There are many compelling aspects of the latest AARO report that acknowledge early government investigations into unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The report confirms the existence of Project SAUCER, an informal effort initiated in late 1946 or early 1947 by General Nathan Twining to collect and evaluate information on UFO sightings. This corroborates long-standing claims by researchers about an unofficial project predating the more well-known efforts like Project Sign and Project Grudge.

The AARO report provides background details on Project SAUCER, including the uncertainty surrounding its exact founding date and official name. It cites sources suggesting that Twining established the project on December 30, 1947, while other accounts indicate it began a year earlier in 1946 under the informal name “Project SAUCER.”

While the report states that Project SAUCER did not find evidence of extraterrestrial technology, the acknowledgment of this early investigation is significant. It validates the work of researchers like Keith Chester, Wendy Connors, Michael Hall, and Michael Swords, who had uncovered clues about this pre-Arnold sighting effort led by Colonel Howard McCoy.

The report’s confirmation of Project SAUCER’s existence raises intriguing questions about the events and sightings that prompted Twining to initiate such an investigation months before the famous Kenneth Arnold sighting in June 1947. It suggests that the government’s interest in UFOs began even earlier than previously thought, potentially driven by incidents like the Foo Fighters, Scandinavian Ghost Rockets, or other unexplained sightings by American service members.

One of the most controversial aspects of the government’s UFO investigations was the Condon Committee, established by the Air Force to conduct an independent scientific study of the phenomenon. The committee, led by Dr. Edward U. Condon, was formed with the explicit intention of finding a way to end the costly and burdensome Project Blue Book.

Documents uncovered by researchers like Kevin Randle and Bob Cornett reveal the Air Force’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering to secure a desired outcome from the Condon Committee. In a letter from Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hippler, the Air Force explicitly stated its desire for the committee to conclude that there was nothing to be learned from UFO sightings and that they posed no threat to national security.

Dr. Robert Low, the committee’s second-in-command, acknowledged Hippler’s letter, signaling his understanding of the Air Force’s expectations. Just days later, Condon himself stated in a lecture that he was inclined to recommend the government abandon its UFO investigations, even before the committee’s work had truly begun.

Despite the committee’s supposed objectivity, the fix seemed to be in from the start. The Air Force had found a willing partner in the University of Colorado, lured by a substantial grant, to deliver the desired verdict: that UFOs merited no further study.

Although the committee ultimately concluded that the Air Force had conducted its investigations reasonably well, it still recommended terminating Project Blue Book. This decision ignored numerous well-documented sightings that defied conventional explanations, such as the Lubbock Lights and the Levelland encounters.

The committee’s dismissal of these cases as birds or natural phenomena stretched credulity. The Lubbock Lights were captured on film, clearly showing unexplained, bright objects contradicting the “birds” explanation. Similarly, the Levelland sightings involved multiple credible witnesses reporting craft descending and leaving physical trace evidence, contrary to the “ball lightning” hypothesis proposed by the Air Force.

Even more egregious was the committee’s disregard for the disturbing incidents at Malmstrom Air Force Base, where UFOs were observed disabling nuclear missile systems. These events posed a clear potential threat to national security, yet the committee inexplicably concluded there was no such threat.

The Condon Committee’s handling of the infamous Roswell incident further exemplifies its flawed approach. By embracing the controversial “Project Mogul” explanation – a non-starter for many researchers due to contradictory evidence – the committee demonstrated a concerning lack of rigor and objectivity.

In the end, the Condon Committee’s report served as a convenient pretext for the Air Force to shutter Project Blue Book in 1969, effectively ending official public investigations into UFOs. However, as revealed by later disclosures, the government’s interest in the phenomenon continued through classified channels, with ongoing efforts like Project Moon Dust and its successors.

The Condon Committee’s legacy remains a contentious topic among researchers, with many arguing that its conclusions were predetermined and its methods biased. Regardless of one’s stance on the UFO phenomenon, the committee’s apparent collusion with the Air Force raises troubling questions about the integrity of the government’s purported attempts to investigate these mysteries objectively.