I Investigated UAPs at the Pentagon—Americans Can Handle the Truth
I'm Luis Elizondo, a former senior intelligence official with the United States government. Currently, I continue to provide advice and assistance to the U.S. government while also publicly advocating for increased transparency and disclosure regarding the topic of UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena).
I was never particularly interested in UFOs or science fiction. My background is in science—I graduated from the University of Miami with majors in microbiology and immunology, with studies in parasitology.
The scientific method has always been one of my core tenets. After my time in the Army, I served as a special agent in counterintelligence, investigating terrorism, espionage, and other serious crimes. I've always been a fact and rule-based person.
Early in my career, I worked extensively with advanced aerospace technology, ensuring that it didn't fall into the hands of our adversaries. I dealt with first-stage solid rocket motor booster engines, advanced avionic systems, and other weapon systems, working with major companies that formed the foundation of my career.
In 2008, I took on a new position at the Pentagon, having left my previous role at the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). I accepted the position since it allowed me to spend more time with my family.
My new role involved integrating national intelligence information and making it accessible to local law enforcement, which was challenging because most local law enforcement agencies don't have security clearances. After 9/11, it became clear that there had to be a way to share critical information with local agencies without compromising security.
While at the Pentagon, I was approached by two individuals who were part of a program I hadn't heard of before. They knew about my background and asked if I would consider joining their organization. Initially, I didn't know what group they were referring to as there are many sensitive programs within the government. However, after meeting the director and several other individuals, I agreed to take on a role in their program, which was called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), a niche program under the umbrella of AWSAPP.
I worked in this capacity for some time, eventually becoming one of its key members. Although I had my own staff, it's important to note that I didn't run the program entirely on my own. I worked with a broader network of experts and colleagues, including individuals like Dr. James Lacatski, who originally led AWSAPP, and Jay Stratton, who took over after I resigned from AATIP in 2017. Although I had direct subordinates, I also worked alongside my colleagues like Jay, who were my equals.
A typical day in my life during this time was anything but routine as I was managing multiple portfolios. Reports of UAP encounters would come in from the field, primarily from the Navy, and these were often highly concerning. Some UAPs came dangerously close to our aircraft, sometimes splitting formations right down the middle, which is extremely problematic given how close combat aircraft fly to one another.
These UAPs were not only able to fly unimpeded into our controlled airspace and combat theaters, but they were also performing in ways that far exceeded our technological capabilities. If an adversary like Russia or China had this technology, it would represent a quantum leap beyond anything we have, which is deeply concerning from a national security perspective.
The first U.S. Navy UFO videos released in 2017, including the famous "Tic Tac" video from 2004 and the "Go Fast" and "Gimbal" videos from 2014-2015, were instrumental in raising public awareness about UAPs. The decision to release these videos was not taken lightly. I initiated the process for a security review, which ultimately cleared the videos for public release. While I facilitated the review, the actual release was done by others, including my colleague Chris Mellon.
These videos showed aircraft performing maneuvers that defied our understanding of physics and aerodynamics. In terms of speed, conventional U.S. aircraft like the SR-71 Blackbird can reach speeds of about Mach 5—roughly 3,200 miles per hour. However, the UAP observed in many of the videos in possession by the Pentagon were reportedly performing maneuvers at speeds estimated to be many times faster than this—and withstanding up to several thousand G-forces, far beyond the capabilities of any known human-made aircraft.
These objects were making rapid turns and accelerating in ways that defy our understanding of physics and material science, which would be impossible for any pilot or current technology to withstand without catastrophic failure.
The government's reluctance to acknowledge the existence of UAPs stems from the simple fact that governments are expected to have solutions to potential threats. When there is a threat for which there is no solution, governments prefer not to discuss it publicly because it undermines confidence in their ability to protect their citizens. This is not unique to the U.S. government; it's a common approach across the world.
As for whether UAPs are dangerous, the answer lies in the balance between capabilities and intent. We've seen some of the capabilities, but we still don't know the intent. As such, it's prudent for our nation to take measures to better understand and address the presence of UAPs in our airspace.
In conclusion, I believe that the American people have a right to know about the presence of UAPs in our skies. Just as we inform the public about the existence of nuclear weapons being possessed by rogue nations, we should be transparent about the fact that there are things in our airspace that we don't fully understand. Ignorance, stigma, and bias are our greatest enemies, not UAPs.
Luis "Lue" Elizondo is the former head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), the Pentagon unit that researched UFOs, now known as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). He is the author of IMMINENT: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs.
All views expressed are the author's own.