (for example, by discovering a
well-oriented mirror on a planet located a few light years away). It is, however, out of the
question for such an observation to be able to influence a bygone time in any way, even by
being detectable.

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8.3.2 Secret Weapons of a Superpower
UAP Ds would then be piloted or remote-controlled craft of terrestrial origin. There is
no lack of observers to believe that the object with fantastic performances that they saw
maneuvering in the sky is the state of the art of military progress, which would explain the
secrecy in which they are cloaked. Certainly studies such as those regarding the stealth
aircraft or magnetohydrodynamics actually lead to impressive progress. But besides the
fact that it would be extremely unwise to expose to the eyes of laymen and foreign experts
in this way what there has been so much interest in concealing, it can be added today that

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throughout the decades during which these phenomena have occurred, the secret would
have inevitably come out, especially if the political upheavals of recent years are taken into
account.

8.3.3 Disinformation Attempts
Into this category fall special effects and montages, which are generally accompanied by
a lot of media publicity. Some researchers believe that without necessarily lending
themselves to the manufacture of ultramodern weapons, the performances of high-tech
craft might serve to brainwash public opinion in the same way as other propaganda
techniques. Of course, th.is point of view is a direct result of the cold war period. Any
means were good at that time for destabilizing the other camp, including fear ofan
invasion by extraterrestrials or the instilling of doubt about leaders "who hide something
manifestly very: serious from us. "
This type of hypothesis is even less satisfying than the preceding ones because it runs
up against the objections to each of those.

8.3.4 Holographic Images
At the junction between disinformation attempts and extraterrestrial hypotheses lies the
technique of holographic images, whether they be the work ofa superpower or
extraterrestrial crews. In actual fact, th.is technique is difficult to employ. It requires
considerable preparation because air is very transparent and diffuses light only very poorly.
Therefore it is necessary to have large equipment covering the optical field used or at least
to project an appropriate screen on it, for example, a film ofwater.
The first method corresponds to theoretical holographic images, while the second is
simpler and is frequently used for spectacular effects, but it obviously leaves traces
behind ... We can also envision using clouds or a curtain of rain, but this, ofcourse, poses
multiple hazards. Without necessarily being able to judge them at present, the method of
holographic images and associated methods have only very limited use.

8.3.5 Unknown Natural Phenomena
This hypothesis cannot be ruled out completely and must therefore be cited. However,
it is difficult to support in cases where the UFO sighted behaves in an apparently
intelligent manner (approach, pursuit, evasion, and escape maneuvers, etc.).

8.3.6 Extraterrestrial Hypotheses
A large number of people today are convinced that UFOs are piloted by intelligent
beings who have come from a very remote part of the universe and are tasked with
watching us and even initiating contact with us. As appealing as they may be, these
hypotheses run up against all sorts of huge difficulties. The hypothetical Martians o nly
recently disappeared from the realm of possibility, and apart from earth, the solar system
appears to be totally unable to have produced organized life and even more unable to have
produced an advanced civilization. It is therefore necessary to look farther, to the stars,
but the closest star is already one hundred million times further away than the moon.
The only contacts that we may try to establish from such distances at present are radio

contacts. Astronomers have attempted contacts via message transmission and radio
listening in the "SETI" and "MEGASETI" programs. Although some enthusiasts have
suggested futuristic ideas to "bypass" the vast expanse, such as, fo r example, the use of
"black holes," the crossing of interstellar distances by possible extraterrestrials has elicited
much skepticism and the majority of astronomers reiterate that "to date there has been no
UFO case that is sufficiently well established to imply that it came from an
extraterrestrial civilization. "
Two professional astronomers, Jean-Claude R.ibes and Guy Monnet, have, however,
proposed a scenario in our future in space that includes plausible interstellar voyages. In
this scenario, which is summarized in Appendix 4, they envision the establishment oflarge
communities in verdant "islands in space, " enonnous artificial structures orbiting the
earth, as described by the physicist O 'Neill, and even inside large asteroids, where an
abundance of different mc;1terials, including water and oxygen, as well as .ready protection
against meteorites and cosmic radiation, are found. Later on, when our descendants have
mastered the production, storage and use of antimatter as energy, they will utilize it to
propel some of their habitats to another solar system. They will settle in an asteroid belt,
start families there, and then visit the planets of the receiving system aboard craft that are
perceived by any possible natives the same way we perceive UFOs today.
This scenario, which in essence relies onJy on laws of physics that are currently well
accepted, gives the extraterrestrial hypothesis a certain degree of plausibility; it is possible
to imagine that a civilization that came from somewhere else colonized the region of our
asteroid belt and used it as a staging base to our planet. Current progress in the conquest
of space and physics reinforces this idea.
We should point out that some people envisage another hypothesis, which is very
controversial: the UFOs do belong to a civilization located in the asteroid belt, but this
civilization itself comes from our planet. Older than any known terrestrial civilizations and
highJy advanced, it supposedly disappeared from earth (nuclear war, radioactivity,
pollution; etc.) but resettled in the solar system.
Both hypotheses have to their credit the fact that they place the UFO problem outside
the realm of the paranormal and promote thought about the future ofour planet.

Chapter 9 - Organization of the Research Abroad
9.1 Organization of the Research in the United States
The subject of UFOs is presently very popular in the United States. This is evidenced
by the number and su~cess of fiction films such as Independence Day, Men in Black, and
Contact, which deal with this topic. A survey conducted in June 1997 for Time magazine
showed that nearly one American in four believes that an extraterrestrial craft crashed at
Roswell (New Mexico) at the beginning of July 1947. A professor of psychiatry at
Harvard, Dr. Mack, treats the problem of the temporary abduction, whether real or
imagined, of his fellow countrymen by UFOs very seriously. In view of the public' s
expectations, what are the authorities doing?
They deny that the UFO phenomenon poses a threat to national security, or that it is
evidence ofan extraterrestrial origin. This position has been taken almost continuously by
the Air Force, which was tasked with the study of UFOs from 1948 to 1969 within the

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framework ofa project which bore the overall title Blue Book. It was confirmed in the
summary and conclusions of the university commission in charge ofevaluating the Blue
Book [Project], the Condon ComITllssion. The physicist Condon wrote in his conclusions
that the study of UFOs had little chance ofadvancing science. All official studies thus
came to a halt in the United States as of December 1969, and the Air Force referred those
who were curious to private ufological associations.
Although it was endorsed by the Academy of Sciences, the Condon report was harshly
criticized by numerous scientists, particularly at the powerful AIAA (American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics). The latter justly pointed out that the summary and
conclusions of the report, which were drafted by Professor Condon himself, conflicted
with a number of analyses Wlthin its body. The AIAA recommended moderate, but
continuous scientific work on UFOs.
An amendment to the Freedom oflnformation Act (FOIA) passed in 1974 pennitted
declassified official documents on UFOs to be obtained as of 1976. One ofthese, in
particular, attracted attention. It was a letter from Air Force Brigadier General Bolender
from October 1969 stating that the imminent conclusion of the Blue Book Project would
not put an end to military reports concerning UFOs that constituted a threat to national
security. These were not part of the Blue Book system and would continue, as in the past,
to be handled in accordance with the directive JANAP 146 and Air Force Manual 55-11.

"As regards authenticity, only negative conclusions are definitive"
By Fran~ois Louange,
Chief Executive Officer of Fleximage Companv
Among the investigations conducted on the subject of UFOs, photograph analysis
represents one of the more delicate areas. In fact, in the public's eyes, photographs
constitute indisputable proof par excellence of the existence of the phenomenon, which
gives them a very special emotional factor. But photography is in reality a field where one
still finds many errors and hoaxes, because many natural or technical effects can give rise
to surprising documents: it is becoming easier and easier for a specialist who has computer
equipment to produce a doctored negative that stands up well to investigations. This
can sometimes even prove lucrative.
Moreover, experience shows that most of the negatives that stand up to analysis contain
only extremely poor and unusable information, often limited to a saturated bright spot on a
black background or vice versa, which makes this area of investigation relatively
disappointing.
For about forty years, alleged photographs of UFOs, which are sometimes renowned in
ufological circles, have occasionally been the subject ofexpert appraisals on the part of
specialists interested in this topic. The physical and technical fields that come into play are
quite varied, ranging from atmospheric propagation to photography or video and including
digital image processing.
The analysis ofa photographic document or video is broken down into two steps:
1 - Establishing or disproving authenticity, uncovering hoaxes, fake maneuvers or
parasitic phenomena that could have affected the photographing equipment or the original
data storage medium (film, video cassette). This concept ofauthenticity is furthermore
completely relative, because only negative conclusions are definitive and in the best of

cases a document can stand up to analyses at any given moment.
2 - With respect to a document deemed to be authentic, extracting the maximum
amount of information permitting a known phenomenon to be identified or a phenomenon
that is a priori inexplicable to be characterized (size, position, speed, albedo, energy
emitted, etc.). This phenomenon will then be compared with other unexplained
phenomena in order to draw possible parallels.
It is important to emphasize that the photographic as well as the video documents
available come only from fortuitous witnesses~there are very few opportunities for
significant data to be exploited by reason ofsimple statistical considerations: the chances
of being witness to a rare phenomenon, the likelihood of having [camera] equipment in
hand ready to use, the probability of being able to make the proper adjustments and calmly
take professional quality photographs, etc.
In any case, it seems reasonable to limit in-depth investigations to. cases in which the
following two conditions are met:
I - The original document (negative, slide, video cassette, etc.) is available.
2. -There is at least one other independent source of information (visual testimony or
another sensing device).
Trick of the eye: lens-shaped clouds

[Photo]
Central bulge, broad and narrow disk, this is the definition oflenticular galaxies. It is also
the definition of a type of cloud, cirrocumulus lenticularis, which forms above 7000 m
altitude and up to the limits of the troposphere. Their very specific shape is due to factors
such as pressure, temperature, turbulence, and very strong winds. But this shape is
definitely open to every interpretation for those who wish to see it as a flying saucer...

When military craft play UFOs

[Photo]
Left:
Photographed in 1989 offshore from Los Angeles, this unpiloted surveillance unit is a

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Canadair CL-227 Sea Sentinel military drone.
Right:
This Sikorsky "Cypher" surveillance drone is used by the U.S. Anny in urban conflict
situations.
JANAP (Joint Anny, Navy, Air Force Publication) 146 applies to military personnel but
also to some civilians (flight captains ofcommercial aircraft, merchant marine captains) in
the United States and Canada. It stipulates that an urgent report should be filed with
certain authorities, which must in turn file a report, namely with the Air Operations
Command (now NORAD [North American Air Defense]) in Colorado Springs, when
objects requiring very urgent defensive action and/or an investigation by the armed forces
of the United States or Canada are sighted .
. Among these objects, UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objeqts) are listed along with missiles
and hostile or unidentified submarines, etc. Disclosure of the contents of these reports is
subject to the penalties of the laws cracking down on espionage. JANAP 146 was in effect
in recent years and perhaps is still in force. This regulation may explain the frequent
reticence of American military personnel, aviators in particular, to bring up the subject of
UFOs.
The members of American ufological associations number several thousand. These
associations attempt to fill the gap left by the public authorities in the field of"UFO"
studies. The FOIA brought them a resurgence ofactivity, showing them that contrary to
their statements, the Air Force and various special departments, namely the CIA, are very
much interested in the subject of UFOs and have been for some time. It pennitted them to
learn ofcertain spectacular cases, such as the overflight of missile bases in 1975, or the
1976 Tehran incident related in Chapter 2. DIA deemed this a "radar/visual" case: "A
classic case that meets all the conditions requiredfor a legitimate study ofthe UFO
phenomenon. "
In recent years, the three main ufological associations have been brought together by a
leading U.S. personality, Marie Galbraith, to conduct a joint study. She is the wife of
Evan Griffith Galbraith, who was U.S. ambassador to France from 1981 to 1985. Thus
she is well-acquainted with our country and our language, since she lived on Avenue
Gabriel. Supported both morally and financially by Laurance Rockefeller, brother of the
famous David Rockefeller, she traveled the world to meet the principal scientists
interested in UFOs and to collect the best cases.
She then oversaw the drafting ofa clear and documented book entitled Unidentified
Flying Objects, Briefing Document, the best available ·evidence, which was endorsed in
1995 by the chairmen of the three associations CUFOS [Center for UFO Research],
FUFOR [Fund for UFO Research], and MUFON [Mutual UFO Network]. She had this
work sent to more than a thousand prominent figures throughout the world and, namely,
to a large number of U.S. congressmen. Her goal is to get the U .S. government and
possibly other governments to end the secrecy surrounding UFOs. For the editors of the
book, this secrecy is essentially military in origin: the nation that is first to reproduce the
exceptional characteristics of UFOs will dominate the world. The secrecy was justified
during the cold war, but it is no longer justified now given the scientific and technical
breakthroughs useful to humanity that one can expect [to obtain] from the study of UFOs.
On the whole, Marie Galbraith's book is descriptive. It does not interpret the
phenomena sighted (physical modeling or hypotheses regarding the origin of the objects).
Such was also the spirit of the international scientific colloquium organized in September

1997 by Laurance Rockefeller at Pocantico, near West Point, on the property of the
Rockefeller Bros. Fund. Moderated by astrophysicist Peter Sturrock, this colloquium
focused on physical evidence concerning UFOs.
Specialists on radar, the biological effects of microwaves, photography, etc., who often
were not very familiar with the UFO problem, formed a scientific council there that judged
the papers presented by the UFO researchers. French participation was quite noteworthy;
it consisted of the head of SEPRA and two members of the scientific council. A summary
document expressed the desire that many countries have a UFO research organization
comparable to that of France
Colonel Corso's theory
In July 1997, for the fiftieth anniversary of the Roswell incident, an astonishing book
entitled The Day After Roswell was published. It was written by Colonel Corso, who
from 1953 to 1957 was the military member of the National Security Council Staffand
thus was in constant contact with President Eisenhower. The foreward of this book was
written by Strom Thurmond, the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, who, already a member of this committee, appointed Corso as congressional
attache when he left the Army in 1963. The author states that the object found at Roswell
was indeed an extraterrestrial vessef He reportedly saw for himself, in July 1947, the
cadaver ofone of the occupants preserved in a glass coffin. From 1961-1962, as chief of
foreign technology in the Anny R & D Department, he apparently was tasked with
discretely allowing U.S. industry to benefit from the extremely high-tech objects found in
the wreckage (according to him: printed circuits, a laser, light intensifier, etc.).
Colonel Corso affirms that high-ranking military officers and some U.S. congressmen
know about the existence of extraterrestrial craft in our skies. They have concealed it
from the public to avoid panics, but full disclosures are going to be able to be made,
because the United States, which has been striving to do this for 50 years, reportedly now
has the means to counter a possible UFO attack. Some of these claims are surprising at
the very least, but the entire contents of the book cannot be easily dismissed when one
considers the remarkable career of its author and Senator Thurmond's tribute to him. It is
true that the latter requested that his fforeward not appear in reprints of the book, a request
that was granted. The author allegedly had not told him that the book was about UFOs...
But it is difficult to believe that the foreward writer, the third in line in the U.S.
Government to succeed the President, and the publisher, Simon & Schuster, were not
acting with full knowledge of the facts at the time of the first printing. As soon as the
book came out, the U.S. Air Force published a second report on Roswell again denying
the plausibility of the hypothesis of the crash ofan extraterrestrial craft. The first report,
which was published in 1994, was presented as the first official study on UFOs since the
end of the Blue Book [Project) in 1969 (see "Roswell and Disinformation" in Appendix
[5]). This reaction is not incompatible with Colonel Corso's theories; it may be intended
to reassure those whom Corso's revelations might worry.
9.2 Organization of the Research in the United Kingdom
Great Britain has been the scene of several remarkable cases. We presented the
Lakenheath "radar/visual" case (1956) in Chapter 2. The RAF and the Ministry in charge
of it therefore became interested in UFOs very early on, but we do not possess much

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information on their work. Since its creation in 1964, the British Ministry of Defence
(MOD) has had a UFO study unit, whose [designator] abbreviation Sec(AS)2a stands for
Department 2a ofthe Secretariat (Air Staff) division. Its activity was recently described
by Nick Pope, who was its head from 1991 to 1994, in a book written in a very lively style ,
Open Skies, Closed Minds.
This department receives telephone calls or letters from witnesses, but more generally
reports prepared from the depositions of these witnesses taken at police stations, airports
or RAF bases. It conducts classic investigations if it deems them useful. They then
question radar stations or weather stations, the RAF space object surveillance base at
Flyingdales, other RAF bases, the Greenwich Observatory, etc. Its unique mission-is to
determine whether the reports are of interest for defense purposes ("area of defence
significance").
Nick Pope, who is currently a MOD career employee, has broken new ground in
comparison with his predecessors. He has given interviews to the press and participated in
television programs.
He has cooperated with the ufological associations, giving their address and phone number
to witnesses who have written to him. In his letters of response he admitted that a small
proportion of UFO sightings defied explanation and that the MOD was keeping its mind
open regarding these. His predecessors wrote: "Ifwe had sufficient data, all ofthe cases
could undoubtedly be explained " In his book, Nick Pope evokes various hypotheses to
explain certain unidentified cases that were the subject of credible and detailed reports.
He strongly favors the extraterrestrial hypothesis and expresses the desire that his ministry
take seriously the potential threat that UFOs represent in his eyes.
Is there a department that is further developed than his (where he is alone) in the
Ministry of Defence that would conduct secret studies on the UFO phenomenon? His
statements on the subject are contradictory (pp. 129 and 181 ). Ralph Noyes, who was
one of Nick Pope's predecessors from 1969 to 1972 and ended his career at MOD in 1977
as Undersecretary of State for Defence, considers the existence ofsuch a department
likely. Lord Hill-Norton, Admiral of the Fleet, who was Chief of Defence Stafffrom 1971
to 1973, shares this opinion. This information is found in a book the foreword to which
was written by Lord Hill-Norton himself (Above Top Secret, by Timothy Good). Admiral
Hill-Norton was among some thirty iords active in a House of Lords group studying UFOs
in the 1980s. If this secret study department does exist, it can be presumed that it works
in collaboration with the United States (Above Top Secret, pp. 48-49).

9.3 Organization of the Research in Russia
The Academy of Sciences of the USSR has conducted studies on UFOs since 1979 at
least. During that time, Vladimir Migouline, a member of this academy, expressed his
opinion in La Recherche regarding the sightings made in the Soviet Union of luminous
phenomena and unusual objects: "The vast majority ofthese sightings correspond to real
phenomena just about the same as those sighted in other countries. But there is no
indisputable proofthat some ofthem involve technological manifestations ofa highly
developed civilization. It is also necessary to try to connect them with atmospheric
phenomena," he said.
This is the goal that his assistant Platov aimed for in a work published in 1992, UFOs
andModem Science. At that time, Migouline and Platov, heads of the expert's group on
abnormal phenomena in the Academy of Sciences, proposed a scientific and technical

cooperation program to SEPRA, but the CNES management did not follow-up on the
offer. It should be noted that in the Siberian section of the Academy of Sciences, the
studies, which are less well known in the West, do not rule out the extraterrestrial
hypotheses, and even favor it.
During "Glasnost," information was disseminated on the studies being conducted by
both the KGB and by the military. In 1991 , the KGB declassified 124 pages of documents
from Cases ofSightings ofAbnormal Events over USSR Territory, /982-1990, which
covered a total of 17 regions. One of these cases, which we detailed in Chapter 3,
concerns the extraordinary aerial maneuvers of three bright disks over an Army missile
base near Astrakhan in 1989. The objects, which were sighted by seven military members,
went from hovering to high speed and back again all without making any noise. When it
was approached by a Soviet fighter jet, one object escaped so quickly that it seemed to
leave the fighter jet standing still in its tracks.
In 1994, Colonel Boris Sokolov sold ABC News a collection of investigations
conducted by military personnel from 1978 to 1988. Earlier, in 1990, the newspaper
Rabochaya Tribuna had published an article by Aviation General Maltsev, who
commanded the territorial air defense, concerning a well-documented visual/radar case
with multiple witnesses (Pereslav-Zalesski, the night ofMarch 21, 1990) in which a silent
discoid object went from hovering to a speed two or three times faster than that of a
modem fighter jet. We described th.is case in Chapter 2.

