Project KONA BLUE Proposed
In 2011, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under its Under Secretary for Science and Technology established Project KONA BLUE as a Prospective Special Access Program (PSAP) — a preliminary classification for programs under consideration for the highest secrecy level. Designed as a successor to the DIA's AAWSAP/AATIP programs, KONA BLUE aimed to acquire, analyze, and reverse-engineer alleged non-human aerospace vehicles and associated biological materials. Program architect Dr. James T. Lacatski and supporters including Senator Harry Reid envisioned a multi-year effort with budgets exceeding 50 million dollars. However, DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Lute terminated the program on February 10, 2012, after Under Secretary for Intelligence Phyllis Green raised objections about insufficient evidence and reputational risks for the young agency. The Pentagon's AARO confirmed in its 2024 Historical Record Report that no extraterrestrial materials were ever collected. DHS declassified all KONA BLUE documents in February 2024, making it the most thoroughly documented example of a proposed government reverse-engineering program.
Background
In 2011, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) drafted a proposal for Project KONA BLUE, an ambitious Special Access Program (SAP) for studying and potentially reverse-engineering recovered non-human technology. The proposal was rejected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but its existence was confirmed in 2024 declassified documents.
Proposal Details
The DIA proposed Project KONA BLUE as a successor to AAWSAP/AATIP.
It would have provided a classified framework at a higher classification level.
This would enable access to alleged crash-retrieval materials held by defense contractors.
Rejection
The Department of Homeland Security was asked to host the program.
The proposal was ultimately rejected by the DHS.
Confirmation and Significance
The existence of the KONA BLUE proposal was confirmed by DIA in 2024 declassified documents.
It was also discussed in congressional hearings.
This represents one of the most significant official acknowledgments that elements within the US intelligence community believed non-human technology had been recovered.