AARO: New developments in the Eglin case
AARO has just released a report on the resolution of the Eglin Air Force Base case. Not to worry: it's just a commercial lighting balloon!
Far from bringing the story to a close, this report raises questions, as it is ridden with approximations and disingenuous statements.
As a reminder, we reported on the events of January 26, 2023, as reported by a pilot from Eglin Air Force Base, following a FOIA request from Abbas Michael Dharamsey. The usable data revealed included the case summary and a sketch of UAP1 made by the pilot. The case summary, from the Air Force, gave us some valuable elements: a radar lock on 4 UAP in formation, a sensor screen capture of UAP1, a pilot's testimony, and a maintenance technician's report.
The AARO report concluded that the observed UAP "very likely was an ordinary object and was not exhibiting anomalous or exceptional characteristics or flight behavior”only to categorize the confidence of their finding as "moderate". "The object was a lighter-than-air (LTA) object, such as a large form factor balloon; a meteorological balloon; a large Mylar balloon; or a large, commercial, outdoor, helium-filled, lighting balloon.” The rest of the report tries to show that what is a hypothesis - not a conclusion - has some plausibility. The means used is the selection/omission of elements from data and testimonies.
What about that radar lock? The AARO glosses over it, even though it showed 4 UAP in formation. Yet we do know the video exists: in the FOIA document, the USAF states that it cannot declassify this information. As further proof, during last year's congressional hearing on UAP (1:51), Florida Senator Matt Gaetz stated that he had seen the footage. The report only takes into account the episode of the radar failure. On this subject, it is interesting to note that when the aircraft was examined after the mission, according to the USAF, the maintenance technicians did not know how to explain this failure. But according to the AARO, this failure had already occurred previously. Surprisingly, the USAF did not mention this. Are we to conclude that the technicians made two different post-mission reports?
The UAP1 screenshot plays a central role in the AARO demonstration. First, it should be noted that both Matt Gaetz and the FOIA file mention only one image during the hearing. AARO has two, which is even better! Indeed, on page 5, are revealed both an infrared image (“A”) and an electro-optical image (“B”). Both images are spherical and therefore seem to lend credence to the balloon hypothesis. In fact, Matt Gaetz mentioned an orb in connection with this image, which might correspond to the infrared image. The problem with EO/IR images is that they only provide information on certain characteristics of the object that are inaccessible to our vision, but not on the object as we see it. For example, image A tells us that the object is warmer at the bottom. But does this mean that these images prove that the UAP is a balloon? Clearly, AARO's choice of presentation - a succession of three images ending with image C depicting a lighting balloon, very similar to image A - aims to convince us otherwise. However, in a searing video, renowned Good Trouble Show host Matt Ford literally debunks the balloon hypothesis. He explains the plethora of problems caused by the proposed scenario: insufficient power, impossible altitudes - a sum of material impossibilities seem to invalidate this hypothesis. Moreover, what to make of the pilot's testimony and his sketch? He doesn't describe or draw a balloon at all. He even compares the object to "an Apollo-type craft".
In an attempt to lend an air of credibility to its report, AARO assures us that to ensure objectivity in its investigation, it "submitted the case for review to an Intelligence Community (IC) component and a science and technology (S&T) partner". All very well, but who are those components and partners? May we have their conclusions in the appendices?
As Senator Matt Gaetz says, "This report by the AARO is incomplete and does not reflect all of the information that I was shown.” He again asks that all information on the case be made public, "including pictures from the pilot and radar signatures". The verbatim of the interview between the pilot and AARO, mentioned in the report, would also be appreciated. Unfortunately, AARO is not prepared to go any further in this case, which is the response podcaster Steve Spragues received to his request for access to the data.
Back in March, we published an article on the previous AARO report, which stated that it had found no evidence of extraterrestrial life. This investigation into the Eglin case seems to confirm a desire to minimize and rationalize UFOs. Yet at the same time, reports of sightings are multiplying to the point that local TV stations are reporting on them. A recent example is the La Guardia airport video.
More recently, on April 12, 2024, another sighting took place near Eglin Air Force Base. From Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, three military personnel observed the silent movement of a triangular UAP the size of a commercial airbus. Its behavior in flight, and in particular "the speed at which it moved”, suggested “capabilities beyond those of conventional aircraft”.
Professor Garry Nolan is probably right: "they realize they are up against the wall". AARO has just published a new report, distressingly full of approximations and omissions, which unfortunately casts doubt on the rigor and professionalism of this office. As the observations continue to pile up, AARO may be trying to cover up our inability to explain the phenomenon.
Translation by Guillaume Fournier Airaud
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0