PART3
UFOs and Defense
To date, a UFO has not been the certain cause of any accident or a fortiori any hostile act,
at least officially; no UFO threat has materialized in France, although intimidation
maneuvers have been confirmed (Chapters 1. 1, 2 .1, and 2.3). However, numerous
manifestations observed by reliable witnesses could be the work of craft of extraterrestrial
origin. Indeed, if it were a question of terrestrial craft, these could only be American and,
despite all precautions taken to maintain secrecy, this would be known. The first
prototype stealth aircraft flew at the end of 1977; the existence ofstealth aircraft became
known about ten years later, in 1988. But credible, confirmed UFO sightings began in
1944.
Certainly, this subject still sometimes elicits amused skepticism, if not a certain mistrust
with regard to those who mention it seriously, but in the absence of explanations for the
phenomena sighted, the hypothesis of an extraterrestrial origin can no longer be ruled out.
In this third part, we set out to study, from a strategic, scientific, political, religious, and
media standpoint, the consequences of this hypothesis based on present scientific
knowledge.

Chapter 10 - Strategic Planning
The definition of a strategy toward an "adversary" requires that one know the

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adversary, understand his intentions, and ascertain his modes ofaction. In the case in
question, we can onJy advance hypotheses formulated on the basis of the facts observed
and their interpretation, while trying to answer three questions: Who are they? What are
their intentions? Are they seeking to make contact or have they already done so?
10.1 What Extraterrestrials? Who Are They and What Are They Like?
A relative consistency emerges from the numerous descriptions ofthe phenomena:
saucer, luminous sphere or cylinder, hovering followed by accelerations at lightning speed,
the absence of noise, easily supersonic speed with no sonic boom, associated
electromagnetic effects that interfere with the operation of nearby radio or electrical
apparatus. Obviously, these extraterrestrials are highly endowed intellectually and are
technologically advanced over us to have been able to achieve what we do not yet know
how to do. But the rest remains a mystery! Morphology~ physical make-up, type of life,
manner ofcommunication and form of society, sense of values, concept chime,
motivations, etc. If they are observing us, it is necessary to note an apparent contradiction
between the interest that they show in us and their furtiveness. Rather than observe us, it
seems that they want to show themselves to us and to gradually acclimate us to the idea of
their existence.
10.2 What Intentions and What Strategy Can We Deduce from Their Behavior?
Extrapolation pased on a rational analysis of the objectives that the extraterrestrial
civilization or civilizations could be pursuing should permit us to get an idea of the
strategies that they are implementing and should consequently lead us, in response, to
deduce the broad lines of what our own strategies might be. UFOs have manifested
themselves in many places throughout the world in recent decades, with surprising peaks
between 1952 and 1954, without our being able to deduce a well-defined course of action.
What are they seeking?
After the observation phase and the phase ofdemonstrating that they exist, it would
seem logical to us for them to be seeking to leave their mark and impose their will on the
States of the earth, but at present, nothing allows us to deduce from their manifestations
the existence ofa driving desire serving purposes that we are presently unable to discern.
It is plausible that preferred contacts can be attributed to the United States. But nothing
contradicts the possible establishment ofother contacts with some European countries or
even with Russia, China, or Japan, [or] others perhaps ... However, it seems difficult to
imagine that they could _have been able to position themselves on earth with the complicity
ofcertain States. Moreover, the hypotheses ofcontacts do not enable us to deduce the
existence of some status quo with these visitors. Actually, the sporadic manifestations of
UFOs and even the occurrence of repeated waves [ofsightings] have continued since
1947. One would have every right to think that these visitors - fortified by their
superiority - are showing their intention to continue to make themselves known in the
most diverse locations on the planet and to continue to carry out their plans, the aims and
means of which still escape us. It could be that, before I94 7 and after, they have had fears
for the future ofearth, a future threatened by risks of nuclear war. Their influences have
been able to be accompanied by appropriate demonstrations:
- overflights of nuclear missile bases, an example ofwhich is given in Chapter 3,
- intimidation maneuvers against aircraft as in Luxeuil and Tehran (Chapters 1.1 and

2.3),
- witnesses paralyzed, engines shutting off, lights going out (San Carlos de Bariloche,
Chapter 2.5).
The advances that have been made in the conquest of space and in the development of
nuclear technology could be troubling them. Wouldn't it be logical to think that these
extraterrestrial civilizations have established stations, even colonies, in the asteroid belt
and why not relay stations on the moon? Our forays and projects studied in the United
States for modifying the orbits ofasteroids using H bombs in order to bring them closer to
the earth's orbit for mining purposes could be disturbing them. For the moment, they do
not appear to be meddling in our affairs, but it is advisable to ask ourselves what they are
actually seeking. Do they want to invade earth? To preserve it from nuclear self­
destruction? To learn about and preserve the patrimony that our civilizations have created
over the span of centuries? In view of these uncertainties concerning their intentions, we
can 't tell what the future holds and, in particular, we.cannot consider that they will
continue not to intervene. Some of their undertakings in regard to us might, therefore, not
be innocent in the long term. Perhaps they don' t have any need for our sensibilities or the
politics ofStates?

10.3 Repercussions of UFO Manifestations 01• the Official and Unofficial Conduct of
States
The repercussions have been varied in scope. Based on what can be learned of the
reactions of States, it is permissible under our hypothesis to classify them as:
a) States that have no knowledge ofextraterrestrial phenomena_ or believe they are not
concerned.
b) States that know ofextraterrestrial phenomena but have no means to investigate
them,
c) States that know ofextraterrestrial phenomena and have the means to investigate
them,
d) States that have entered into contact with one or more extraterrestrial civilizations
and that have established relations and/or entered into political, scientific, and
technical collaboration.

10.4 Have Contacts Possibly Been Made with One or More States?
Individuals claim to have been contacted for the purpose of studies or with a view to
establishing relations between one intelligent life form and another. Can we imagine direct
and continuous contacts at the highest level of one or more States, particularly the United
States? It is true that the position of that country has been among the strangest since the
wave [of sightings] in June 194 7, followed by the Roswell affair in July 194 7 ( cf
Appendix 5). If the Americans were able on that occasion or o n other occasions to collect
at least debris or entire wreckage of extraterrestrial vessels in fairly good condition, and
even cadavers of humanoids, a certain type ofcontact would then have been established.
First statements and reactio ns are often considered to be more probative than
subsequent affirmations. Thus immediately following what would later become the
Roswell affair, General Twining was tasked with preparing a secret report on "flying
disks, •• the existence of which was not revealed until 22 years later in the Condon report.
It emerges from this that these objects truly do exist. But since then the United States has
followed a policy of increasing secrecy ( classification above "top secret " of certain UFO

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files, according to General Bany Goldwater) and constant disinformation. The strange
conclusions of the Condon report are just one case in point. Why would, and how could,
such an important secret be kept all the way up to the present, despite everything? The
simplest response would be that the United States wants to maintain at any cost military
technological superiority over rival countries and, perhaps, a preferential contact.
This policy of secrecy and disinformation could have been dictated by an
understandable concern for not creating panic reactions or irrational crazes among the
public, or the concern at the time for protecting the country against actions by the USSR,
or else, in a more prosaic and political fashion, not appearing in the eyes of voters to be
incapable of providing convincing explanations regarding these phenomena. No doubt it
would not do to undennine the prestige of the armed forces, which was incapable of
interdicting these violations of air space, and invite attacks against the military budgets on
the part ofpolitical opponents. Anything is conceivable, even the fear of seeing various
government agencies accused of having lied at one time or another.
Whatever the case, it is symptomatic and illustrative to note that since 1953, the United
States has equipped itself with an impressive repressive arsenal, which is still in force, it
seems. In particular, they enacted two military regulations, AFR (Air Force Regulation)
200-2 and JANAP (Joint Anny Navy Air Force Publication) 146, the first prohibiting the
public disclosure ofinformation relating to sightings of unidentified objects and the second
making the unauthorized disclosure ofa UFO sighting by the witness an infraction
punishable by 10 years in prison and a $ I 0,000 fine. The JANAP regulation applies to
military personnel, but also to commercial airline pilots and captains in the merchant
manne.

10.5 What Measures Must We Take From Now On?
Whether or not UFOs are extraterrestrial in origin, the UFO phenomenon is already
with us and, at any rate, requires critical vigilance on our part. In particular, the
phenomenon involves risks of destabilizing manipulations from a media, psychological,
cultural, and religious standpoint: panic fear, world wars, psychoses created by sects or
lobbies, etc. These appreciable risks ofcosmic fear, as well as the discovery and no doubt
conquest ofthe cosmos that is to come, henceforth justify, on the part of the political,
scientific, and intellectual elite, a certain degree ofcosmic vigilance calculated to prevent
any shocking surprise, erroneous interpretation, and malicious or unhealthy manipulation.
Without a doubt, measures must be contemplated on the national and international
levels. Specifically, whatever the givens are with respect to American political problems,
and in the face of a posture of ongoing secrecy, how can we conceive of harmonious
political and military relations among allies, and particularly within NATO, which normally
must be founded on basic trust, if access to information of incalculable importance particularly technological information - is not shared?

10.5.1 National Structures
If France wants to affirm its presence in this domain, it seems urgent to expand
SEPM which must:

- increase its human and material resources so as to be able to collect information
relating to all UFO manifestations, both in Europe and throughout the world,
- expand its investigation and analysis capabilities,
- boost its representation and foreign relations status.
It would likewise be advisable to create a unit at the highest State level to collaborate
with SEPRA that would be tasked with:
- fonnulating all prospective hypotheses,
- promoting scientific and technical research and, as such, would have a small minimum
budget,
- proposing elements of military strategy,
- participating in the establishment of regional cooperation agreements with interested
European and foreign countries. It should be noted that many countries already have
small bodies for the collection of UFO sightings withi.n their armed forces or intelligence
services.

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10.5.2 European Structures

It would be desirable then for the European States and the European Union
Commission to conduct every type of research and to initiate diplomatic approaches with
the United States, exerting useful pressure, to clarify this crucial issue, which must fall
within the scope of political and strategic alliances. Would it perhaps be opportune for
France to propose to the Commission that it create within it - so as to no longer be blind,
dumb, and paralyzed - a special expanded coordinating body provided with the necessary
human and material resources?
10.6 What Situations Must We Prepare For?

What strategies could we map out in the following situations:
- appearance of UFO and extraterrestrial desire to establish an official and peaceful
contact,
- chance or intentional discovery ofa microbase or base at some location in France or
in Europe: position to adopt toward a friendly or non-friendly power,
- invasion (hardly likely given the fact that an invasion could have been carried out
before the discovery of the atom) and targeted or massive attacks on strategic or
nonstrategic locations,
- deliberate manipulation or disinformation with a view to destabilizing other States.
In the case of the first situation cited, we are not precluded from suggesting that the
States that are equipped with sophisticated research and analysis tools will perhaps have
more chances than others of being chosen as preferred contacts, but at what risks and
advantages?

C hapter 11 - Aeronautical Implications
11.1 Why Aeronautical Implications?

It is not intellectually possible to remain indifferent in light of an unexplained

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aeronautical phenomenon which numerous civilian and military pilots have come face to
face with. Ofthe several hundred confirmed aeronautical cases, there are primarily five
types of implications:
- simple sighting ofa phenomenon by the crew, passengers, or ground personnel,
- detection ofa track on a radar screen, which occurs in one out offive aeronautical
cases, sometimes culminating in the recording ofa track, as was the case on January 28,
I994, at the Cinq-Mars-la-Pile Control and Detection Center (CDC) ( cf Chapter I),
- interferences with ground (San Carlos de Bariloche) or onboard (Tehran) electrical or
electronic equipment,
- shadowing ofaircraft (San Carlos de Bariloche, RB-47, etc.),
- apparently aggressive conduct ( Colonel Giraud in his Mirage IV, student pilot at
Tours, the Tehran incident, etc.).
The number of testimonies and the quality of the witnesses are such that one cannot dodge
the phenomenon and aeronautic personnel, and more especially defense personnel, must be
sensitized and prepared to deal with the situation. In fact, how can one try to ignore a
phenomenon that is manifested by the regular crossing ofour air space by moving objects
the behavior of which suggests that they are piloted by an intelligent [being]? Can one
claim, because this appears to exceed our technical knowledge, that it does not fall within
our purview? If we do nothing, the very principle of defense and air intelligence would be
called into question.
The first sightings made by aviators date back to the beginning of the 40s. Since then,
the number of unexplained sightings (after an expert's appraisal: UAP Ds) reported by
pilots or [air traffic] controllers has risen to over 500. As a reminder1.. in France, this figure
is three or four since 1951 . It is the responsibility of the Air Force to take into account
these phenomena, which, until proven otherwise, occur primarily in air space.
11.2 Who is Involved?
11.2.1Flight Crew

The flight crew is naturally involved, particularly the pilots, because whether they are
civilian or military, they are in a more advantageous position for making sightings and
would be the first affected in the event ofan incident (risk of collision, in particular). This
is especially true for a combat pilot, because he is trained to constantly monitor the sky
and he now has more and more advanced weapons systems capable of detecting faster and
faster and smaller and smaller targets at greater and greater distances. The pilot/weapons
system pair is now more than ever an excellent sighting instrument and would be our first
means ofintervention if, by chance, this were to prove necessary. The concerns of a
commercial airline pilot are different because, in addition to the fact that he does not have
the same equipment, his priority is obviously the safety of his passengers. Although he
remains a primary partner in the quest for information, he would be totally powerless in
the face of an aggressive stance by a UFO.
11.2.2 (Air Traffic) Controllers

The radar [air traffic] controller is, ofcourse, involved, but depending on whether he is
civilian or military, the control equipment at his disposal offer him different options. In
both cases, since he is in radio contact with the pilot, it is he who is the first to receive the
sighting report from the crew.

He must be prepared to note and supplement the sightings transmitted with the clear­
headedness that the distance of his position gives him. In regard to radar detection, only
the military controller has adequate equipment to detect a flyi ng object that does not
follow general air traffic rules. In fact, military air defense radars permit a visual display of
the primary detection, as well as a synthetic display used by civilian [air traffic] controllers,
to appear on the military controller's radar scope (see Appendix I). In addition, they are
the only ones who are able to obtain an image of craft moving at the supposed speeds of
UFOs. Finally, the means to record and reconstruct radar situations on site at the Control
and Detection Centers (CDC) enable supplemental investigations to be conducted, if
necessary.

11.2.3 Meteorologists
Unusual phenomena are often explained by meteorological phenomena. Questions can
easily be explained if the specialized departments are informed of the importance of their
observations. AJI military and civilian personnel specializing in meteorology must
therefore be able to meet this expectation.

11.2.4 CNES Engineers
CNES engineers are the French space specialists. They cannot remain indifferent to
UFO phenomena. Knowledge of our u niverse, observation of the sky, and surveillance of
anything that is deployed into the sky naturally makes them just the right people to head
up the study of extraterrestrial phenomena. We have described their work above.

11.2.5 Engineers in the Aeronautics Sector
Engineers in the aeronautic sector are naturally involved. Their work is presel)ted in
the next chapter on scientific and technical implications.

11.3 How Do We Involve Aeronautics [Personnel] ?
In order for aeronautics personnel, along with their resources, to be involved, we need
to know how to interest them and, in order to do this, how to inform them of the
phenomenon, to specify what is expected of them, and to define what their reflex
responses should be and what course of action they should take.

11.3.1 Informing Personnel
Informing amounts, first and foremost, to getting someone to accept the possibility of
the presence of extraterrestrial craft in our sky. It is necessary to overcome the fear of
ridicule and to admit that, fa iling certainty, there are strong presumptions based on a list of
examples selected fl-om among the testimonies fl-om the aeronautics world.
Moreover, it is necessary to reach all generations. Informational conferences can be
easily scheduled at aeronautics schools for the young generations (Ecole de I' Air, Ecole
Nationale de )' Aviation Civile [National Civil Aviation School] (ENAC, Sup' Aero, etc.),
and for the not-so-young, in continuing education courses and, obviously, at the College
Interarmees de Defense [Interarmy Defense College] (CID) and IHEDN. SEPRA is
already holding conferences at ENAC within the framework of civilian [air traffic]

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controller training.
This practice just needs to be extended to all flight crew training schools, regardless of
the specialty being taught. For the generations already on the job, these conferences can
easily be offered at the Control and Detection Centers and flight units for military
personnel, and, at least for civilian [air traffic] controllers, at the Regional Air Navigation
Centers (CRNA). As for commercial flight crews, the airline companies - Air France, in
particular - have set up a systematic information sheet for crews that is periodically
updated.
This information must furthermore be updated on a regular basis in the knowledge that
the intended objective is to permit a future witness, whether he plays an active role or is
merely an observer, to be fully aware of what course ofaction to take in the face of the
phenomenon sighted. Ifwe want personnel to get involved, it is necessary that they know
how to react in real time and what to communicate and to whom, how to take the
measures corresponding to the present situation, etc. For this reason, it is advisable to
define with them what their reflex responses should be and what course ofaction they
should take.

11.3.2 Reflex Responses
Indeed, it is necessary to instill in_personnel who may face the phenomenon what their
reflex responses should be, in the knowledge that they may merely be simple observers or,
in some cases, have to take concrete measures (for example, at San Carlos de Bariloche,
the surprise of the landing strip lights going out in the middle of the UFO incident). It is
quite certain that it would be better to be prepared in order to be fully aware of what
course ofaction to take in the face of such an unforeseen and poorly understood event.
These reflex responses differ in type depending on whether it is a matter of sighting,
recording a testimony, transmitting information collected, or reacting in real time in order
to take ad.hoc measures in response to the phenomenon.

11.3.3 Course of Action to Take
The course ofaction to take seems to us to be summarized as follows: observe, note
the maximum amount of details, take photographs if possible, _report, allowing the visitors
the initiative of possibly making contact, and avoid premature publicity in the media.

11.3.3.1 Objective Observation
In the face of an unknown situation, one must be on guard against any instinctive self­
defense reaction that could be easily interpreted as a provocation. One must just observe
and avoid any initiative aimed at seeking contact.

11.3.3.2 Reporting
Once a phenomenon has been sighted, it is advisable to report it in order to alert the
other crews, on the one hand, which is what is currently done, and the authorities, on the
other hand, through the air [traffic] control chain of command in civilian cases and the air
defense chain of command in military cases.
11.3.3.3 Remaining Discrete Vis-a-Vis the Public
As a witness to a phenomenon of this type, one must know how to adopt a certain level

of discretion vis-a-vis the press. It is essential to allow scientists [time] to make use of the
information before letting the media trigger the curiosity of the general public, which
could result in the disappearance of important evidence.

Chapter 12 - Scientific and Technical Implications
The significance of the UFO phenomenon to defense in the broad sense leads to several
proposals.

12.1 Stepping Up the Collection and Analysis of Data

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It is, of course, advisable to continue and, if possible, expand geographically the
collection, initial analysis, and classification of data and testimonies performed
successively by GEPAN and then by SEPRA, which was described in Chapters 5 and 6.

12.2 Establishing a Watch and Initiate Work Upstream
From the studies presented in Chapter 8, it can be concluded that at least a passive, and
preferably an active, techno-watch is required in the fields of leading-edge propulsion such
as, for example, magnetohydrodynamics. It is truly essential to know what the other
nations are doing in this area. In other high-tech fields, the study of the various
testimonies could be combined with appropriate scientific experiments to enable significant_
progress. A typical example is that of particle beams or microwaves, together with their
effects: tools, weapons, etc. All of these subjects are, on the whole, more advanced than
the technical problems presently under study by DGA or the public research institutions.
Therefore they will not be dealt with unless a decision is made at the highest State level.

