Robert Sarbacher

Robert I. Sarbacher (1907–1986) was an American physicist and Harvard graduate who served as a Pentagon consultant and Joint Research and Development Board (JRDB) consultant during the 1940s–1950s, specializing in missile guidance, tracking systems, and high-frequency engineering. He held positions including Dean of the Graduate School at Georgia Institute of Technology and Director of Research at Wedd Laboratories. In a September 1950 interview with Canadian engineer Wilbert B. Smith, Sarbacher claimed UFOs exist, are non-terrestrial, and are classified higher than the hydrogen bomb. In a November 1983 letter to researcher William Steinman, he confirmed receiving classified Pentagon reports detailing UFO crash recoveries, described recovered materials as extremely light and very tough, and identified Vannevar Bush and John von Neumann as definitely involved in related projects. Sarbacher stated he had not personally participated in UFO recovery operations but knew those who had and had read classified documents on the subject.