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Office of the Secretary of Defense: 05_AARO_Historical_Record_Report

Department of Defense. Office of the Secretary of Defense. · 2023 · 63 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is Volume I of the Historical Record Report from the Department of Defense's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), dated February 2024 and released in full in February 2025. It reviews US government UAP investigations since 1945, from Project SIGN and Blue Book through the Condon Report, AATIP and the UAP Task Force. AARO found no evidence that any sighting involved extraterrestrial technology or that anyone reverse-engineered alien craft. It says the claims come largely from circular reporting, and it names KONA BLUE as a proposed program that was never approved.

  • p. 41 …bomber in the early 1950s. A.V. Roe (Avro) Aircraft Limited (later Avro Canada) led the…
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represent a sample of those that have been operationally deployed since the 1994 Bosnia conflict
and subsequently employed in counterterrorism operations around the world.175 Since then, their
form and use have spread to civil and commercial applications.
GNAT 750
The GNAT 750 was developed in the late 1980s by General Atomics Aeronautical
Systems, Inc. The prototype served as the basis for a more advanced design under DARPA.176
It was first used in 1994 during the Bosnia conflict where satellites were not optimized to
collect for extended times over such small areas and where the airspace was heavily defended
by capable anti-aircraft missile systems.177
Predator
The Predator system, also built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., was
based on the GNAT-750.178 It was initially a joint USN and U.S. Army project but
transitioned to the USAF in 1996.179 It was known as the RQ-1.180 The system possessed
synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical, and infrared sensors. 181 It was used to support United
Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization efforts in Bosnia and was widely used in
counterterrorism operations.182 It became a platform with a wide array of technical
capabilities that performed a variety of missions—such as close air support, combat search and
rescue, precision strike, convoy/raid over watch, target development and terminal air
guidance.183 The USAF retired the fleet in 2018.184
Reaper
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. also built the MQ-9 Reaper—a newer,
larger version of the MQ-1 Predator UAV.185 This platform is faster, equipped with more
advanced sensors, can carry more munitions than the Predator, and can be easily tailored
with a variety of mission-specific capabilities.186 The system requires a pilot to control the
aircraft and an aircrew member to operate the sensors and weapons.187 188 It has an
operational altitude of 50,000 feet.189 The aircraft is operated out of a variety of locations
worldwide, including Creech Air Force Base (AFB) in Nevada.190
Dark Star
The RQ-3 Dark Star was a remote pilot-assisted stealth system intended to conduct
reconnaissance missions in high-threat areas. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and DARPA developed
Dark Star in the mid-to-late 1990s.191 It never entered production, but the research conducted on
Dark Star led to subsequent advances used on other platforms. Some observers asserted that
Dark Star resembled a flying saucer with long narrow wings.192
It was designed to be fully autonomous from its launch, mission engagement, and return.
It used satellite links to transmit sensor data. The first prototype flew in 1996, but crashed a
month later on its second flight. The system completed five test flights before DoD terminated
the program in 1999 due to cost and instability problems.19305Page determined to be Unclassified
Review by Chief of Staff, AARO
IAW FY24 NDAA, Section 1841 (a)(1)(C)
Date: 02/05/2025

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Official release, from the nara collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 63 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.