12.3 Encouraging Thought in Order to Place the Phenomena in a Global Context
The work mentioned above will enable progress in the partial models of the phenomena
sighted, along with considerable spill-over for defense and industry. But the global
interpretation of these well-docume nted but inexplicable phenomena will require other
research. The principal areas of research relate to the extraterrestrial hypothesis; we will
mention ,for reference, the current research on the detection of extrasolar planets, which
will take a new direction when the VLT (Very Large Telescope) of the ESO (European
Southern Observatory) in Chile enables them to be observed directly. Each discovery of a
planet, which is presently made indirectly via the disturbances that the planet causes in its
star, has met with a favorable response in the media.
Less spectacular, albeit fascinating to a cultured public, is the research on the origin of
life that is being conducted internationally at a very satisfying rate. It forms the basis of
exobiology, the science of extraterrestrial life (see Appendix 3). Studies on evolution and
its mechanisms are curre ntly handicapped by school disputes. They are important to our
subject: How might life evolve elsewhere? Underdeveloped but also important are the
studies on the genesis and future of civilizations. The latter are normally extended by
long-term, forward-looki ng scenarios for our planet and, of course, for others.
Interstellar travel, as visualized in Appendix 4 - entitled "Colonization of Space" - must
be the object of at least passive monitoring. This subject is currently being dealt with in
the U nited States, where numerous NASA or Pentagon study contracts concern

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propulsion using antimatter in solar or interstellar space. It was also in the United States
where the astronomer Papagiannis won a NASA study contract a few years ago to detect
possible space cities in the asteroid belt located between the planets Mars and Jupiter.
In carrying out the study, he examined the photos taken in 1983 by the IRAS [Infrared
Astronomical Satellite] satellite and looked for possible abnormal infrared emissions
coming from objects in th.is belt. It would seem that NASA did not renew Papagiannis'
contract, which apparently did not yield any results.
12.4 Special Studies

Some studies do not come under the "hard" sciences and technologies: for interstellar
voyages, the stability ofthe earmarked societies requires study. What, in particular, is
their minimum size? The different attempts at disinformation made by certain foreign
governments should be analyzed discretely, but in depth. The wish of these governments
to appropriate for themselves alone any possible futuristic technologies relating to military
aircraft and weapons might help explain these attempts (see Appendices 5 and 7). It
would be advisable to already be anticipating the measures to be taken and the decisions to
be made should events such as indubitable physical or radio contacts with an outside
civilization take place.
Chapter 13 - Political and Religious Implications

An assessment of the impact that the formal confirmation of the existence of UFOs and
extraterrestrial civilizations would have on the political and religious situation of the
countries on earth could be a bit ofa challenge. However, the task is less arduous when
we try to put ourselves in the shoes of extraterrestrials who supposedly have chosen earth
as a field of observation and/or intervention. We will use th.is method. It is appropriate,
ofcourse, to postulate that the technical and human difficulties have been resolved,
permitting us to exceed the limits ofour solar system, and even our galaxy:
- Either in secular voyages aboard "ship-worlds," in which thousands of volunteers
who have embarked would see their generations reproduce. It is necessary to keep in
mind that these craft will not be able to one day return to earth, at least that is what we are
assuming, which would confer - de facto - a political autonomy and freedom of decision to
the onboard government independent oforders and programs established prior to
departing earth (cf Appendix 4: "Colonization of Space").
- Or, in [voyages of] several months or years - based on totally revolutionary scientific
concepts and techniques that remain to be imagined - using aircraft or probes piloted by
classic crews or by bionic androids, which would follow the instructions received from a
parent station or from earth.
During the course of these explorations, we might discover one or more celestial bodies
populated with beings that have evolved more or less similarly to us, "humans," humanoid,
or even stranger creatures. They may have created civilizations that are comparable to or
more advanced than our present civilization, or they may be endowed with only
rudimentary aptitudes for civilization, unless they still remain only at the elementary
survival stage.
(Nora Bene: in this chapter, the numbers in parentheses refer to the references, pp. 87
to 89)

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13. 1 Phase One: Observation From a Distance (Remote Sensing and Obscn·ation ?)
It seems reasonable to think that our earthling explorers have received a mission to
peacefully observe these worlds and/or conquer, purely and simply, these new territories in
order to establish a line of descendants there (cf. 13 .4 below). The state of advancement
of the local populations will likely dictate the manner of obtaining, as well as the nature
and duration, of these observations, and the initial observations will, of course, be for
analyzing:
- the living organisms, the manners in which they think and live, their languages, their
religions and beliefs, their arts, sciences, techniques and weapons, their political
institutions, their social organizations, and their histories in general,
- the environments in which these populations live, [and] animals, plants, minerals, etc.
This first phase, which excludes any physical or material contact, would be that of
scientific, in vivo laboratory observation: electronic surveillance, remote sensing,
recording, decrypting of languages, analyses, evaluations, etc. It is important to
emphasize that this period could last one year, ten years, a century, [or] a thousand years,
why not? Actually, what better scientific experiment - Jato sensu - than that of having
more or less civilized, stagnant or evolving populations, either at peace or at war,
organized in a hundred different manners, no doubt having languages that are foreign to
one another, each one assuming, in its own way, the organization of ts terrestrial and
celestial cities. In a word, we would be in the situation of observing ourselves!

13.2 Phase Two: In situ Sampling and Furtive Appearances
The interpretation of the data collected can only be complete when a second phase has
been implemented, during which sampling and analyses of mineral, plant, and animal
elements, and perhaps even elements from evolved beings, are performed. Consequently,
the question is raised as toAhe types of contacts that would be appropriate to establish and
the political, psychological, and religious implications for the local populations that might
result from these contacts: furtive and covert contacts, visible and overt contacts,
continuous or intermittent contacts. If the furtive and covert mode of operation is
initia.llyselected, it nevertheless could not - at least based on the present state of our
technology - go completely unnoticed by the indigenous populations. It is permissible to
consider that the psychological and religious impacts may vary according to the different
types of political organizations and the levels of moral and scientific development
e ncountered on the same world.
13.2. l Impacts on Preindustrial-Age Civilizations

Individuals or masses from preindustrial-age civilizations might note the passage and/or
landing of our ships or our remote-controlled craft. They might collectively view them
equally as natural, divine, extraordinary, supernatural, aberrant, or diabolical phenomena
(frescoes in the Yugoslavian monastery at Detchani, spheres in Nuremberg and Basel in
1561 and 1566 - cf Appendix 6). Furthermore, the collective memories of these peopies
and their imagination in general could be more or less sharply marked by such
manifestations if they are accompanied, in particular, by the sighting of our astronauts,

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whether dressed in their coveralls or their space suits or not, or robots, androids, or any
artifacts that we may deem appropriate to disembark or represent. Such appearances, if
the local authorities note and publicly certify their reality, would undoubtedly have a
creative impact capable of modifying the indigenous political and religious conceptions for
some time.
13.2.1.1 Impacts on Local Religions

Since terrestrial a~d celestial orders are closely interlinked in people's minds, the
appearances of spaceships or remote-controlled craft, and, moreover, the appearances of
astronauts or bionic robots, would be capable ofcreating a lasting impression in minds,
reorienting religions, inspiring new ones. or originating founding myths. The flying
machines that Ezekiel described at length ( 1), the air war of the Ramayana, the Epic of
Gilgamesh (2), the Elohim ofGenesis (3), and the Watchmen of the Sky, mixing with the
daughters of men and begetting giants, whom Enoch also speaks of(4), and more
generally, the Immortals, the Sons or the Kings of the Sky of the Orient and China (5),
Japan, the "Land ofGods" (6), the Viracochas of South America, the Incas, or the great
gods of Ancient Egypt, the Gods, the Titans, the Giants, the Children of the Gods, and the
Heres ofwestern and oriental Antiquity (7), etc., come to mind.
Both supernatural and extraordinary phenomena were part of the natural order of things
in the past. Would religions founded on the existence of a God or a creative order be
shattered by such apparitions? Nothing is less certain. Once the shock, terror, and
curiosity have passed, a new appreciation of the cosmic order could replace the old
religious conceptions, without necessarily destroying the divine principle itself. To say the
least, these religious conceptions could be reoriented or even sublimated. God does not
travel around in a spaceship. Besides, the great religions ofearth do not condemn the idea
of the existence of other inhabited worlds in the universe. Must we recall that certain
collective memories experience aberrations, despite the tangible proofsubsequently
furnished to the catechumen (the cult of the cargo plane in New Hebrides) (8)?
Bonaparte's military and scientific expedition to Egypt left no trace in the local annals,
which recorded only an interruption of the pilgrimage to Mecca (9). Closer to home,
many people did not believe that men had walked on the moon, believing it to be a
publicity stunt or disinformation. It would be appropriate, however, to avoid
overestimating this impact, insofar as all ancient civilizations conceived of pantheons, the
gods of which were associated with terrifying manifestations of the sea, wind, volcanoes,
earthquakes, or .lightning. It is therefore difficult to say whether they were the avatars of
extraterrestrial influences or, more simply, the product of the invention of mythologies
explaining the world.
13.2. 1.2 Political Impacts

With respect to the political impacts, these should be much more ephemeral, at least in
appearance. In fact, once the moments ofastonishment have passed, the political
organization of States does not seem to have to be affected in a lasting manner, since
contingencies quickly regain the upper hand. However, that monarch or chief of state
could proclaim himself the exclusive and privileged interpreter of these extraordinary
manifestations. Would he not be tempted to consecrate himself a god-king 9r a king-god

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in the eyes of his subjects?
Once again without being able to distinguish what is the product of the natural and
spontaneous search for the legitimacy of power from what could actually only be the result
of an opportunity seized by inveigling, we are forced to note that history abounds in god­
kings or king-gods (pharaohs; Assyrian kings; Hellenic epiphanic kings; Roman, Chinese,
or Japanese emperors; sons of the Sun of Central or South America, etc.).

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13.2.2 Impacts on Industrial-Age Civilizations
Industrial-age civilizations are more skeptical than they formerly were and have more
difficulty envisioning what is not a product of the immediately explainable or the simply
measurable. However, it is certain that the furnishing of irrefutable proof of the existence
of extraterrestrials would leave a profound mark on populations such as ours today. Th.is
issue is at the heart of our report.

13.3 Phase Three: Influences on Local Civilizations
The third phase would be that of the influences that we would consider appropriate to
exert on the environment and the civilizations encountered with a view to causing them to
evolve in our fashion. It goes without saying that the advantages and risks would have to
be studied carefully.

13.3.1 Influences on Preindustrial-Age Civilizations
We might consider it necessary, in certain cases, to influence the environment in a
specific manner and the evolution of local civilizations in a subtle way. It might seem
necessary to us, upon completion of our observations and our analyses, to modify, bit by
bit, the natural environment and the ecosystem by, for example, seeding or introducing
select plants and organisms that are lacking.
Likewise, the course of indigenous civilizations could be gradually modified by
influencing, either from a distance or directly, the qualities or defects ofselect individuals,
accentuating their intellectual and moral tendencies and their scientific knowledge, or by
causing genetic mutations by different processes that are yet to be invented.
In this case, it would be a matter of playing the role that these populations would have
willingly reserved for gods, who, by providing sacred texts, would reorient, for example,
their sense of morals, their religiosity, and perhaps their laws and their political
institutions. The use of elements likely to terrify and impress could be appropriate in some
cases. And, with all due reverence, nothing would prevent one from thinking of different
episodes in the Old Testament, the conditions under which the laws of Manu were
instituted ( I 0) or even the Koran given. The influences relate back to a certain number of
enigmas in history, including, perhaps, the concomitant appearance of the great
civilizations of the Indus, Mesopotamia, and Egypt ( cities, architecture, writing, calendar,
astronomy, etc.). They also call to mind the extraordinary map of the Antarctic, which
was drawn almost free of ice by the Frenchman Oronce Fine in 1531, nearly three centuries
prior to the discovery of this continent in 1820 ( 11 ).

13.3.2 Influences on Industrial-Age Civilizations

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The nature of these influences will vary according to the type of civilization, its
technological development, and its psychological acclimatization or lack thereof to the
existence ofextraterrestrial civilizations. It would be advisable beforehand to accustom
the mind of these populations to the idea of the probable existence ofextraterrestrial
civilizations (science-fiction novels, films, cartoon strips, video games, advertisements, a
favorable psychological climate, [and] why not suitable sects?, etc.).
New and essential technological knowledge could be provided via different avenues or
by means ofchance or provoked accidents with one ofour spacecraft. The contemporary
Roswell case thus comes to mind. In order for_this case to be retained in full (or disposed
of), it would still be necessary for the U.S. government to accept to show, communicate
and let analyze, without beating around he bush, all of the elements that it actually
recovered on that occasion.

13.4 Phase Four: Direct Contacts
A fourth phase would be that of establishing direct contact with the locals or with entire
populations, whether or not a vanguard of bionic robots were used. Once again, the goals
sought must be precisely determined. The benefit and true utility ofestablishing such
contacts must be weighed with care in order to calculate the risks and consequences. A
stringent program could plan for these. However, a serious technical accident affecting
one ofour spacecraft could be the start ofan unofficial contact, a necessary settlement, or
a colonization, or even, if necessary, an information-disinformation campaign. It is also
advisable to envision the sedition of some ofour crews whom it might be necessary to
disembark or who might decide on their own authority to live on one of the worlds
discovered and, eventually , mix with the indigenous populations, going against orders
received, whatever happens not to intervene or interfere in local affairs. These contacts
presuppose that the worlds discovered are populated with human beings or hominids
whose complexion is identical or close to ours. But under the hypothesis of contacts and
planned long-term settlements of members of our crews, should mixes be prohibited, as
prophylaxis, by imposing a major ban on them ( 12) or, on the contrary, should they be
tolerated and even encouraged? Bearing in mind that direct or prolonged contacts would
inevitably lead the indigenous populations to believe, in fine, that we are not so different
from them. It would be prudent, however, to send remote-controlled androids in advance
in order to assess the reactions that such an intrusion would arouse, or to acclimate the
populations to the idea through furtive, episodic appearances.

13.4.1 Direct Contacts with Preindustrial-Age Civilizations
It is certain that such contacts would immediately cause the local populations to
imagine that they are in the presence of gods. Historical parallels naturally come to mind:
the arrival of the Spaniards in Central America in armor and on horseback, or, more
generally, the arrival of the Europeans at the time of the discovery and exploration of the
globe. The impact on populations that had never seen horses, armor that shone brightly in
the sun, or white men, particularly with blond or red hair, must have been felt strongly.
However, the shock of these apparitions would be quickly lessened with the multiplication
of relations, and even more so if our crews were to take an eminent place in the local
political and military orders. This, of course, relates back to the different epics of the
discovery of the world, European colonization, and also the end of the western empires.

13.4.2 Direct Contacts with Industrial-Age Civilizations
The day would come when we believed that these civilizations, gradually brought to
our level through our efforts, are able to participate in our world. With the ground
prepared in advance, contacts could, for example, be established discretely with selected
individuals or at the highest level of the States, or ofsome of them, and, if possible, be
kept secret. Although leaks should not be ruled out, the leaders selected would then have
to conduct infonnation, disinfonnation, and counterinfonnation campaigns to maintain the
privileged nature of these relations and, who knows, to benefit, from our side, from novel
scientific, technical, and political infonnation, giving them an edge over their rivals. The
selection of States, rulers, key figures, or mere individuals would, of course, be of
paramount importance.
.
Before or after the implementation of an influencing program, why not imagine having
bionic robots that look like humans or resemble the living beings there appear in order not
to risk the lives of members of our expeditions? Finally, why not purely and simply
present ourselves openly and publicly? It is easy to imagine the huge sensation that this
would cause in all psychological, political, military, strategic, and religious spheres, to say
nothing of the media, [as well as the] multiple meetings and international colloquiums,
unintenupted sessions of organizations such as the UN, calls for "world unity, "
international consultations, the creation ofwelcoming committees, etc. [that it would
prompt]. The rivalry of the States would be interesting to observe.
It goes without saying that our intentions must be perceived as peaceful. If this were
not our policy, there would, of course, be no need to take special precautions to show
consideration for the sentiments of the local populations. In all of these scenarios, we
should encounter idolaters, sycophants, Herodians, who, out of a millenialist conviction,
gullibility, pragmatism, or interest, would welcome us with enthusiasm as saviors, capable
of solving all of their problems and bringing them peace and prosperity, preferably without
having to exert much effort. These would be our first allies. Zealots, skeptics, and those
who have withdrawn into the venerable secular conceptions of their world, which has been
turned upside-down, would cast doubt on or deny our existence. If they were to admit it,
they would consider us as so many invaders, whose intentions would be perceived as all
the more suspect since they would be peaceful. There is but one logical step to take
between that and imagining the creation of defense movements and resistance movements
against the invader. The strength of these movements would depend, in part, on our skill
in squashing them, convincing them, in the hope of attaching them to us.
But how then do we avoid the pitfall of good intentions and good sentiments that
everyone knows the road to hell is paved with? (13) Should we admit how long we have
been observing them? Would they reproach us for not having intervened to prevent a
world war, or would they blame us for it, or, more generally, would they hold it against us
that we changed the course of civi lizations? Very severe and lasting psychological
disturbances should be envisioned in these cases.
Would they be disappointed to learn that we are not immortal? Later, economic and
technological exchanges and financial ties should be established with these populations.
Would it be a wise policy to involve ourselves in local affairs? And in one manner or
another. could we escape the requests to become arbitrators of political disagreements,
peace, war, and economic crises?
Whatever the case, one day or another we would be in charge of the unsolved
problems. Would they not go so fa r as to reproach us for the contributions of our very

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advanced civilization, or at least for what we thought would be of benefit to them?
Changes of opinion and attitude toward us could occur over time. Wouldn't groups of
people be one day tempted to consider themselves our equals, because we did not remain
inaccessible? Protest movements would consequently arise and revolutionary cycles
would no doubt be set in motion, as a result of which we, as well as our Herodian allies,
would suffer. Our global policy would then be compromised and we would have to
consider making our contacts less frequent and, possibly, withdrawing onto our ships and
retreating. We would then have the time necessary to review our policies, based on
techniques still unknown from our catechumens.
The discovery of new worlds could enable us to enter into contact with civilizations just
as developed as our own and even far more advanced. Nothing allows us to rule out the
possibility that, why not , we would encounter explorers from other more distant worlds.
Under these hypothetical conditions, it is permissible to imagine that we might have been
discovered in space first. It would be our turn then to experience - at least in part - the
psychological effects and the political and religious implications that we have described.
What would be the policy of local governments toward us? Would they welcome us
peacefully or would they prudently keep us at a distance? Should we fear seeing nuclear
space weapons or other weapons aimed at ourselves gainst, for example, the bases that we
had attempted to establish or had succeeded in establishing in an asteroid belt close to one
of their worlds?
What would be the results of such encounters? What relations could we establish and
what influences would we exert on these different types of civilizations? Anything is
conceivable. Having come full circle, we thus return to our concerns and our current
questions.
Chapter 14 - Media Implications
As was stressed earlier, it may seem extravagant that sensible people, scientists
moreover, are interested in unexplained - and for the time being still inexplicable phenomena at the risk of appearing ridiculous. But, as this report tries to demonstrate,
there are enough questions regarding tangible evidence to justify the scientific interest
generated by these issues. What separates our approach from the media's approach is the
researcher's curiosity with respect to the research to be conducted in order to solve the
enigmas posed to his sagacity even ifscience has not reached an adequate state to answer
them fully, as opposed to the curiosity of the press regarding a subject with regular
sudden new developments that are likely to produce marvelous scoops, which generally
are not characterized by scientific precision.
It is not a question of criticizing the press; its aid is often most valuable. But these
fleeting events are supported in part by human testimonies, which are all the more flimsy
since they come from people who are affected by their encounter with "the unknown" and
since they elude the usual benchmarks. The press has a tendency sometimes to either
ridicule the facts reported or to make itself look ridiculous because of the excess of
information extrapolated from the elements described by the witnesses.
14.1 What Can a Government Fear From the Curiosity of the Media?
- Panic: the media broadcast terrifying information liable to sow panic among the

population. The famous example of Orson Welles's fi ctional program taken literally by
radio listeners in 1938, wreaking tremendous havoc in one region of the United States,
may have influenced the reaction of U.S. military personnel vis-a-vis the Roswell incident
in 1947. The disinformation campaign was skillfully conducted, since it has muzzled the
media for 30 years. Panic, which is accompanied by considerable human chaos (suicides,
people fleeing on the roads, riots, and vandalism, etc.) would cause any government for
which peace alone is a wealth and stability factor for its power to shrink back.
- Mistrust: the fear ofseeing accurate information divulged and repeated with obvious
irony is also a deterrent to openly mentioning UFO questions. This posture is at the core
of the disinformation and confusion in which public opinion is steeped with regard to what
is true and what is false. It can only be dreaded by decision-makers.
- Fear of ridicule: although ridicule has no longer killed for some time, it is nonetheless
often difficult to overcome.
- Manipulation: the media can be manipulated by lobbies or pressure groups for
sectorial purposes (for example, push politicians to create an anti-UFO SDI [Strategic
Defense Initiative]) and could thus become the unwitting spokesmen of a disinformation
campaign or a destabilization attempt.

