U.S. Navy: FOIA Denial for Classified UAP Reporting Guidelines
The U.S. Navy formally denied a Freedom of Information Act request seeking classified guidelines for reporting unidentified aerial phenomena. Officials cited national security exemptions protecting intelligence methods and operational capabilities. The requesting party subsequently filed an administrative appeal against this determination.
Background
The United States Navy formally rejected a Freedom of Information Act petition seeking access to classified unidentified aerial phenomenon reporting procedures. The denial arrived via letter dated July 8, 2019, asserting that the complete document qualified for exemption under statutes protecting intelligence operations and sensitive defense information.
These instructions originally emerged during 2015 following multiple encounters involving carrier strike groups operating near the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Naval spokespersons later acknowledged updating these protocols during early 2019 to address continuing observations of unauthorized incursions into military training areas.
Specific justification for withholding relied upon Executive Order provisions covering intelligence gathering techniques, sources, methods, and technological vulnerabilities. When pressed for clarification regarding exact classification levels, defense officials declined to specify whether the material held Secret or Top Secret designations.
The requesting organization immediately filed an administrative appeal challenging this determination, anticipating prolonged adjudication lasting several months. This development underscores persistent governmental resistance toward releasing operational parameters governing military UAP detection and documentation protocols despite heightened public and congressional scrutiny. Source: Via TheBlackVault.com (FOIA).