14.2 What Attitudes do the Media Adopt?
- For the tabloids, anything is good if it sells. The public' s curiosity is great and its
demand generates enticing and often phony articles. AJthough they become the relayer of
incredible theories, it is, on the other hand, thanks to the tabloids that the latest revelations
concerning Roswell made by old witnesses have begun to become known.
- For the major newspapers, irony or aggressiveness are most often a manner of
broaching a taboo subject that no o ne has a handle on. But the press can also spread the
news about an extraordinary phenomenon when, as in the case of San Carlos de Bariloche,
dozens of people were witnesses to it. It sometimes also makes a good presentation of the
UFO case.
- For television and movies, the subject is in vogue because it can be dealt with as
fiction, and there nothing checks the imagination of the producers. The bizarre fashion
adopted by Channel +",a French television station] for its "Nuit des Extraterrestres
[Extraterrestrials Night]" does not prompt one to take this subject seriously. However,
tribute should be paid to several serious and well-documented broadcasts, like that of
"Arte" in March 1996.

14.3 What Should Be Done?
The future of our planet lies in space. Whether it be overpopulation, a spirit of
adventure, the search fo r other raw materials, a liking for conquest and colonization, or
other, more or less altruistic, motivations, everything is pushing toward humankind's
expansion. Will we one day be the extraterrestrials for other planets? When our probes
orbit around more and more distant worlds and film them, what might hypothetical
inhabitants think of the m?
We must prepare ourselves for this prospect, and the media can help educate the
masses.
A strengthened SEPRA could usefu lly dedicate its efforts to the training ofjournalists
and could create a documentary site on the Internet.

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Conclusions and Recommendations
The UFO problem cannot be eliminated by mere caustic and offhand witticisms. Since
the publication of the first report by the Association des Auditeurs of IHEDN 20 years
ago, CNES has conducted serious studies in close collaboration with the Gendarmerie
Nationale and the Air Force primarily, as well as with other State agencies (Civil Aviation,
Weather Service, etc.). These studies tally with other research conducted more or less
discretely abroad, mainly in the United States.
They demonstrate the almost certain physical reality ofcompletely unknown flying
objects with remarkable flight performances and noiselessness, apparently operated by
intelligent [beings]. With their maneuvers, these flying objects considerably impress
civilian and military pilots, who hesitate to speak [about them]. The fear ofappearing
ridiculous, alienated, or simply gullible is the principal reason for this reserve. Secret craft
definitely ofearthly origin ( drones, stealth aircraft, etc.) can only explain a minority of
cases. If we step back and take an objective look over the years, we clearly perceive the
limits of this explanation.
Thus we are forced to resort to other hypotheses. Some can neither be confirmed nor
invalidated. They are therefore not scientific, and, certainly, it is very difficult to
scientifically study rare, elusive, and random phenomena, when science is based above all
on experiments and their reproducibility. However, the example of meteorites shows that
this type of phenomenon can nevertheless end up being accepted by the scientific
community after centuries of doubt and rejection.
A single hypothesis sufficiently takes into account the facts and, for the most part, only
calls for present-day science. It is the hypothesis of extraterrestrial visitors. Advanced as
of 1947 by certain U.S. military personnel, today it is popular worldwide. It is discredited
by a certain elite, but is plausible. Scientists .( astronomers, physicists, engineers,
futurologists, etc.) have elaborated on it enough for it to be receivable - as a hypothesis by their peers. Different plausible variants concerning the voyage of one or more
civilizations from a remote solar system to ours have been developed. A model of
magnetohydrodynamic technology, which could be employed to propel the UFOs in the
atmosphere, has _.reached a significant stage of development. Other manifestations of these
objects have begun to receive a physical explanation (automobile breakdowns, truncated
beams [of light], etc.).
The purposes of these possible visitors remain unknown, but they must be the subject
of indispensable speculations and the development of prospective scenarios.
The extraterrestrial hypothesis isby far, the best scientific hypothesis. It certainly has
not been categorically proven, but strong presumptions exist in its favor and if it is correct,
it is loaded with significant consequences.
Based on this prudent but solid assessment, we can make several recommendations:
1) Inform the political, military, and administrative decision-makers, as well as the
aircraft and helicopter pilots. A gradual information campaign could target:
- ENA (National Public Management College] and IHEDN, •
- [Ministry ofJ Defense schools: Air, Navale, Saint-Cyr, Gendarmerie, ( officers
and NCO gendarmes), Sante des Armees [Military Health College],
Polytechnique [Polytechnical College], ENSTA [National College of Advanced
Technologies], ENSAE [National College of Aeronautics and Space), CID,
CHEAR [Center for Advanced~ Armaments Studies], CHEM [Center for

Advanced Mili,ary Studies], etc.,
- civilian schools and their alumni: Ecole Nationale Superieure de Police
[National Police College], Ecole des Officiers de Police [Police Officers
Academy], journalism schools, Ecole Nationale de l' Aviation Civile. At the
latter school, numerous conferences have allowed air [traffic] controllers to be
taught the proper reactions in the event an aircraft encounters a UFO,
- agencies that support or conduct research for military purposes: DGA,
ONERA, CEA/DAM [Directorate of Military Applications], etc.,
- special civilian and military departments, as well as the Direction de la
Communication de la Defense [Defense Communications Directorate], DICOD
fonner central SIRPA [Anned Forces Information and Public Relations
Department]), calling their attention to disinfonnation processes.
2) Boost SEPRA's human and material resources so that it can:
- develop its investigation and analysis possibilities,
- collect infonnation relating to all UFO manifestations, both in Europe and
throughout the world,
- maintain and develop databases on different aspects of these manifestations,
- reinforce its representation and foreign relations status.
3) Make the detection of UFOs an objective for civilian and military space surveillance
systems, which it is necessary to develop for other reasons (prevention of collisions
between satellites and space debris, etc.).
4) Create a unit at the highest State level to collaborate with SEPRA, that would be
tasked with:
- fonnu lating all prospective hypotheses,
- promoting scientific and technical efforts and, as such, have an annual budget
ofa few million francs,
- participating in the establishment of sectorial cooperation agreements with
other countries.
5) Initiate diplomatic demarches to the United States, with the support of other States
and even the European Union, to urge the superpower to collaborate and, if necessary,
exert useful pressure to clarify this crucial issue that necessarily comes within the
••
framework of political and strategic alliances.
6) As speculative as these possibilities are, reflect, at the level of public authorities and
with the aid of the unit mentioned in item 4), on the measures to take in the event of a
spectacular and indisputable manifestation of a UFO:
- overt attempt to make contact,
- landing before numerous witnesses,
- other substantial actions.
These reflections would be carried out methodically, while maintaining, obviously, a
minimum distance.

Appendices
Appendix l - Radar Detection in France
Radar detection in France is carried out by two radar station networks, the military
network equipped with both primary and secondary radars and the civilian network
equipped almost entirely with secondary radars. Primary radar permits one to detect and
visualize on a screen (or scope) the geographic position and the altitude (three-

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dimensional radar) ofall moving objects via the reflection of radar waves offof the body
of the moving object.
Conversely, secondary radar permits the detection and display on the screen only of
moving objects equipped with a "transponder" that is able to respond to the coded signals
that it emits. Thus any moving object not equipped with a "transponder~' will not be
detected by secondary radar.
This detail is extremely important in the case in question, because on]y the primary
radars installed at military Control and Detection Centers (CDC) and radar detection
aircraft, the Air Force AW ACS and soon the Navy Hawkeyes, may detect a UFO,
provided that the latter is not a "stealth" craft.
Finally, it is necessary to know that all radar information detected by the totality of
radar stations in the territory, airborne warning aircraft, and the radar stations of
neighboring countries are being collected and processed in the STRIDA (Systeme de
Traitement des Informations de Defense Aerienne [Air Defense Information Processing
Center]) network, thus permitting detection coverage over a square more than 4500 km
per side.

Appendix 2 - Astronomers' Sightings
by Jean-Claude Ribes
astronomical object. But we can expect them to be extremely reticent to relate such a
sighting out of fear of ridicule, because amateurs are generally desirous of"professional"
recognition. At any rate, no specific investigation has been conducted, to my knowledge,
in this particular population.
The results of two independent studies conducted by professional astronomers with
their colleagues are quite different: in the 50s, Hynek informally questioned some forty
astronomers, a little more than I0% of whom had actually sighted unexplained
phenomena. Among the latter, Josef Allen Hynek cites Professor Lincoln La Paz,
Director of the Institute of Meteoritics at the University ofNew Mexico, and Clyde
Tombaugh, the discoverer of the planet Pluto, who died in 1997. In the 70s , Peter A.
Sturrock sent a detailed questionnaire to 26 11 members of the American Astronomical
Association, guaranteeing them anonymity. Half responded, and sixty sightings were
encountered.
No systematic study of this type has been conducted in France, but a sighting by
Marseilles astronomers Georges Courtes and Maurice Viton is frequently cited. One of
my colleagues also related to me a sighting that he had made in his youth of an object with
an apparent diameter of the moon (which, moreover, was visible), moving slowly from
north to south. He was not yet a professional at the time but rather a well-informed
amateur, and he does not see any explanation for his sighting, which he has never
mentioned publicly.
Thus it appears that the percentage of sightings by astronomers is comparable to that
noted in the overall population, although there is a definite reticence among a vast

majority to mention them without being assured ofanonymity. In addition, the general
opinion ofastronomers on the subject is much less negative than one says sometimes, and
the least that you could say is that there is no consensus, with many wanting an objective
study of the phenomenon without any preconceived ideas. The private conversations that
I have had with French colleagues confirm Sturrock' s conclusion: many would refuse to
broach the question with a journalist, but when I speak with them about a serious scientific
study, they state that they are in agreement.
Appendix 3 - Life in the Universe

The question of extraterrestriaJ life left the domain of belief barely a few decades ago
and entered the domain of scientific research, and the advances in this domain have been
very rapid for several years. Beyond earth, the solar system proves to be currently
unsuited to life, but the "Viking" probes have shown that some three-and-a-half billion
years ago, the planet Mars must have offered much more favorable conditions than at
present, namely with the existence ofliquid water. Thus it is not ruled out that an
elementary life form (bacteria) could have existed there, as was then the case on earth.
The study offossils is, besides, one of the reasons for future Martian expeditions,
automated first, then with humans aboard. The discovery of fossils in a meteorite
originally from Mars, as announced by NASA, is still the subject ofa debate in the
scientific community. But the very existence of this debate increases the interest in going
to take a look on site .
. Outside the solar system, astronomers have long thought that, very generally, the stars
should be surrounded by planetary systems, but it has onJy been in very recent years that
experience has con.finned this theory: we now know of a half dozen stars each
accompanied by at least one planet. Biologists, for their part, are making rapid advances
in understanding the chemical mechanisms that give rise to life, and this appears more and
mqre to be a necessity rather than a coincidence.
Twenty years' experience has shown, from Siberia to the ocean depths, that life adapts
itself to sharp variations in temperature or to extreme temperatures where it was
previously considered to be impossible.
For 35 years, radioastronomers have carried out different programs searching for an
intelligent radio signal corning from space (SETI: Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence).
No signals have been detected yet, which is not surprising given the immensity of the
spatial and frequency domain to be explored. A major NASA program, which was
canceled by the U.S. Congress, was revived using private funds and should improve the
sensitivity of the search by severaJ orders of magnitude. The French radiotelescope at
Nan9ay, where several SETI studies have already taken place, will perhaps be included in
this program.
Appendix 4 - Colonization of Space

The second half of the 20th century will have been the half century of the exploration of
the solar system: man on the moon, probes placed on Mars and Venus, others in the
immediate vicinity of the other planets ( except Pluto), comets, and asteroids. The 21 st
century might be the century of the colonization of our system, with pennanent human
settlements and preparation for voyages to other planetary systems.
The corning years will see the positioning of the permanent orbital station Alpha, the
international follow-up to the Russian Mir program. Next, the Americans plan, in

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principle, to establish a permanent base on the moon, a minimal station like the Antarctic
base. Beyond that, it would be necessary to recreate an ecosystem where the essential raw
material needs (including air, water, and food) could be extracted on site or recycled.
Actually, we cannot consider applying the current method on a large scale, where almost
everything must be brought from earth via costly launches.
Ecosystems of this type were studied by the Russians first (the first experiment was in
1961) and by the Americans, namely with Biosphere 2, a greenhouse 1.3 ha in surface
area, planned to maintain in closed circuit (with an outside power supply) a set of plants
and animals, including the presence of eight people. This experiment, which was carried
out initially using private funds, was unjustly criticized by the press and a portion of the
scientific community. In fact, despite certain "amateur,, sides, it has already contributed a
great deal: during an initial two-year experiment from 1991 to 1993, four men and four
women lived almost entirely self-sufficiently, demonstrating the validity of the principle.
The recycling of water was total, while the recycling ofair was imperfect (it was necessary
to add oxygen after fifteen months of total isolation), and the production offood slightly
inadequate (the inhabitants of the biosphere left thinner, having started in on the reserves).
After another six-month experiment, the structure was taken over by the University of
Columbia, which seems interested especially in the ecological aspect, to the detriment of
the space application. However, it is a descendent of Biosphere 2 who could represent the
future autonomous moon base ofthe middle of the next century. A human settlement on
the moon is first of all a scientific necessity, namely for astronomers. It is also a
springboard into space. Almost all the materials necessary for the construction ofstations
and spaceships can be found on the moon, the exploitation of these resources will be
much more economical than on earth because the reduced gravity and the absence of
atmosphere on our satellite enable an easy and sure launch into orbit.
Human expeditions will necessarily follow automated missions to Mars, iffor no other
reason than to verify the past existence of traces oflife. As for the development of
permanent Martian colonies, this can be envisioned, but one can also imagine skipping this
step, by creating artificial planets. The idea was conceived by American physicist O'Neill,
who studied in detail cylindrical structures 30 km in length by 6 km in diameter, in rotation
to create an artificial gravity and able to shelter millions of people in an earth-type
biosphere.
.
These artificial planets could be constructed in the asteroid belt, between the orbits of
Mars and Jupiter, where we find an abundance of materials that are easy to exploit, which
will be able to provide numerous chemical bodies, including oxygen and water.
In longer term, and when the industrial-scale manufacture, storage, and use of
antimatter is mastered, smaller models of these same craft will be able to leave the solar
system. They will be able to reach the vicinity of another star, after a voyage of several
centuries, during which generations will succeed one another in these "ship-worlds"
(unless we have mastered human hibernation by then).
These migrations probably will not take place until after reconnaissance [missions]
conducted by automatic probes [have been completed]. The preferred destinations would
obviously be systems where a planet supposedly shelters evolved life.
Imagine that a human expedition settles in the asteroid belt ofa system where a
civilization exists that is quite probably at a lower stage of technical development than
ours (if the reverse is true, it is likely that the contact was already made via
telecommunications, or else that the most advanced civilizations made the voyage before
us): for ethical reasons, but also in the interest of a serious scientific study, it could not
afford to intervene openly, at the risk o f inducing a fatal culture shock. The study should

therefore be discrete, using high-speed and silent craft to move through the planet's
atmosphere (MHD propulsion offers interesting prospects in this respect), and non lethal
weapons to avoid the consequences ofan untimely encounter (the paralyzing effect of
pulsed microwaves is under study in several countries).
When the civilization visited has reached the stage of space voyages, it will become
necessary to make it aware of the existence of visitors. One way to do this, without
causing trauma, would be to commit "calculated indiscretions" that would accustom the
population, little by little, to the idea that there could indeed be extraplanetary visits.
Appendix 5 - The Roswell Affair - Disinformation

I) Roswell: indisputable facts
Note: the parenthetical annotation (video) indicates that video testimonies are
available
•
Summer 1947 - The Roswell (New Mexico) base houses the only nuclear-armed
bombers in the world. The bombers still have propellers.
June 24 - Sighting of nine UFOs by American Kenneth Arnold. The news is broadcast
throughout the world.
July 8 (morning), Roswell - The base provides the local radio stations with information
that would circle the globe: a flying disk had crashed on a ranch and the military personnel
from the base recovered the debris (video).
July 8 (afternoon), Fort Worth (Texas) - General Ramey, Commander of the 8th Air
Force, who commands the base, announces to journalists that after examination of the
debris, [it was determined that] they were from a weather balloon. He shows them some
ofthe debris, which the journalists photograph. The affair was buried for over thirty year.
1978 - Lieutenant Colonel Marcel (ER), an intelligence officer on the base in 194 7 who
recovered the debris, declares on television that the debris was definitely of
extraterrestrial origin (video). The debris that General Ramey had shown the journalists
was not the debris that Marcel had brought him from Roswell.
American ufologists conduct numerous investigations and collect affidavits (sworn and
notarized written statements) and filmed testimonies. Many witnesses state that in July
1947, military personnel had threatened them with death if they talked (video). According
to some testimonies, at some distance from the field of debris, the Army had found the
frame ofa sort of space glider and cadavers ofsmall humanoids (video).
199 1 -General du Bose [sic] (CR), who was General Ramey's chiefof staff in 1947,
confirms by affidavit that the latter had substituted the debris from a weather balloon,
which he had shown the journalists, for the debris sent by the Roswell base.
Beginning of 1994 - U.S. Representative Schiff (New Mexico) asks the Department of
Defense (DoD) for explanations regarding the affair. Not obtaining any, he requests that
the General Accounting Office (GAO) conduct an inquiry into the manner in which the Air
Force, primarily, had handled the documents relating to the Roswell crash.
September 1994 - The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force publishes a report on
Roswell: the debris found on the ranch cannot be from an aircraft or a missile. They are
probably debris from a series of balloons from the secret Mogul project. To protect the
secret, General Ramey leads everyone to believe it is a weather balloon, the materials of
which ( essentially the shell and radar reflector) are the same. The report shortens the
affidavits of certain wit nesses so that the strange debris that they describe appears to be
debris from a Mogul balloon. It does not mention the frame and attributes the ''bona.fide
testimonies" regarding humanoids to "foggy memory~"

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July 1995 - The GAO report mentions the new Air Force version, and states:
- page 1, "The debate on what actually happened at Roswell continues."
- page 2, "All ofthe base's administrative documents for the March 1945-December
J949 period were destroyed, and all radio messages sent by the base from October 1946
to February 1949 were destroyed. The destruction report does not mention when, by
whom, and 0 11 whose orders this destruction was carried out. "
The GAO inquiry provided him with practically no documents of interest concerning
the Roswell incident, despite his requests to numerous organizations (CI~ FBI, DoD,
DoE, NSC, etc.).
Summer and fall of 1995 - A film of the autopsy of an alleged "humanoid cadaver _ in
1947 is aired by about thirty television stations around the world. Its authenticity is
questionable, but, above all, nothing in the film proves that the cadaver has even the
slightest connection with the Roswell incident. The hodgepodge is, however, made up in
large part from written and televised press, thus making the Roswell affair look ridiculous.
The conclusions of the GAO and the videos of the principal witnesses presented by TFl [a
French television channel] go unnoticed, lost in the middle of the film of the autopsy.
1996 - The film Independence Day and the [television] series X-Files make significant
references to Roswell.
2) Opinions on Roswell
- Very consistent interviews, affidavits, and video testimonies describe the discovery of
material that no one knows how to make in our time: a thin sheet that looks like metal
with very great resistance and that is so elastic that after it has been crumpled up into a
ball, it spontaneously returns to its initial shape without the least sign ofa residual fold.
- It does seem that the crash occurred on July 4, Independence Day, at around 2330
hours. The date and time symbolize American power, whence the following
question [arises]: if the crash was in fact that of an extraterrestrial vessel, was it
truly an accident or a was it a deliberate crash constituting a message and/or the
authenticator?
3) Roswell and disinformation
The disappearances offiles and the Air Force's clumsy attempts at explaining [the
incident] show that U.S. military personnel are hiding something important that occurred
at Roswell in July 1947, just as they concealed their experiments on the effects of
plutonium .on human beings The hypothesis of an extraterrestrial vessel that is supported
by quality testimonies cannot be dismissed.
To protect the secret, the two main types ofdisinformation, reducing and amplifying,
were used in the Roswell affair. One should note, however, that the dissemination of
information and contradictory analyses - by ufologists, for example - may be a spill-over
effect of this reducing disinformation is apparent in the Air Force report: testimonies on
the debris have been cut down so as to give credence to the Mogul balloon hypothesis. It
is also found, more subtly, in Roswell in Perspective, a book by '\Jfologist" Karl Pfloc~ a
former CIA and DoD employee: affidavits mentioning the tear-proof and crease-resistant
material are given in full in an appendix, but they are ignored or cited only in shortened
form in the text.
In France, sociologist Pierre Lagrange appears to be a victim of this simplified
disinformation. After having endeavored to put the Air Force report and the publications
of Karl Pflock into perspective, he concluded:
''fl will] close with a bit ofpsychology. Why do many people not believe in the

Roswell saucer like they believe in Mogul balloons or the V2s? Because it reminds them
too much ofpopular science fiction. As Bertrand Meheust emphasizes, the topic ofthe
Martian craft that had the exquisite courtesy to crash in the vicinity ofa military base
comes under the heading ofthe technological imagination ofthe beginning ofthe
ce111ury, just like the detail regarding the ultralight and 11/traresistant materials that were
used in its construction. "(the journal Ovnipreserice, February 1995).
This is, on the whole, the simplistic theory concerning UFOs stated by French
"sociopsychologists." It can be refuted as follows: at the beginning of the century,
popular science fiction described light rays capable of killing or healing. Nonetheless,
military or medical lasers exist today.
Amplifying disinformation was manifested when the film on the autopsy of the "Roswell
creature" was aired. In expanding the Roswell affair with this spectacular, but
questionable, autopsy, some have succeeded in discrediting it and, especially, in covering
up the publi~ation of the GAO report and the dissemination of video testimonies. It is
tempting to believe in a well-orchestrated manipulation.
4) Reducing disinformation on UFOs
The Air Force has practiced this from the onset, as has been revealed by the astronomer
Hynek, who was an Air Force consultant from 1948 to 1966 and who described how he
aided in trivializing numerous cases by giving them unjustified astronomical
interpretations.
The disinformation policy was intensified as a result of the recommendations ofa
"scientific" committee assembled by the CIA in December 1952, the Robertson
Committee, which suggested "stripping the UFO phenomenon ofits aura ofmystery. "
The same committee recommended "monitoring" the ufological movements, which were
infiltrated1 by the CIA mainly.
Several key figures have tried to nullify numerous important cases. Philip Klass, then
editor of Aviation Week qnd Space Technology, took on, among others, three major
aeronautical cases: Lakenheath in 1956, RB-47 in 1957, Tehran in 1976, which are
described in Chapter 2. He is hardly convincing. In the Tehran case, for example, he
correctly cites the testimonies at the beginning of his account, but doesn't take certain
aspects into account when he discusses them.
Reducing disinformation is effective on those who do not want to accept the possibility
of the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Amplifying disinformation is aimed at others.
5) Amplifying disinformation on UFOs
This policy was probably implemented very early on~Adamslci's alleged contacts with a
Venusian in 1952 no doubt fall into this category.
It has become considerably extensive since the resurgence of the Roswell affair at the
end of the 70s. The point of depanure is the Bennewicz case. This ufologist physicist
recorded pulsed microwaves from a testing ground at J(jrtland (New Mexico) Air Force
base. He attributed them to UFOs exerting control over "abductees" (lcidnapped humans)
furnished with implants! Fearing, it seems, the publication of his recordings, the Air Force
Office of Special Investigation (AFOS I) and, namely, its special agent Doty from the
aforementioned air base, as well as, perhaps, other agencies, induced him to make fantastic
"revelations": there were numerous kidnappings, with the placement of implants to control
the "abductees." Furthermore, technology transfers were supposedly carried out on bases
in New Mexico and Nevada jointly owned by the U.S. Army and extraterrestrials baptized
EBEs, Extraterrestrial Biological Entities.
Bennewicz disclosed this information to American saucerists, many of them thus being

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increasingly cut off from the common opinion. John Lear, son of the aircraft builder,
contributed on his part details that he had obtained from friends in the Air Force: the
Nevada base is Groom Lake base, in "area 51 '' (Groom Lake does in fact exist; it is so
secret that the Air Force does not recognize its existence; nevertheless, it is mentioned in
the June 1996 issue of Jane's Defence Weekly). Later, a former Navy petty officer from
the 2nd Marine Division, Bill Cooper, "revealed" that the Council for Foreign Relations
(CFR), which, according to him, governs the world through the Bilderberg [Group] and
the Trilateral [Commission], supposedly does so in close union with the EBEs...
Amplifying disinformation has probably permitted the protection of research on
microwave weapons at Kirtland and on new types ofaircraft at Groom Lake. It has
certainJy allowed the weapon of ridicule to be used against certain gullible ufologists.

Appendix 6 - The Long History of the UFO Phenomenon - Elements of a
Chronology
The UFO phenomenon truly experienced worldwide dissemination as of pilot Kenneth
Arnold's sighting on June 24, 1947, in the area of Mount Rainier in the northwest United
States. In reality, air phenomena that are still unexplained today are much older.
Before going further, it is interesting to note that between May and July of this same
year, 850 different sightings were recorded across the United States and that in January
an RAF Mosquito night fighter tried in vain to intercept a very rapid object detected by
radars over the North Sea.

In 1946, phantom rockets overfly Sweden
From February to December 1946, many witnesses sighted generally fusiform objects
( occasionally resembling spheres or disks) flying most often horizontally in Swedish skies,
in some cases leaving a luminous trail, but also capable of very suddenJy ascending or
descending.
CaJled "ghost rockets," these apparitions ( close to a thousand were detected)
considerably worried Scandinavian, British, and U.S. military authorities, who conducted
investigations.
Although no debris was ever found (officially), it was long thought that it could have
been a case of Soviet tests conducted with craft recovered in German factories. This
hypothesis has since been completely ruled out.
During World War Il, the "foo fighters"
From 1940 to 1945, numerous aviators sighted either swarms of red or green luminous
balls several dozen centimeters in diameter or groups of small metal-looking disks that
followed the aircraft or flew around them, giving the impression of intelligent behavior.
Most often not detected by the radars of the time, they did not seem "material" in nature.
In fact, some observers saw them touch the wings or the tail assemblies of the aircraft
without causing any visible damage to them.
First called "Kraut fireballs," then "foo fighters" (probably in reference to a comic
strip), they were reported in all theaters of operation as of the start of the war. They
began to appear in number during the first major day bombings over Germany. They were
also observed from the ground and were the subject of numerous reports as of June 1944.
These sightings were the cause of much concern to the Allied authorities, who believed
them to be a secret German process in the beginning. It became clearly apparent at the
end of the war that it was nothing of the sort.

It seems that, for their part, the Gennan pilots had been persuaded that it was a case of
a secret U.S. weapon. A board of inquiry reportedly was even created in Berlin to study
the matter.
The current explanation of electrical phenomena such as the Saint Elmo's fires is not
convincing because it does not take into account the diverse characteristics observed. The
files relating to the "foo fighters" seem to have been subject to military secrecy at least
until 1949.
Many other sightings concerning much larger, cigar-shaped, disk-shaped, or sphere­
shaped objects were recorded in both camps.

From 1880 to 1900, "airships" over the United States and Great Britain
During these years, tens of thousands of witnesses sighted flying machines resembling
modern dirigibles, which were not produced by factories until twenty years later. In most
cases, it was a matter of fairly voluminous, fusiform, vessels equipped with powerful
searchlights, often emitting engine sounds, and, in some cases, even seeming to have
propellers.
In the United States, the majority of the sightings occurred between 1896 and 1897.
Other cases were reported, particularly in Spain, Germany, Sweden, and Russia. A
second wave [ofsightings] occurred at the turn of the century in Great Britain.
The explanation that comes irruT1ediately to mind is that of true dirigibles (and right
away we think of craft of German origin). However, it has a hard time holding up to a
thorough examination.
In actuality, in 1880, the technology of these craft was still in its infancy. It is true that
Colonel Giffard did conduct an initial test in 1852 with an elongated balloon equipped
with a very low-power steam engine. Then in 1885, Renard traveled several kilometers
for the first time, overflying Paris with a dirigible equipped with an internal combustion
engine, but it was still extremely slow and not very easy to fly.
In fact, the first truly efficient aircraft were subsequent to 19 1O; however, even the
zeppelins built during World War I far from possessed the characteristics observed by the
witnesses to these phenomena.
From Greco-Latin antiquity to the beginning of the in~ustrial age
Human beings in all ages have sighted phenomena in the sky that they considered,
rightly or wrongly, to be abnormal. It is true that our epoch naturally has a tendency to
doubt the accuracy of ancient testimonies, and especially so the further back into the past
wego.
During the first three quarters of the 19th century, chroniclers related several dozen
sightings of spheres and luminous wheels resembling present-day UFOs. The 18th century
was marked by one strange case. Goethe recounts, in fact, that in his youth, in I 768,
during a trip between Frankfort and Leipzig, he and two other witnesses saw a type of
large luminous tube positioned on the ground, surrounded by a multitude of small, very
bright, moving flames.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, authors mentioned numerous sightings, not only in
Europe but also in America and Japan. Amo ng these, a few hold our attention due to their
spectacular appearance and the multitude of witnesses. In the skies of Nuremberg, in
April 1561 , a large number of brightly colored spheres, disks, and "cigars" seemed to
wage a sort of battle that left a profound mark on the population and caused the
authorities great concern. A spectacle of the same kind took place in August 1566 in
Basel.

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From the year one thousand to the year 1500, chroniclers mentioned various sightings
ofluminous spheres, wheels, lances, or bars moving more-or-less rapidly in the sky. The
monastery at Detchani, built in Yugoslavia between 1327 and 1335, is decorated with
frescoes that represent angels enclosed in sorts of vessels flying in the sky.
(Even further back in time), during the reign of Charlemagne, it is reported that
Agobard, Bishop of Lyons, succeeded in saving from the stake three men and one woman
who had descended from an airship, claiming to be returning to earth after having been
kidnapped by celestial beings who allegedly showed them wonders.
Elsewhere, luminous celestial phenomena similar to modern UFOs seem to have been
relatively frequent in China and Japan, particularly in the Middle Ages.
Several other Latins, Dion Cassius, Pliny the Elder, Titus Livy, Julius Obsequens, and
even Cicero relate the appearance oflights in the sky, glowing shields, multiple moons and
suns, [and] golden flying spheres.
As for the _testimonies reported by the Greek chroniclers, these are fewer in number. •
Daimachos recounts that a globe offire crossed the sky several times during the 78th
Olympiad. Anaxagoras asserts that he saw celestial lights the size ofa large beam.
Appearances ofbeams and shields offire are described several times, by Homer among
others.

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Appendix 7 - Reflections on Various Psychological, Sociological, and Political
Aspects of the UFO Phenomenon
Note: these reflections apply primarily to the United States; many ofthem, however,
can be transposed to other countries

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A large number of Americans are convinced of the physical reality of UFOs, of their
extraterrestrial origin, and of the fact that the U.S. government is systematically covering
up the truth with lies and disinformation.
Most of the recent American works that have been published on the subject end with
this conclusion, and almost all of them close with a demand for a partial or full lifting of
the alleged secrecy. The media frenzy surrounding the Roswell affair (cf Appendix 5),
which experienced a resurgence at the end ofthe 70s after a more than thirty-year
blackout, and which has not ceased to go from new development to new development for
15 years, is a typical illustration of this line of thought. By admitting that the
extraterrestrial hypothesis is the good one, the secret, say some, would be kept out of
fear of panic reactions, which, they assure, would not fail to occur, as demonstrated by the
unfortunate experience of the radio program "The War ofthe Worlds" broadcast by
Orson Welles in the United States in 1938 (only nine years prior to Roswell). This
explanation should not necessarily be rejected; however, it does seem a bit narrow. In
fact, the roots of the matter probably go deeper, and the sociopsychological motivations
seem to be more complex.

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7.1 The UFO Paradox
While a majority of Americans seem to support the idea of the existence of intelligent
extraterrestrial [beings], a very strong resistance remains in scientific circles, among
leaders, and in most of the media to the idea that these entities, whatever they may be,
have been able to or continue to visit our planet and travel our solar system.
The idea is ridiculed by much of the media. At the same time, in this spirit, most

politicians and the vast majority of members of the intelligentsia state that humanity has
better things to do than to chase such rainbows.
7.2 Why this Resistance?

7.2.l On the Part of Scientists (from Scientists)
Given an official attitude ofcontempt, and in view of the fear of being likened to the
activists from "saucerist" sects and the "lunatic fringe," the vast majority of scientists,
even though they may be interested, quite obviously hesitate to tackle such a heretical
problem and naturally do not wish to call their reputation, career, and the funding of their
research into question (cf. Appendix 2, "Astronomers' Sightings"). This being the case,
there appear, upon analysis, to be other, deeper reasons.
A general school of thought has existed for close to two centuries that tends to dismiss
the idea that terrestrial phenomena could be influenced from the outside.
At the start, this was a positive, rational, and creative reaction to ancient beliefs.
Compared with ancient times, modem science has, in fact, advanced by eliminating the
gods. It would seem counterproductive and incongruous to bring them back in other
forms.
The idea prevails in almost all minds that man is master of the earth and, by extension,
of the immediate cosmic vicinity, that _he is the best nature can produce in this small comer
of the galaxy, and that he alone remains the controller of his destiny. Various American
philosophers have termed this concept "anthropocentric humanism. "
To admit that intelligent [beings], which are not only outside [our planet] but are also
superior due to their scientific and technological knowledge, could have interfered or
might continue to interfere in our affairs, in our domain, or in proximity to it, is considered
by many to be frightening and unacceptable, because admitting it would cause the collapse
of the framework of comfortable thoughts ofanthropocentric humanism.
Moreover, in some disciplines such as physics, the risk run is to find oneself confronted
with a science that is more advanced by several centuries, milleniums, or even more.
Our own concepts could literally appear infantile, which would completely demobilize
the researchers who employ them.
It is clear that under the hypothesis that the existence of UFOs of extraterrestrial origin
is proven, there is a risk that not only the position of the intellectual authorities but, quite
simply, the social position of the scientific elite would be considerably compromised. This
is, furthermore, what happened each time that groups or nations found themselves in
contact with a more developed human civilization, with the notable exception of Japan in
the Meiji period, which it would be advisable to look into.
One can understand that advancing knowledge of the UFO phenomenon, at the risk of
succeeding, would not necessarily be a thrilling prospect for a number·of scientists, who
thus might not really want to lend a hand in this effort.

7.2.2 On the Part of Politicians
7.2.2.1 With a few rare exceptions (President Jimmy Carter, Senator Barry M.
Goldwater), the majority of politicians have almost always displayed a very skeptical and
most often ironjc attitude regarding the question. However, some have had a more
positive attitude.
The best known allusions to the possible existence of extraterrestrials and to the

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dangers that they might represent come from General MacArthur and President Ronald
Reagan.
While he had already touched on the problem in 1955, in a conversation with the mayor
of Naples, Achille Lauro, General MacArthur said in an address at West Point Military
Academy in 1962:
"You nowface a new world, a world ofchange. The throst into outer space... marks a
beginning ofanother epoch in the long story ofmankind... We deal now, not with things
ofthis world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of
the universe... ofultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister force of
some other planetary galaxy. "
[French translation of the quote from General MacArthur's address]
General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, for his part, revealed during a private discussion
at the 1985 summit conference that President Reagan had told him that if earth had to
confront an invasion by extraterrestrials, the United State~ and the Soviet Union would
join forces to repel that invasion.
In addition, at the end of a speech before the 42nd General Assembly of the United
Nations on September 21, I 987, President Reagan affirmed:
"In our obsession with the antagonisms ofthe moment, we often forget how much
unites all the members ofhumanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to
make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences
worldwide would vanish ifwe were facing an alien threat from outside this world. "
[French translation of the quote from President Reagan' s speech]

7.2.2.2 However, for political leaders, just as for scientists, to be officially interested in
UFOs and extraterrestrials is firstly to risk ridicule before commentators and the media,
who regularly use omission, destructive irony, and even lies.
7.2.2.3 But other elements should be taken into consideration. Although a significant
number ofU.S. citizens seem to accept the existence of UFOs ofextraterrestrial origin,
some political leaders might hesitate to call for resources to research this subject, because
they might fear they would then be accused of incurring expenses for one ofthe most
hazardous of subjects.

7.2.2.3.1 Under these circumstances, if we advance the hypothesis that political
leaders at the highest level in the United States possess unambiguous information
attesting to that existence, their situation would be particularly uncomfortable. The armed
forces have officially reiterated for fifty years that this phenomenon does not threaten the
security of the country, which does not mean that the phenomenon does not exist.
However, there have been disturbing sightings such as visits above secret installations
and missile bases, intense electromagnetic effects, military aircraft shadowed (as in the
RB-47 case) or the object of mock interceptions. In reality, faced with the impossibility of
countering this type of threat, the authorities may have thus far been tempted to affirm
that it does not exist.
In the absence of a direct threat, and even though there never truly was any attack in
the past, the potential threat itself can appear overwhelming in the eyes of the authorities
(and especially the military).
"They" come from the stars, "their" craft watch us and seem to taunt us, ''they" have
perhaps been on earth for thousands ofyears, and we don' t know ' 'their" intentions.
"Their" science and "their" technology, thus "their" power, are incomparably superior to

1ours.
Without being completely disarmed, and even taking into account the enormous
resources that we have on the earth and our obvious ability to learn quickly, we can only
feel anxious in the face of"their" presence.
Bringing this out into the open by calling for the manpower and funds to conduct the
necessary research is hard to visualize officially for the onJy superpower in the world.

7.2.2.3.2 This is all the more true since, under the additional hypothesis that the
U.S. armed forces actually already possess forma l proof of this threat, for example, in the
form of extraterrestrial ships that have crashed on the ground, intensive research on
foreign technologies should have already commenced a long time ago under the cover of
the highest level of secrecy.
As will be seen in 7.3.3, it would then be completely out of the question to divulge this
•
type of information.
Indeed, revealing a situation as novel as it is upsetting too quickly would perhaps be
running the risk ofsocial upheavals, accompanied by panic, a demobilization of energies, a
multiplication of millenialist sects, and a massive move of people to take refuge in
religious fundamentalisms.
The loss of trust in the leaders in power could even lead rapidly to their ousting.
Given such a problem, their normal reactions would obviously be to gain as much time
as possible by continuing their denials, all the while continuing work in secret and
fervently hoping that their successors will take on the responsibility when the reality
becomes manifest.
7.3 U.S. Leaders and the Politics of Secrecy

7.3.l The U.S. Army and UFOs
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The U.S. Anny has been directly confronted with the phenomenon since World War II.
It seems to have been the onJy army to have offi cially broached the problem with
considerable resources.

7.3.2 The Spill-Over Effect of the Study of UFOs
The U .S. Anny has, in actual fact, designed aircraft that exhibit the characteristics
described by the most reliable witnesses. The spill-overs are potentially considerable in
the areas of propulsion, materials and structures, stealth techno logy, and weapons.

7.3.3 Finally, Why the Secrecy?
We are currently not aware of the extent of the knowledge that U.S. military personnel
have gleaned from all of the studies that they have conducted on this subject either based
on sightings or, as has sometimes been written, based on materials that have allegedly been
recovered .
Whatever the case, it is clear that the Pentagon has had, and probably still has, the
greatest interest in concealing, as best as it can, all of this research, which may, over time,
lead the U nited States to hold a position of great supremacy over terrestrial adversaries,
while giving it a considerable response capacity against a possible threat corning from
space.

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Within this context, it is impossible for them to divulge the sources of th.is research and
the goals pursued, because that could immediately point any possible rivals down the most
beneficial avenues. Cover-ups and disinformation (both active as well as passive) would
still remain, under this hypothesis, an absolute necessity.
Thus it would appear natural that in the minds of U.S. military leaders, secrecy must be
maintained as long as possible.
Only increasing pressure from public opinion, possibly supported by the results of
independent researchers, by more or less calculated disclosures, or by a sudden rise in
UFO manifestations, might perhaps induce U .S . leaders and persons of authority to
change their stance.
It does not seem that we have arrived at that point yet.

Glossary
AFB Air Force Base
EMAA (French] Air Force Chief of Staff
AFOSI Air Force Office of Special Investigation
ENAC [French] National Civil Aviation School
AIAA American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
ESO European Southern Observatory
Airmiss Name of the investigation procedure covering the risks of air collisions
ETCA [French) Central Technical Armaments Institution
ALAT [French) Anny Air Corps
FOIA Freedom of Information Act
Blue Book Name of the U.S. Air Force study of UFOs
FUFOR Fund for UFO Research
CCD Charge-coupled device cameras
GAO General Accounting Office
CCOA [French] Air Operations Center
GEPA [French) Aerospace Phenomena Study Group
CDC [French] Control and Detection Center
GEPAN [French] Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena Study Group
CEA [French] Atomic Energy Commission
ffiEDN [French] Institute for Advanced National Defense Studies
CEAT Toulouse Aeronautic Test Center
INRA [French] National Institute for Agronomic Research
CFR Council for Foreign Relations
JANAP Joint Anny Navy Air Force Publication
CHEAR [French] Center for Advanced Armament Studies
MEGASETI see SETI, whjch MEGASETI is an expansion of
CHEM (French] Center for Advanced Military Studies
MHD MagnetoHydroDynamics
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
MOD [British] Ministry of Defence
CID [French] l nterarmy Defense College
MUFON Mutual UFO Network
CIRVJS Communications Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings
NASA National Aeronautic and Space Administration

CNES [French] National Center for Space Studies
NORAD North American Air Defense
CNRS [French) Natio nal Center for Scientific Research (National Space Agency)
NSC National Security Council
CODA [French) Air Defense Operations Center
ONERA [French] National Aerospace Study and Research Office
CONDON Physicist at the University of Colorado who signed the UFO report ordered by
the U.S. Air Force
RAF [British] Royal Air Force
CRNA [French] Regional Air Navigation Center
SEPRA [French] Atmospheric Reentry Phenomena Assessment Department
CUFOS Center for UFO Research [sic]
SET Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence
DGA [French] General Delegation for Annaments •
SIRPA [French] Anned Forces Information and Public Relations Department
DGAC [French] Civil Aviation Directorate
SPOC [French] Sky Observation Probe System
DIA Defense Intelligence Agency
STRIDA [French] Air Defense Information Processing Center
DICOD (French] Defense Communications Directorate
UAP Unidentified Aerospace Phenomenon
DoD Department of Defense
UAP D Category D Unidentified Aerospace Phenomenon
DoE Department ofEnergy
UFO Unidentified Flying Object
EBE Extraterrestrial Biological Entity
VLT Very Large Telescope
UFO, Unidentified Flying Object ...
Since 194 7, the subject has disturbed, fascinated, called out.
Oh how debated, the question has been studied with extreme meticulousness and from
many points of view (scientific, technical, aeronautical, strategic, political, religious,
media) by a French committee composed of former auditors of the very serious-minded
Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense Nationale [French Institute for Advanced National
Defense Studies] and qualified experts from every background, COMETA [Committee for
In-Depth Studies].
For the first time, men, some of whom occupy very high positions, have agreed to write
a report devoted entirely to the UFO problem in the belief that based on the knowledge
that has been acquired to date, sufficient questions of national interest are raised for the
Chief of State and the Prime Minister to be provided with this information.
In this report, COMETA studies several unexplained French and foreign UFO cases.
Very well documented, these sightings are often supported by traces on the ground or
tracks confirmed by radar. Are these secret terrestrial craft? In some cases, perhaps. Are
we in the presence of craft of nonterrestrial origin? This hypothesis cannot be ruled out.
If it were to prove correct, it would be loaded with consequences for Defense.

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: Bibliographie
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Parmi les nombmu livrcs c1 art ides sur noire sujct, de V2lcur no1oi­
rcmcnt incgalc, now avons juge paniculiercmcnt in1ercssam de ci1cr
les suivants :

CHA.PITRE 2
Le cu ra.dar/visuel de Lakc.n hcath (GB)
• Edward U. Condon cl Daniel S. Gilmor
(Rapport Condon)- Scimrifir Stuay ofUniJmrifiedFlying ObjutJ­
Bantam Books, New York, janvicr 1969.
• James E. Mac Donald
(UFOs au-dcssus de Lakcnhcath en 1956) - Revue du Gtpa
(Groupcmcm d'etudc de phenomcnes acricns), mars 1974. (Traduction
d 'un anidc de la Flying Saurer &view, ma.rs-avril 1970).
• Gordon D. Tbaylcr
("UFO cncoun1cr II - Sample case selected by the UFO subcom•
mince of the AIAA : The Lakcnhca1h England radar/visual
UFO Case, August 13-14, 1956") -Aitroruzurirs and Aeronaurirs,
scptembrc 1971.

• Philip J. IOus
("UFOs over England (Bcntwatcrs and Lakcnhc:11h)") - UFOs
rxplaintd- Random Howe, New York, dcccmbrc 1974 ; Vintage
Books, New York, scptcmbrc 1976.

•J. Allen Hynek
Nt,uveau rapport sur ks ormis- Bclfond, J'ai lu, 1979 - p. 154 sq.
(Traduction de Tht Hynelt UFO rrport - Dell Publishing Co Inc.,
New York, 1979).
I.:avion RB-47 aux" Etau-Unis
• Rapport Condon, op. cit.
• James E. Mac Donald
("UFO encounter I - Sample case selected by the UFO sub­
comminec ofthe AlAA : Air Force obscrv21ions ofan Unidentified
Object in the South-Central U.S.,July 17, 1957") -Astronauria and
Am,nauria, juillct 1971.

• Philip J. Kws
("The funow RB-47 c::uc") - UFOs cq,lainrd - op. cit.

• Brad Sparks
RJJ-47elmronir inulligmre rast ralibrrzudscientificproofofUFO~ confiden tial copyrigh1cd ma1crial, 1997.
Tt!hcran

• Philip J. IOa.ss
("UFOs over Iran") - UFOs, The public tkuived - Promcthcous
Books, New York, 19n.
• Lawrence Fawcett Cl Bury J. Greenwood
Ckar Intent, tht gowrnmmt roverup oftht UFO txptrimu- Prentice
Hall Inc., N.J., 1984 - p. 81 sq.

Russic
• "UFOs on Air Defence radars" - RAborhaya Tribuna, 19 avril 1990.
(Traduction anglaisc par le U.S. Foreign Broadcast Information Service
(FBIS), cite par Don Berliner, Marie Galbraith C( Antonio HWlDCtll
dans UniJmrifad Flying Objrrts Briefing D«ummt- publica1ion pri­
vec, deccmbrc 1995).
• Comptc rcndu plus dc1aillc de l'articlc de RAbochaya Tribuna
par Boris Chourinov dans Ounis m Rwsie - Guy Trcdanicl, 1995
p. 230 sq.

CHAPITRE3

Un cas de tcmoins multiples dans une base de missiles russe
• Dossierovni du KGB publiecn 1991 -revue Aura Z. n° I, Moscou,
mars 1993.
(Ci1c dans Unulmrified Flying Objtrts Briefing Docummt - op. cit. ;
cl, de fa~n plus complete, dans O1111is m Rwne-op. cit. - p. 3 I 9 sq.).

CHAPITRE6
Gcpan, notes d'information ct notes techniques :
• Notes d 'informaiion :
N° 1, "Observations de phcnomcnes a1mospheriqucs
anormaux en URSS - Analyses statistiqucs"
N° 2, "Les crudes de phenomencs aerospa1iaux
non identifies awe USA", 1• panic
N° 3, "Les crudes de phcnomcncs acrospatiawe
non identifies aux USK, 2• panic
N° 4, "Les crudes de phcnomcnes aerospuiaux
non identifies awe USA", 3• panic
• No1cs 1cchniques :
N° 1, "Analyse du problcmc de pre-traitcmcm des donnecs"
N° 2, "Erudc comparative des rcsultats suristiques c.lemcnuircs
rclatifs aux observations de phenomencs aerospatiaux non
identifies"
N° 3, "Mcthodologic d'un probl~mc : principc ct applications
(methodologic, isoctlic, information)"
N° 4, "Rcchcrchc statisiiquc d'unc typ0logic des dcscriplions de
phenomencs aerospatiaux non idcnlifics" ·
N° 5, comp1c rcndu de l'cnquctc du Gcpan 7_9/03
N° 6, cnquc1c Gcpan 79/07: "Apropos d'une disparition"
N° 7, cnquc1c Gcpan 79/05 : "Apropos d'unc rcncontrc"
N° 8, cnquctc Gcpan 79/06
N° 9, "La magne1ohydrodynamiquc, l'ctat de l'art ct la premiere
experience probatoirc"
N° 10, "Les phcnomcncs aerospatiaux non identifies c1 la
psychologic de la pcrccp1ion"
N° 1 I, cnquctc Gcpan 81/02
N° 12, cnquctcs Gcpan 8 I /07 ct 8 I /09
N° 13, "Rcchcrchc statiniquc d'unc typ0logic idcnlifiec, non
idcmifiec"
N° 14, mini-cnquetcs en 1981 ct 1982
N° 15, "Rcchcrchc de stereotype: dcssinc•moi un ovni"
N° 16, "Analyse d'unc trace (cas de Trans-en-Provence)"
N° 17, "L:Amaramc"
N° 18, "Systemc d'acquisition ct d'analysc : le point sur !'util i­
sation des rescaux de diffraction".
• Jean-Oaudc Bou.rttt ct Jean•Jaaiues Vela.sco
Ovnis, la scimu auance - Robert Laffont, 1993.
• Dominique Weinstein
Rencontrts Jans~ ciel - rapport pour le MUFON (Mutual UFO
Network), 1996.
• Rapport Condon - op. cit.
Appendix R: "Lrrurftom gmmzl Twining to Ccmmanding Gmmzi
Anny Air Forr:es", 23 scp1 1947.

-87-

I
CHAPITRE 7

CHAPITRE 13

Propulsion MHD
•Jean-Pierre Petit

(I) I.A Bible, livre d'Ez.echiel, 14- 14 et 15-28.
(2) Abed Azric, L'lpoplrde GilgamtJh- Ed. Ber lnccrnational (Paris),
1979 - p. 143 : •

Lemur du silmu - Belin, 1983,
• "Recherches pour un avion du futur" - Trchniq~s avandr1 (pla­
qucttc de !'Ecole nation.ale supcrieure des techniques avancecs), 1988.

"{...) Lonq~ /rs grands dinJX cri(T(71t /rs hommr1, cat la mon qu i"/s lrur
destinmnr rt ils ont gardlpour tuX la vie itrrnrlk (...) "(Commentaircs
in Jeao Boncro, Babylanr rt la Bible- Ed. Les BcUes Lerues (Paris),

• Jeao-lliudc rubes Ct Guy Monnet
I.A vie extratnrmrr- Larousse (coU. f..=ntiels), 1990 (epuisc).

1994).
(3) I.A Bible, livre de la Gcncse, VI 1-4:

• J.-C. BoWTCt Cl J.-J. Vela.sco

"Lonqur ks hommrs n,rrnr commend ast multiplirr sur la fau dr la
tn-rr, et que drs fil/rs lrurfarmt nlrs (...), ks fils de Din, virmt qur
ks fi/ks drs hommrs ltaimr bellrs, rt ils m prirmtpourfemmes parmi
toum er/ks qu 'ils choisirrnr. (. ..)Alan l'Eumrldit: • Mon Esprit nr
restrra pas toujoun dans l 'hommr, car l'hommr n~sr que chair, rt us
Joun srront dr cent 11ingt an.s. » (...) Les giants lraimt sur /a trrre m
m trmp1-la. II m fat dr mhnr aprh qur k sfils dr Dirufarmt 11mus
avrc ks filks drs hommes rt qu'rlks kur rurmr dannl drs rnfanu ; «
sont w hlros qui farrnt fomrux dans l'antiquirl. •

(His1orique des recherches sur la propulsion MHD des navires e1 des
aeronefs) - Ovnis, la sdma avan«- op. cir. - p. 171 sq.

• Mike Ross
"Rider on the shock wave" - New Sdmtiu. 17 fcvrier 1996.

Propulsion par ancigravite
• Nick Cook
"Turning science fiction into F.act" - Jane's Defm« ~ek(y, IO juin
1996.

(Cf. cgalement : livre de la Gcncse, XIV 5, Nombres, .XIII 32-33,
Dcutcronomc, II I 0-11).
(4) I.A Bibk: Ecritr intmrstammtaim-Gallimard, la Plciadc (Paris),
1987:
Livrc des secrets d'Hcnoch :
VI 1-2 : "// arriva que larsque ks humains st farrnr mu/rip/its, ii lrur

Propulsion dans l'espacc
• Eugene Mallowe et Gregory Matloff
Starjlighr Handbook-John Wiley & sons, 1989.
• Robcn L Forward e1 Joel Davis
Mirror Matter- John Wiley & sons, 1988.
• W. B. Scon (Edwards Air Force Base)
"USAF Predicts Amimancr Propellants could be in use by early
2 I• century" - Aviation ~ek and Spa« Technology, 21 mars 1988.

Pannes de voinuc
• James Mc Campbell
"Selfstarting engines" - MUFON proceedings, 1983.
(Anide resume dans Ovnis, la scim« avan«- op. cit - p. 18 1 sq.).

Paralysie de temoins

• Keith Aorig
"The future banlefidd, a blast ofgigawans" - IEEspectrum, mars I 988.
• J.-C. Bowrct ct J.-J. Velasco
Ovnis, la sdmce avancr - op. cit. - p. 185 sq.
CHAPITRE 8
• Rapporr Condon - op. cit.
• Lawrence Fawccn et Barry Greenwood

Clearlnrmt - op. cit.
• Don Bcrlioer, Marie Galbraith, Antonio Hunncus
Unidmtified Flying Objects Briefing Docummr - publication privce,
dc:ccmbrc 1995.

• Col. Philip J. Cono (rct)
Thr day after RoswrU- Pocket Books, 1997.
• Headquarters United States Air Force
The RonwUrrpon, casr cloud- 1997.

• Nick Pope
Opm Skirs, CloudMinds - Pocket Books, 1997.
• Tunothy Good
Abovt top U<rrt- Harper Collins, londres, 1993.
(Public initialemcnt chei Sidgwick et Jackson Ltd, 1987).

• V. Migoulinc
"Les phfoomcnes acrospatiaux non identifies a!'crude en URSS" I.A Rrchm:hr, juillet 1979.

naquit drsfi/ks fraichrs rtJolin Lrs angrs, fils du cirl /rs rrgarderrnr et
ks disirnrnt.
/ls sr dirrnt l'un a l'autrr : • Allom nous choisir drsfemmes parmi lr1
humaim rt mgmdrom-now drs mfontr. (...). •
VI 6 : "/ls ltaimt m rout drux cmtr. (...) •
Vll 1-2: "(...) ils lrur msri,;nnrnt ks drogues, ks charma, la botaniq~
et ifs lrur montrnrnr ks hrrbes. Lrsfemmes con(1Jrrnt rt mgmdrnrnt
drs glantr (. ..)"
VIII 1-3 : "Azail apprit aux hommrs afobriqurr da tptes, drs armrs,
drs boudim, des cuirassts, chosrs ensti,;nla par /rs angrs. JI kur montra
Irr mltaux et la manimdr Irr travai/kr. aimi qur Irr bracrlm, Irr parum,
l'anrimoine, Ir ford drspaupims, toutrs soms dr pierrrs pricieum tt ks
ttintum. fl m rlsulta unegrandr impilrl. Lrs hommes sr dibauchnrnt,
s'lgarn-rnt et It pmiirrntdans U>uW /rs voies. •
X IO: "(...) /run pms n'obrimdronr rim dr a qu'ils ont dnnandlpour
rux-mmm rt pour rux, a/an qu'ils espmzimr pour twe-mhnrs unr vie
lrrrnr/k rr pour chacun de /run fils dnq cmtr annlrs dr vie. •
(Cf.. cgalcment le livre des Jubilcs: V 1-5: mcme rccit).
(5) G. Pauthicr, Les Ulm!I sacris dr l'Orimt (p.c. Le Chou-King ou
le Livrc Sacre, Part. III, Ch. X-2) - Ed. Au Bureau du Pantheon
Lincraire (Paris), 1852.
(6) Arnold Toynbee, I.A civilisation al'lprruw, GaUimard (Paris) 1951
-p. 89.
(7) cf. les lmmortcls, Dicux, fils cc fillcs des Dicux, H cros, litans ct
Gcants chez H csiode, Homere, Virgile, Pline, H crodote, Plutarque,
etc., cgalement lcs representations divines ct colossalcs de Memnon,
de Karnak, d'Hc:rmonchis, d'Abou-Simbd ct le Sphinx de Ghiuh,
lcs colosscs de l'ilc de Paques, !cs geants de Barnyan en Afghanistan,
ccux de Ninive et de Khorsabad ; !cs H rimchursars des Eddas scan­
dinaves, le gcam Skrymcr combanu par Thor, etc.
(8) Pc1cr Lawrence, Leculudu cargo- Fayard (Paris), 1974. (Le pre­
mier dcbarqucmcnt de marchandises d'un avion-cargo frappa force­
mcnt !'esprit des Papous, au point qu'ils instaurcrent le "cultc du
cargo", dispensateur de richcsses, bicn qu'ils se soicnt, par la suite,
accoutumcs aux produits occidcnraux ct aux vols des avions).
(9) Arnold Toynbee - op. cit - p. 88 : AI-Gabraii.

-88-

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I
I

I
1I
I
II
I
I
I
I.
I
I
I
I
I
..,

(10) G. Paudiier-op. dL •Manzva..Dtwma-Sasm ou Lois de Manou,
a>mprawit 1cs institutions rdigieuscs ct civiles des lndicn.s", p. 331
ct L : ·u"'"" M MDJtN l'llpprod,/(...) ,k ma ,kMina d ,k MiMS,
qptmiml .a ch.ain des ~tJNnmr""Xo dillins ~ nulld1fl la idla des
lndims. 6111 SWttSriwmmtpuwrnik ""111/U.•
(11) •Mais qui a d&ouvcrt l'Antu'Ctiquc ?" - Lil &chnrht, n° 161,
d6:anbrc 1984.
(c£ awsi Ow-les Hapgood- us alrta des llncims rois des mn1 - Ed.
du Rocher (Monaro), 1981 - p. 85 ct s.
(12) Lil Bibk: Etrits intmatmnmlllim- op. dt.
Lim: des sccrca d'Hmoch :
X 2: •Or,Jqn-/Mi m Mon nom tk N airhn- <t 1111,u,na-/Mi qur '4 fin
at proche: A1Ule "1 tmr s.-i pmr. 1111 diUltt i.-i IITrivtr 111r A1Ule "1 tmr
d dttnurt Int tt 1/"t/kJHl1'U·"
X 7 : ·u tmT qur In llntt' ont St1UiJJ« - IWIUflll. Annoncr '4 :u/­
rison tk I. tmT : Dn f;llffll'II III plizk, <t 1'1111 la lnnnttins nL pmrontpllS
i UM# ,k l#UI k "'}1tbr mn1rtrirrqur la Vtillnln onl msnflll4 /.run

fils...
XII 6 : •(...) iJ.,plnnrront '4 ~ tk /.run fi/s, iJ.s 111pplimm1ltnne/J.t­
mmt. ,,,...;, iJ n} IIM1rl/'D"' nDC ni pitil nip,ux. •
Lim: des Jubila:
V 6-11 : •Lt, p,mintnr des ""tr' <t des t/llllts (...)"

Vll 20-25 : •(...) it,1'11fW In Vtillnln sttATtbmltk l'ordDnn11na l[Ui In
rlfi.slllit/'D"'j"r,mi,[wr n« la filla des hom,,,n, N prizmt dn fmrmn
I"',.,,,; llnllO «Ua lfU'ils 111JtUn11 choisia, p ~ k dllna tk l'im•
ptnrtl. ~ t desfils, la Nrphilim '!"i lt4imt 1'1111 differrnts rt~
d!wn,imt /a llnJ fn ltUlm (...
(13) Graham Gftate- Un Amiriain bim ll'llnquilk- Ed. Robert
l.aJfont (Paris) 1956.

r

ANNm2
• BndSuigcr
•un rappon du projct Grudge : c.ntrctiens du Pr Hynek avec: des
amonomcs" - Ormi.s: k projrt BIIIL Boolt- Bclfund, 1979. p. 178 sq.

• AlleaJ. Hynek
N""""" "'I'/>"" 1"T In ovni.s- op. di. p. 27 sq.
• Peter A. Scum,ck
•Rq,onon a Sw-Yeyofchc Membershiporthe Amcrian Asaonornial
Society Concaning the UFO problem" -Rlzpport n• 681 - Institute
for Plasma R.cscarch, Sandford Universiiy, c.A. janvier 1977.

• J..C. Riba ct G. MollDd
Lt, w ~ - op. dt.

ANNExE4
• O'Neill
,,;Jin 1k lt1JN1«- Laffont. 1978.

us

• Ancln!Lc:beaa
L'tsptz« m hmuf.r- Odilc Jacob, 1986.
• Paine et al. (National Commision on Space)
l'um«ri"f the SJM« Frontirr- Bantam Books, 1986.

• J..C. Riba ct G. Moanet
Lt, vk txl1'tlln'J'tSI - op. dt.
• Thicny Guadifl et aL

2/00, rml iUI p'°"'4in sik/.r-Payot, 1990.
• Jeu-Oaade Boarm ct .Jan•Jacqua V&.co
Ormi.s, 14 Kim« ,n,m,a- op. dt.

ANNExES
Roswd.l
• William Moore
Tht RDswrU inddmr - G.P. Putman & sons, USA, 1980.
(En Inn~ : u mynmtk RDswrU-France Empire. 1981).
• Kmn D. Randle
1) UFO muh 111 Ros-II- Avon Books, USA. 1991 (en a>U. avcc
Donald R. Sdunin).
2) 77,r Tl'Mlh 11bDU1 d,r UFO mzsh 111 &swrll- Evans. USA. 1994.
3) &murU UFO mz.sh "pdak- Global Comm., USA. 1995.
•Ka.nP8ock
Rmwrllin pmp«tivr- Fund for UFO Rcscarch Inc, Washington DC.
1994.
(Peu objcaif, mais intacssant par Jes affidavits en annexe).
• Ridwd L Wea,,u, Col. de l'USAF
Rrpon on Air Forcr Rm11rch rtlll~int tht •Roswt/J lncitknt•juillct 1994.
• United Sates General Accounting Office.
•Rcpon to the Honorable SteYl:ll H. Schiff. HouseofRqmscntariYcs.
Govcmmcnt Records : • Results ofa Search for R.ccords Conc:cming
the 1947 Cnsh Near R.oswdl, New Mexico._- - juillct 1995.
• Owne de t~bision anglaisc Channd Four
Eruegisucmcna vidro de t~oignages sur lecrash de R.oswdl, la plu­
pan provcnant du Fund for UFO Rcscarch rR.oswdl Rccollcaions,
pan n·. 1992)

Dcsinformation mluctti~
• Kan P8ock
RMwtU in Pmprrtivr- op. dt.
• R.appon Condon
Appendix U : R.cpon of meetings ofScientific Advisory Pand on
Unidentified Aying Objec:a {Robenson Panel) - 14-18january 1953
- op. di. - p. -905 sq.

• AlleaJ. Hynek

us objtts 1J01"nts non idmtifiis- Bdfund, 1974.
(Traduit de 71,r UFO &ptrimct, 11 Kitntifot'N{JU1'J- 1972).

Dcsinformation ampli6antc
• Milton William Coopu

The Secret GoYCtnmcnt ;The Origin. ldentiiy, andPurpose ofM.J.12
- Fullc:rton, CA• The Author, 23 mai 1989, 25 p.
•Jaome Ouk
C-UFO in the 80'si - Tht UFO mgr/4prdi;,- Omnigraphics Inc.,
Detroit, 1990.

ANNExE6
• Don Berliner; Marie Gtlbraitb, Aatoo.io Haoecm
Unidmtifad Flyint Objtcts briefinl ,/«,,mn,1 - Tht Mt 1111t1il..bk
t11idnu-r-CUFOS, FUFOR. MUFON, 1995.
• Michd Bongard ct alter
Dn so1«011prs vo'4ntn IIMX ovnis - Editions SOBEPS, 1976.

I
UFO, Unidentified Flying Object. ..
Since 1947, the subject has disturbed, fascinated, called out.
Oh how debated, the question has been s~died with extreme meticulousness and
from many points ofview (scientific, technical, aeronautical, strategic, political,
religious, media) by a French committee composed offormer auditors of the very
serious-minded Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense Nationale [French Institute
for Advanced National Defense Studies] and qualified experts from every
background, CO:META [Committee for In-Depth Studies].

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For the first time, men, some of whom occupy very high positions, have agreed to I
write a report devoted entirely to the UFO problem in the belief that based on the
knowledge that has been acquired to date, sufficient questions of national interest
I
are raised for the Chief of State and the Prime Minister to be provided with this
information.
I
In this report, COMETA studies several unexplained French and foreign UFO
I
~ases.
I
Very well documented, these sightings are often supported by traces on the
~ound or tracks confirmed by radar. Are these secret terrestrial craft? In some
I
;ases, perhaps. Are we in the presence of craft ofnonterrestrial origin? This
1ypothesis cannot be ruled out. If it were to prove correct, it would be loaded with
I
~onsequences for Defense.
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-------------- ------- ~1=tilid•1@iii=lit¥__,. ___________________
S ATUR DAY 17 J UNE 2000

UFO's once the
preserve ofthe purely
paranoid are now
being taken seriously.
Astronauts, Generals
and a number of
influential scientists
are hammering away
at the crust of
international
scepticism. LESLIE
KEAN explains why a
study by the French
military may finally
make governments sit
up and take notice.

HE release i n April o f 1he fi rst
detailed satellite i mages of Area
51 . the 1op-secre1 Air Force test
site in Nevada, prompted a web­
site meltdown as people from
around the world searched for
clues about unidentified flying objects.
"The i nterest has been really phenomenal,•·
said David Mountain, marketing director for
Aerial Images. Inc which posted the high
resolution aerial photos of A rea 51 on the
Internet. But those hoping 10 see signs of
something extraordinary were destined to be
disappointed. Most of Area 5 1s operations
occur
underground,
maki ng
photos
meaningless. A nyone looking for the fresh
information on UFOs would have beller luck
tr ying a new, but less publicized source: by the
French military. just translated into English.
H igh level officials -- including retired
generals from the French I nstitute of Higher
Studies for National Defense, a government­
funded strategic planning agency -- recently
took a giant step i n openly challenging
skepticism about UFOs. In a report based on a
three year study, they concluded that,
" numerous mani festations observed by
reliable wi tnesses could be the work of craft o f

T

extra-terrestri al origi n" and that, in fact, the
best explanation is " the extraterrestrial
hypot hesis." Although no t categorically
proven, "strong presumptions exist in its favor
and if it is correct, it is loaded with significant
consequences.•·
The French group reached th at conclusion
after examining nearly 500 detailed
intern ational aeronau ti cal sightings and
radar/visual cases, and previously undisclosed
pilots' reports. They drew on data from official
sources, government authorities, and the Air
Forces of di fferent countries. T he findings are
contained in a 90-1>age report titled. " UFOs

and Defense: What Should We Prepare For?,"
published in France by the magazine VSD.

THE MECHAN ICS O F A
MYSTERY
" The number of sighti ngs, which arc
completely unexplained despi te the abundance
and qual ity of data from them, is growing
throughout the world," the team declared. _The
authors note that about 5 percent of sJghtings
on which there is solid documentation cannot
be easily allributed to earthly sources, such as
secret mili tary exercises - especially since

12

£.J Irish Independent

SATU R D AY

17 J UN E

2 000

unexpl ained objects have been reported since
1944. T he rest " seem to be completely
unknown fl ying machines with exceptional
performances that arc guided by a natural or
artifi cial intelligence," they say. Science has
developed plausible models for travel from
another solar system and for technology which
could be used to propel the vehicles, the report
says.
It assures readers that UFOs have
demonstrated no hostil e ac ts, " although
intimidation
maneuvers
have
been
confirmed.' "
Gi ven the widespread scepticism about

NEW FRONTIERS

UFOs. many will quickly dismiss the generals'
ET hypothesis. But i t is less easy 10 do so once
the authors' credentials are considered. The
study·s origi nators are four-star General
Bernard Norlain. former commander of the
French Tact ical Air Force and military
counselor 10 the prime minister: General Denis
Leuy. an air force fighter pilot: and Andre
Lebeau. former head of the National Center
for Space Studies (the French equivalent of
NASA in the United States.)
They formed a 12-member "Commi11ee for
In-depth Studies," abbreviated as COMETA,
which authored the report. Three-star Admiral

M arc M erlo. national chief of police Denis
Blancher and Jean-Jacques Velasco. head of a
government agency studying U FOs, as well as
scientists and weapons engineers. were also
contributors. Not only does the group stand by
its findings. it is urging international acti on.
The writers recommend that France
establish "sectorial cooperation agreements
with i nterested European and foreign
countries" on the mailer o f UFOs. They
suggest that the European Union undertake
diplomatic action wi th the United States
"exert ing useful pressure to clarify this crucial
issue which must fall within the scope of

SATURDAY 17 JUN E 2 000

-

-------------------.J

~•:i\tlid•>l••i=id=-1--------------------

pol ittcal and strategic alliances... Why
might other nations be inclined to take
this ~ubject seriously? For one thing,
declassified US government documents
show that unexpla ined objec:ts wi th
extraordinary technical capabilities pose
challenges to military activity around the
globe.
For example, US fighter jets have been
scramb led to pursue UFOs. according 10
North American Aerospace Defense
Command logs and US Air Force
doc ume nts. Iranian and Peruvian A ir
Force planes attempted to shoot do wn
unexplai ned
objects
d uring
a ir
e ncounte rs in 1976 and 1980. and
F- 16 's
equipped
wi th
Be lgian
auto matically guided missiles pursued
UFO's in 1990. Further, the French
report says that there have been "visits
above secret installations and missile
bases•· and " military aircraft shadowed"
in the US . Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the Apollo
14 as tro naut who was the sixth man to
walk o n the moon. is o ne of ma ny
supporters of in ternational cooperation
on UFOs. Of the French report, he says,
"It's sig nificaot that individuals of
some st anding in the government,
military a nd intelligence communiry in
France came forth with this." Mitc hell,
who holds a doctor of science degree
from the prestigious
Massachuse tts
Institute of Techno logy, is convi nced "at
a confidence level above 90pc, that there
is reality to all of this." He adds, "People
have been digging through the fi les and
investigating for years now. The files are
quite convincing. The only thing that's
lacking is the official stamp." He joins
five-star Admiral Lord Hill-Norton, the
former head of the British Ministry of
Defense, in calling for US congressional
fact-fi nding hearings into the UFO
question. Hearings would include
testimony by government witnesses from
the Air Force, Army, Navy, NASA,
private
ind ustry and intelligence
ope rations with personal, fi rst- hand
knowledge of UFO phenomena a nd
related projects.

BREAKING SILENCE: US Naval
Reserve Comma11der Willard H. Milfer
worries that the military 's lack of
preparatio11 for e11co1111ters with
1111expfai11ed craft co11/d provoke
co11fro11talio11. Leslie Ge11era/ Norlai11
f orci11g the establishme11t to think
agai11 about those fights i11 the sky.
Picl11res courtesy of Bernard Tho11a11el
VSD photo archives.
the subject.

T HE D ECADES OF
D I STR U S T

......................................

THE ASTRONAUT AMO
THE I NVESTIGATION
Despite the fact that Mitche ll is a
national hero and bas been honoured with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US N
Dist inguished Service Medal and the NASA
Distinguished Service Medal, his request for an
investigatio n has been ignored by U.S.
officials .
Nonetheless, the public' s interest in UFOs is
undi minished. A ballot initiative underway in
the US state of Missouri, and certified by the
secretary of state in March, urges Congress to
convene hearings. T he initiative states that "the
Federal Government's handli ng of the UFO
issue has contributed to the public cynic ism
toward , and general mistrust of, government.·•
US Naval Reserve Commander Willard H.
Mi ller has been communicating this same
concern to high level officials for a number of
years. With o ver 30 years in Navy and Joint
lnteragency o perations with the US Defense
Department, Miller has participated in a series
of previously undisclosed briefings for
Pentagon brass about military policy regard ing
UFOs.
Like many. he says he worries that the
military's lack of preparation for encounters
with unexp lained c raft could provoke a
dangerous confrontation when, and if, such an
e ncounter occurs: " prec ipitous military
decisio ns... he warns. "may lead to
unnecessa ry confus ion, misapplication of
forces.
or
possible
catastrophic
consequences.
And he says he is not alone in his concerns.
"There are those in high p laces in the

14

government who share a growing interest in
this subject," Miller reports.
Miller retired in 1994 from active duty on
the C urrent Operations Staff (13) of U.S .
Atlantic Command, Norfolk, Virginia where he
worked operations, intelligence, and special
contingency issues . In a February, 2000
confidential memo prepared for this reporter,
he spelled out the detai ls of meetings with
named officials - including the Director o f the
Defense Intelligence Agency, an Admiral on
the Joint Staff. and the U.S. Atlantic
Command's Director for Intellige nce - between
1989 and 2000.
Miller concurs with the COMETA' s
o bservation that there is no evide nce of
hostility from UFOs ' 'The only threat to the
national security of the United States is the
continued denial of undeniable physical UFO
occurrences and sightings to a public growing
increasingly frustrated with its government's
weak ex planati ons," Miller says.
Air Force Regulation 200-2, "Unidenti fi ed
Fly ing O bjects Reporting,·• prohibits the
re lease to the public and the media any data
about "those objects which arc not
explainable" while allowing disclosure only of
the UFOs that have been identified as " fam iliar
o bjects."
An even mo re restric ti ve procedure is
outlined in the Joint Army Navy Air Force
146,
which
provides
Pub lication
co mmunications instructions for rcponing
s ighti ngs re leva nt to US security. An yone

"If we persist in
refusing to recognize
the existence of the
UFOs, we will end
up, one fine day, by
1nistaking them for
the guided missiles
of_a n enemy - and
the worst will be
under its jurisdiction disclosing reports
without authorization is subject to prosecution
under the Espionage Act.
Even the President of the United States
recently had trouble accessing information on
the subject. In 1995, philanthropist Laurence
Rockefeller provided UFO briefing materials
to President Clinton, Hillary C linton, and
Presidential science advisor Jack Gibbons
while they spent a weekend at Rockcfcllcrs '
Wyoming ranc h. Clinton then instructed
Associate Attorn ey General at the Justice
Department, Webster Hubbell. to investigate
the existence of UFOs. as disclosed by Hubbell
in his book, Friends i11 High Places. Despite
this request from the Commander in Chief,
Hubbell was unable to obtain information on

In earlier decades, issues that remain
pertinent today were openly discussed. In
1960. for example, US Representative
Leonard G. Wolf of Iowa entered an "urgent
warning" from R.E.
Hillenkoeller, a fonncr CIA Director and
Navy vice admiral, into the Congressional
Record that 'ccnain dangers are linked with
unidentified 0ying objccis." Wolf cited Gen.
LM. Chassin, NATO coordinator of Allied
Air Service, warning that "If we persist in
refusing to recognize the existence of the
UFOs, we will end up, one fine day, by
mistaking them for tl1e guided missiles of an
enemy - and the worst will be upon us."
TI1ese concerns were taken seriously
enough to be incoll)Or.ited into the I971
• "Agreement on Measures to Reduce the
Outbreak of Nuclear War" between the US
and the Soviet Union. The treaty states tl1at
the two countries will "notify each other
immediately in the event of detection by
missile warning systems of unidentified
objects...if such occurrences could create a
risk of outbreak of nuclear war between tlie
two countries."
The French report may open the door for
nations to ~ more forthcoming once again.
Chile, for example, is openly addressing it's
own concerns about air safety and UFOs. TI1e
now retired Chief of the Chilean Air Force
has formed a commiuec witl1 civil aviation
experts to study recent near collisions
between UFOs and civilian airliners.
As tlie international conversation about
UFOs
unfolds,
sightings continue,
as they have for
decades. Perhaps
the most notable
recent US sighting
took place in
March
1997.
of
Hundreds
people ·across tl1e
state of Arizona
reported seeing
huge triangular
objeclS, hovering
silently in the night
sky - a sighting
that, as the state's
Senator
John
McCain
noted
recently,
has
"never been fully
explained."
As recently as
Jan. 5, 2000, four policemen at different locations in
St. Claire County. Illinois. witnessed a huge,
brightly lighted, triangular craft flying and hovering
at I000 feet. One officer reported witnessing
extreme rapid motion by the craft that cannot be
explained in conventional terms. Nearby Scott Air
Force base and the FAA pull)Ort to know nothing.
The French Institute of Higher Studies for
National Defense and the National Center for
Space Studies remain several steps ahead of the
United States military and _NASA. Perhaps the
report by the bold French generals -- with its goal
of "stripping the phenomenon of UFOs of its
irrational layer" -- will be a catalyst for authorities
around the world to publicly examine the issue of
UFOs in a new light. ■

Pilot encounters with UFOs

Study challenges secrecy (and denial)
LESLIE KEAN
SAN FHANCISCO

ACK IN JANUARY, Agence
France Presse reported thnt a
Siberian airport was shut for I¼
hours while a luminescent unidenti­
fied flying object hovered above its
runway. Although it's hard to imagine
such an event taking place in the in­
dustrialized United States, a compel­
ling October 2000 study by a retired
aerospace scientist from NASA-Ames
Research Center shows that similar in­
cidents have occurred in America 1
skies over the last 50 years. "Aviation
Safety in America - A Previously Ne­
glected Factor" presents more than
I 00 pilot and crew reports of encoun­
ters with unidentified aerial phenome­
na (UAP) that appear to have compro­
mised aviation safety.
Author Richard F. Haines, formerly
NASA's chief of the Spnce Human
Factors Office and a Raytheon con­
tract scientist, is chief scientist for the
National Aviation Reporting Center
on Anomalous Phenomena (NAR·
CAP), a research organization found­
ed last year. In stunning detail, pilots
and crew describe a range of geomet­
ric forms and lights inconsistent with
known aircraft or naturaJ phenomena.
Bizarre objects paced aircraft at rela­
tively near distances, sometimes dis­
abling cockpit instruments, intern1pt­
ing ground communications, or dis­
tracting the crew.
The data include 56 near-misses.
Impulsive responses by pilots to an ap­
proaching high-speed object can be
hazardous; in a few cases, such vio­
lent evasive reactions injured passen­
gers and flight attendants. However,
Haines states that there is no threat of
a collision caused directly by UAP
"because of the re-ported high degree
of maneuverability shown by the
UAP." While flying over Lake Michi­
gan in 1981, TWA Capt. Phil Schultz
saw a "large, round, silver metal ob­
ject" with dark portholes equally
spaced around the circumference that
"descended into the atmosphere from
above," according to his hand-written
report. Schultz and his first officer
braced themselves for a mid-air colli­
sion; the object suddenly made a high­
speed tum and departed.
Veteran Japan Airlines 747 Capt.
Kenju Terauchi reported a spectacular
prolonged encounter over Alaska in
1986. "Most unexpectedly, two space
ships stopped in front of our face,
shooting off lights," he said. "The
inside cockpit shined brightly and I felt
wann in the face." Despite the Federal
Aviation Administration's determina­
tion that he and his crew were stable,
competent and professional, he was
grounded for speaking out.
In 1997, a Swissair Boeing 747 over
Long Island just missed a glowing,
white, cylindrical object speeding to­
ward the plane. According to an f'M
Civil Aviation Security Office memo­
randum, pilot Philip Bobet said that "if
the object was any lower, it may have
hit the right wing."
Ground-systems operators have
also been affected by UAP. "The ele­
ment of sulJ}rise means a decrease in
safety because it diverts the attention
of air-traffic controllers that should be
focused on landing planes. That is o
danger," says Jim McClenahen, a
recently retired FM air-traffic-control
specialist and NARCAP technical
adviser. "Aviation Safety in America"
does not attempt to explain the origin
of these mysterious objects. But
Haines writes that hundreds of
reports, some dating back to the
1940s, "suggest that they IUAPsj are
associated with a very high degree of
intelligence, deliberate flight control,
and advanced energy management."
In the 1950s, pilots and crews reported
seeing flying discs, cigar-shared craft
with portholes, and gyrating lights, all
with extraordinary technical capabili­
ties. Documents show the unexplained
objects were considered a national ~e­
curity concern. By order of th~ Joint
Chiefs ofStaff, commercial pilot., were
required to report sightings and the un•

B

authorized release of a Uf'O report
could cost them 10 years in prison or a
$1 0,000 fine.
To keep this information from the
public, officials ridiculed and de•
bunked legitimate sightings, angering
some pilots. According to the Newark
Stnr Ledger in 1958, more than fl()
commercial pilots who hnd reported
sightings, each with nt least 15 years of
major airline experience, blasted the
censorship policy and deninls as "bor­
dering on the absolutely ridiculous."
1l1ese pilots said they were intenu­
gated by the Air f'orce, sometimes all
night long, and then "treated like in•
competents and told to keep quiet," ac­
cording to one pilot. "11,e Air force tells
you that the thing that paced your plane
for 15 minutes was a mirage or a bolt of
lightening," he told the Stor-Led~er.
"Nuts to that. Who needs it?" /\s a result,
many pilots "forget" to repor1 their sight•
ings at all, one pilot said.
According to a 1952 Air f'orce Sta­
tus Report on UFOs for the AirTechni­
cal Intelligence Center, pilots were so
humiliated that one told investigators,
"If a space ship flew wing-tip to wing­
tip formation with me, I would not
report it." The vast majority of sight­
ings by American pilots are still not
reported. The media perpetuate the
censorship and ridicule, handicapping
the collection of valuable data.
In contrast, other countries arc
openly investigating the impact of
UAP on aviation safety. A I m.m f'rench
study by retired generals from the
r-rench Institute of Higher Studies for
National Defense and a government
agency with the National Center for
Space Studies examined hundreds of
well-documented pilot reports from
nround the world. The study could not
explain a I 9!l4 Air f'rance viewing of a
UAP that instantaneously disappeared
as confirmed by radar and a 1!195
Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 727
encounter with a luminous object that
extinguished airport lights as the
plane attempted to land.
"Aeronautic personnel must be
sensitized and prepared to deal with
the situation," the repor1 stntes. They
must first "accept the possibility of the
presence of extraterrestrial craft in
our sky." Then, "it is necessary to over•
come the rear of ridicule."

In 19!l7, the Chilean government
formed the Committee for the Study of
Anomalous Aerial Phenomena (CE­
FM) following publicly acknowl­
edged observations of unidentified fly.
ing objects at a remote Chilean air­
port. Both the f'rench group and Gen.
Ricardo Bermudez Sanhuesn, presi•
dent of the CEFM, have made over­
tures to the U.S. government for coop•
eration on this issue, with no response.
General Bermudez, and Air force
Gen. Denis Letty, chairman of the
French group. said in recent inter­
views that the Haines study has inter­
national significance and should be
taken seriously.
13rian E. Smith. current head of the
Aviation Safety Program ot NASA·
,/\mes, agrees. "There is objective evi­
dence in pilot repor1s of unexplained
events that may affect the safety of the
aircraft, " he says. "Yet getting people
to tal<e an objective look ut this subject
is sometimes lil<e pulling teeth."
Indeed, the Airline Pilots Association,
our largest pilots union, and the Flight
Safety Foundation, describing itself as
"offering an objective view of aviation
safety developments," ignored NAR­
CAP requests for a response to the
study. In phone interviews with this
reporter, representatives dismissed
the report out of hand.after glancing at
the executive summary.
However, such dismissals may soon
lose ground. Next Wednesday, John
Callahan, former division chief of the
Accidents and Investigations Branch
of the f'M, will disclose f'M docu­
mentation and subsequent CIA sup•
pression of the Terauchi encounter
over Alaska. Callahan will be joined by
more than 20 other government and
military witnesses, and dozens more
on videotape, at a National Press Club
briefing to challenge official secrecy
about this subject.
Retired United Airlines Capt. Neil
Daniels, whose DC-10 was forced into
a left turn because of magnetic in­
terierence of cockpit compasses by a
brilliant UAP, is among the many who
want change. "The energies out there
are absolutely profound," he says. "l
think we need to know what they are."

Leslie Kean is a journalist and au­
thor in the San Francisco Bay area.

'[hr:l)ruuidrnrr J}1111rmtl
TllllllSl>AY. M AY:I. Wll

THEDOST<>NSUNDAYGLOBE • MAY21,2000

E3

SCIENCE & SOCIETY

UFO theorists gain support abroad, but repression at home
Studyby French officials, routine unexplained sightings, US military safety aspects combine to boost believers
BY L~:SLIF. KEAN

ast month's release of the first
detailed satellite images of Area
51, the top-secret US Air Force
test site in Nevada, prompted a
Web site meltdown as people
from across the nation logged on in search
ofclues about unidentified flying objects.
"The interest has been really phenom­
enal," said David Mountain, marketing di­
rector for Aerial Images Inc., which post,.
ed the high-resolution photographs of
Area 61 on the Internet.
But those hopingto see signs thatcap­
turecl UFOsare st.oredatthesite (assome
aficionados have suggested) were des­
tined to be disappointed. MostofArea 61's
operations occur underground, making
photos meaningless.
Anyone looking for fresh information
on UFOs would have better luck trying a
new, but less publicized, source: a study
by the French military, just translated
into an approved Engl.ish edition.
High-level officials - including retired
generals from the French Institute of
Higher Studies for National Defense, a
government-financed strategic planning
agency - recently took a giant step in
openly challenging skepticism about
UFOs.
In a report based on a three-year
study, they concluded that "numerous
manifestations observed by reliable wit,.
nesses could be the workof craft of extra­
terrestrial origin" and that, in fact, the
best explanation is "the extraterrestrial
hypothesis." Although not categorically
proven, "slrong presumptions exist in its
favor and if it is correct, it is loaded with
significant consequences."
The French group reached that eon­
clusion after eJtamining nearly 600 inter­
national aeronautical sightings and radar/
visual cases, and previously undisclosed
pUots'reports. Theydrew on data from of­
ficial sources, government authorities,
and the air forces of other countries. The
findings are contained in a 90-page report
titled "UFOs and Defense: What Should
We Prepare For?"
"The number of sightings, which are
completely unexplained despite the abun•
dance and quality of data from them, is
growing throughout the world," the team
declared.
The authors note that about 6 percent
of sightings on which there is solid docu­
mentation cannot be easily attributed to
earthly sources, such as secret military
exercises.This 6 percent seem"to be com­
pletely unknown flying machines with ex­
ceptional performances that are guided
by a natural or artificial intelligence," they
say. Science hasdeveloped plausible mod­
els for travel from another solar system
ancl for technology that could be used to
propel the vehicles, the report points out.
It assures readers that UFOs have
demonstrated no hostile acts, "although
intimidation maneuvers have been con­
firmed."
Given the widespread skepticism
about UFOs, many will quickly dismiss
the generals' "extraterrestrial hypoth­
esis." But it is less easy t.o do so once the
·authors' credentials are considered. The
study's originators are four-star General
Bernard Norlain, former commander of
the French Tactical Air Force and mili­
tary counselor t.o the prime minister; Gen­
eral Denis Letty, an air force fighter pilot;
and Andre Lebeau, former head of the
National Center for Space Studies, the
French equivalent of NASA
They formed a 12-member "Commit,.
tee for In-depth Studies," abbreviated as
COMET.A, which authored the report.
Other contribut.ors included a three-star
admiral, the national chief of police; and
the head of a governmentagency studying

L

the subject, as well as scientists and weap­
i11g this same concern to high level f<'dC'ral
ons engineers.
officials. WiU1 over 30 yeai"!I in Navy and
Not only does the group stand by its joint interagency operationR with the De­
findings, it is urging international action.
fense Department., Miller ha.<i partkipat,.
The writers recommend that France es­
ed in a 11eries of previously undisclosed
tablish "sectorial cooperation agreements
briefings for Pentagon brass about mili­
with interested European and foreign
tary policy regarding UFOs.
countries" on the matter of UFOs. They
Like many, Miller says hewonies U1at
suggest that the European
Union undertake diplomatic
I f 1 ~ ~1:7"'"'
, .,:I f ',
action with the United
\, •
"'r
States "exerting useful
.
pressure to clarify this cru­
cial issue which must fall
within the scope of political
and stJ'ategic alliances."
I 1r•
•
Why might the United
States be interested-albeit,
'/
.
privately- in a subject often
t.,;"f.
met with ridicule, or consid­
!'¥. t ~.
ered the domain of the irra­
'
tional?
For one thing, declassi­
fied US government docu­
ments show that unex­
plained objects with ex­ '
i.
traordinary technical capa­
bilities pose challenges to
military activity around the
globe. For example, US
fighter jets have attempted
'·~
to pursue UFOs, according .:i~
r,
to North American Aero­
space Defense Command
ii
logs and Air Force docu­
ments. Iranian and Peruvi­
an air force planes attempt,.
ed to shoot down unidenti­
fied craft in 1976 and 1980.
Belgium F-168 armed with
•missiles pursued a UFO in

the French report chastises the United
Stales for what it calls an "imprei;.qivc re­
pressive arsenal"on thesubject., including
11 policy of disinformation nnd military
regulations prohibiting public disclosure
of UFO sightings.
Air Force Regulation 200-2, "Uniden­
tified Flying Objects Reporting," for ex-

"i , ,

·.··'·"/-

• .'

'.'}:

.

ii.

~·)
"'

1990.

Further, the French re­
port says that there have
been "visits above secret in­
COSTA tl1CAN PIIOIO !AOOVO: UPI PMOIO. 1enow urn: AP PIIOIO (BOTTOM RIGHT)
s tallations and missile
Images of purported UFOs, taken by, above, a Costa Ric.an mapping aircraft In 1971 and reproduced on
bases" and "military air­
the cover of a report by the French mllltarr, below left, a ZanesYIRe, Ohio, barf>er In 1966; below right, a
craftshadowed" in the Unit,.
high school student In Beaver, Pa.; bottom right, teenage brothen In Detroit In 1967.
edStates.
Edgar Mitchell, the
Apollo 14 astronautwho was
the sixth man to walk on the
moon, is one of many sup­
porters of international c~
operation on UFOs. Of the
French report, he imys, "It's
significant that individuals
ofsome standing in the gov­
ernment, military, and intel­
ligence community in
France came forth with
this."
Mitchell, who holds a
doctorate from MITin aero­
nautics and astronautics, is
r ".'
convinced "at a confidence
I •
level above 90 percent, that
'•
there is reality to all ofthis."
He says, "People have been
digging through the files
and investigating for years
now. The files are quite con­
vincing. The only thing
;
that's lacldng is the official
I
I
.
et.amp."
I I
Mitchell joins five-star
Admiral Lord Hill-Norton,
ample, prohibits the release to the public
the former head of the British Ministry of
the military's lack of preparation for en­
and the mediaof any data about "those ob­
counters with unexplained craft could
Defense, in calling for congressional fact,.
ject.'! which are not explainable." An even
provoke dangerous confrontation when,
finding hearings into the UFO question.
more reiitrictive procedure is outlined in
Although Congress seems disinclined
and if, such an encounter occurs; "precipi­
the Joint Army Navy Air Force Publica­
to pursue the matter, the public's interest
tous military decisions," he warm,, "may
lead to unnecessary confm,ion, misappli~ tion 146, which threatens to prosecute
in UFOs is undiminished. A ballot initia­
anyone under its jurisdiction - including
cation of forces, or possible cata.<tlrophic
tive underwayin Missouri, certified by the
pilol.<t, civilian agencies, merchant marine
consequences."
secretary of state in March, urges Con­
captains, and even some fishing vessels And he says he is not alone in his con­
gress to convene hearings. The initiative
for disclo~ing reports of sightings rel­
cerns. "There are U1ose in high places in
states that "the Federal Government's
evant to US secmity.
the
government
who
share
a
growing
in­
handling of the UFO issue haa contribut­
Although re11earchers have been able
terest in thiR fmbject," Miller rcporl.<i.
ed t.o the public cynicism t.ownrd, ancl gen­
to obtain some info11nation through the
eral mistrust of, government."
Freedom of Information Act, many UFO
If the US military is concerned about
US Naval Reserve Commander Wil­
documents remain classified.
UFOs, it is not saying so publicly. Indeed,
lard H. Miller has long been commun.icat,.

lttJ

In earlier decades, issues that remain
pertinent today were openly discussed. In
1960, for example, US Representative
Leonard G. Wolf of Iowa entered an "ur­
gent warning" from R. E. Hillenkoetter, a
former CIA director and Navyvice admi­
ral, into the Congressional Record that
"certain dangers are linked with unidenti­
fied flying objects." Wolf cited General
L. M. Chassin, NATO coordinat.or of Al­
lied Air Service, warning that "Ifwe per­
sist in refusing to recognize the existence
of the UFOs, we will end up, one tine day,
by mistaking them for the guided missiles
of an enemy - and the worst will be upon
us."
These concerns were taken seriously
enough to be incorporated int.o the 1971
US-Soviet "Agreement on Measures to
Reduce the Outbreak of NuclearWar."
The French report may open the door
for nations to be more forthcoming once
again. Chile, for example, is ope.nly ad­
dressing its own concerns aboutair safety
and UFOs. The now retired chief of the
Chilean Air Force has fonned a commit­
tee with civil aviation specialists to study
recent near-collisions of UFOs and civil­
ian airliners.
As the international conversation
about UFOs unfolds, sightings continue,
as they have for decades. Perhaps the
most notable recent US sighting took
place in March 1997. Hundreds of people
across Arizona reported seeing huge bi­
angular objects, hovering silently in the
night sky - a sighting that, as the state's
US Senator John McCain noted recently,
has "never been fully explained."
AB recently as Jan. 6, four policemen
nt different locations in St. Claire County,
Illinois, witnessed a huge, brightly light­
ed, triangular craft flying and hovering at
1,000 feet. One officer reported witness­
ingextJ'eme rapid motion by the craft that
cannot be explained in conventional
terms. Nearby Scott Air Force base and
the Federal Aviation Administration pur­
port to know nothing.
The Defense Department maintains it
can find no information acknowledging
the existence of the triangular objects. In
response to a suit by curious Arizonans, it
provided details of its search to US Dis­
trict Court Judge Stephen M. McNamee
of Phoenix. On March 30, McNamee con­
cluded that "a reasonable search was con­
ducted" even though no information was
obtained, and he dismissed the case.
There is one government agencyin U1e
country that has taken steps to prepare
for a UFO encounter. The Fire Officer's
Guide to Disaster Control, second edition
- used by the Federal Emergency Man­
agement Agency and taught at the seven
universities offering degrees in fire sci­
ence - warns of "UFO hazards," such as
electrical fields that cause blackouts, force
fields, and physiological effects.
"Do not stand under a UFO that is
hovering at low altitudes," the book
warns. "Donottouchor attempt to toucha
UFO that has landed."
The text leaves little room for skepti­
cism. John E. Mack, professor ofpsychia­
try at Harvard Uruversity and a Pulitzer
Prize-winning author, stopped being
skeptical a long ti.me ago.
"No culture from the beginning of
time, no culture from anywhere on the
planet, has ever voided the ideaofallother
intelligent life other than ourselves," he
told a UFO conference at the New York
Hall ofScience two weeks ago. ''That's ar­
rogance."

Leslie Kron is afreelance journalist in Ui.e
San Frmu:iaco Bay area.

National Aviation Reporting Center for Anomalous Phenomena
(NARCAP)

The National Aviation Reporting Center for Anomalous Phenomena (NARCAP) is a
national organization, established in November of 2000, and is dedicated to the
advancement of aviation safety issues as they apply to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
(UAP).
NARCAP investigates aviation related reports ofaerial encounters with lights or objects
that seem inconsistent with known categories ofaircraft and common natural phenomena.
These lights or objects are repo1ted to appear in a variety of colors and shapes. Pilots, air
traffic controllers and radar operators repo11 that these lights or objects closely approach
aircraft. Encounters with these lights or objects, UAP, have a demonstrated a variety of
safety related effects on pilots, crew, cockpit discipline and on-board instrumentation.
NARCAP Chief Scientist Dr. Richard F. Haines has compiled a catalogue of over 3400
aviation related UAP cases. He has conducted a comprehensive review of UAP reports by
U.S. air traffic controllers and pilots from the past 50 years. A result of this effo11 is
Richard's paper" Aviation Safety in America- A Previously Neglected Factor" . It
contains analyses of over one hw1dred reports of UAP involved in near misses, close
pacing, disrupted avionics, and collisions. These events were repo1ted by US military
aviators, civil aviation professionals, private pilots, and by foreign aircrews operating in
US airspace.
NARCAP has no basis for conjecture regarding the true nature or source of these lights
and objects. It is the NARCAP position that certain w1identified aerial phenomena have
an effect on aviation safety that can be quantified. It is the intention of this organization
to develop a body of data that will stand up to scientific scrutiny and serve as a basis for
understanding this phenomenon.
It is our hope that aviation professionals will recognize the impottance of this work and
contact NARCAP with their repo11s ofencounters with UAP. Often, though not always,
repo11ers are concerned about their confidentiality. We are not associated with the FAA
or other government agencies, or the airlines. With regards to employers, the FAA, and
the media, we have a process in place to ensure that confidentiality is protected.
For more information contact:
Ted Roe, Executive Director
Or email
Or go to Our Website
To repo11 UAP encounters call

(83 l) 338-4783
admin@narcap.org
www.narcap.org
(800) 732-3666

UFO Shuts Down Russian Airport
MOSCOW, Jan 27, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) An airport in
southern Siberia was shut down for an hour and a half on Friday
when an unidentified flying object (UFO) was detected hovering
above its runway, the lnterfax newsagency reported.
The crew of an 11-76 cargo aircraft refused to take off, claiming they
saw a luminescent object hovering above the runway of the Siberia's
Barnaul airport, local aviation company director Ivan Komarov was
quoted as saying .
The crew of another cargo plane, refusing to use the runway for the
same reason, landed their jet at another airport, Komarov said.
The UFO took off and vanished from the airport 90 minutes later,
according to the report. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)

LESLIE KEAN

Radio Host/Producer 1998 - 2001
Associate/Senior Producer and co-host of daily, drive-time investigative news magazine "Flashpoints" on
public radio KPF A in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Feature stories, domestic
the Boston Globe, the Baltimore Sun, the Sacramento Bee, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Nation, the
Progressive, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, The Providence Journal, The Commercial Appeal, Burma
Debate, and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Feature stories, international
the International Herald Tribune, the Globe and Mail (Canada), the Vancouver Sun , the Sydney Morning
Herald (Australia), the Kyoto Journal (Japan), the Nation (Thailand), Internazionale (Italy), VSD
(France), the Irish Independent.

Op-cd pieces
the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Journal ofCommerce, the Bangkok Post, the St. Louis
Post Dispatch, the Providence Journal Bulletin, the San Francisco Examiner and The Nation.

Syndication
Knight-Ridder, Scripps-Howard, New York Times Wire Service, Pacific News Service and the National
Publishers Association (NNPA).

Books/Anthologies/Coll ections
Perspectives: Drugs and Society (Comsewise Publishing, Inc. 2000)
Stone Soup for the World (Conari Press, 1998)
Drugs, Society and Behavior 98/99 (Dushkin/McGraw -Hill, 1998)
Burma 's Revolution ofthe Spirit: The Struggle/or Democratic Freedom and Dignity (Aperture, 1994),
co-authored with Alan Clements

Director, The Burma Project USA, 1991 - present
Hwnan rights and media advocacy

Rad io interviews
The Michael Jackson Show (KRLA, Los Angeles); Hightower Radio (over 100 stations); Mike Malloy
Show (WLS Chicago, the ABC station); Coast to Coast AM (audience of 10 to 20 million); Dreamland
with Whitley Strieber (audience I mill ion); Democracy Now with Amy Goodman (Pacifica national); The
Gerry Ryan Show (Channel 2, National radio Ireland) and many others.

Honors
The fund for Investigative Journalism: grants, 1996, 1997 and 1998
Project Censored Honorable Mention: 1998
The Nation Institute: grant, 1997
Cover stoiy selected by The Nation as their submission for the George Polk Award, 1996