National security expert says recent UFOs are ‘threat unmet’

By Steve Hammons
 
In a Feb. 18, 2020, article titled “A Threat Unmet” in the magazine of the American Legion military veterans organization, a former U. S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence wrote about “unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” in close proximity to U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike groups at sea and related factors.
 
Christopher Mellon updated readers of American Legion Magazine about specifics of the encounters between Navy pilots and what appeared to be unusual objects performing incredible gravity-transcending maneuvers at fantastic speeds.
 
He began his article reviewing the groundbreaking Dec. 16, 2017, news report in the New York Times about encounters between Navy jet pilots and very odd objects. Mellon also covered the subsequent development when the spokesman for the deputy chief of naval operations publicly stated that the objects are unidentified aerial phenomena – that is, they are not U.S. craft.
 
Mellon noted that this statement by the Navy was a step toward more openness about the situation – especially compared to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Sign (1948), Project Grudge (beginning in 1949) and Project Blue Book (1952-1970).
 
At the same time, Mellon states that from his viewpoint, U.S. government national security agencies and Congress don’t seem to be doing enough to investigate and respond to this highly-unusual situation. As to what might have been going on behind the scenes over the decades regarding UFOs, he seems to refrain from commenting on that possible element of U.S. government-related activities.
 
NATIONAL SECURITY RESPONSE
 
Mellon recalled some of the views of J. Allen Hynek, PhD, the Ohio State University astronomy professor who worked on the Air Force’s Project Blue Book at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Hynek seemed to believe that the Air Force’s public statements about UFOs didn’t completely line up with his investigations and observations, Mellon reminded us.
 
And as to the more recent Navy UFO encounters, Mellon appeared concerned when he writes that, “No major investigations have been launched. There is no indication the DoD or intelligence community leadership is engaged.”
 
He added, “And there is still no process for collecting and integrating pertinent information about UFO/UAPs from the myriad agencies and departments that possess it (NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, the FBI, the National Security Agency, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the armed forces and others).”
 
 “This paralysis is occurring at a time when the scientific community increasingly recognizes the possibility of humanity encountering probes from spacefaring civilizations,” Mellon said.
 
Importantly, he also pointed out to readers that, “Though Navy pilots have sounded the alarm – their testimony has appeared in print, online and on national television – there is still no sign that our massive DoD and intelligence bureaucracies, or our Congress, are seeking answers to the UFO/UAP mystery on behalf of military personnel who are potentially at risk from midair collisions if nothing else (one near miss by a Navy fighter has already been reported).”
 
“Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are tragic examples of intelligence failures that could have been avoided,” Mellon wrote. “Our continuing inability to identify the radical aerospace vehicles violating our airspace is an ongoing intelligence failure, one that arguably requires written notification to the House and Senate intelligence committees pursuant to Section 502 of the National Security Act of 1947.”
 
Has Mellon given up on an intelligent and reasonable response from Congress and the U.S. government?
 
He certainly seems somewhat discouraged when he writes, “While Congress has not received a formal notification regarding this failure, and perhaps never will, it is certainly aware that DoD is unable to identify these aircraft or prevent them from violating U.S. airspace. The question now is whether our leaders will remain passive out of concern for outdated stigmas or act on behalf of our servicemembers and our nation.”
 
To assist Congress and national security leaders on this topic, Mellon makes several suggestions about how to use our defense and intelligence assets to investigate, monitor, analyze, understand and make preparations regarding the apparent situation at hand.
 
TAIL WAGS DOG?
 
As a former federal government national security official, Mellon appears to naturally focus on Congress and formal U.S. defense activities. Like other interested people, he seems to want our elected U.S. representatives, senators and other federal officials to show insight, appropriate concern and effective response about a possible dire threat to our country.
 
Is Mellon likely to be disappointed? He appears hopeful that those individuals currently elected or appointed to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, and others in the federal government will demonstrate intelligent and responsible behavior when it comes to these unusual developments.

Could Mellon be expecting too much from Washington, D.C.? He seems to be advocating for an intelligent and appropriate response to what appears to be a possible significant threat, or at least a highly-unusual development to be concerned about.
 
Since he is a former U.S. government official, Mellon’s federal government-centric viewpoint is understandable, relevant and important.   

He also seems to be reaching out to a broad scope of American citizens and those in our armed forces and national security services, encouraging us to learn more and become more aware and engaged about these unidentified phenomena that Navy pilots are reporting.
 
And, of course, it has not just been Navy pilots. Over the years, military pilots from other services, other military personnel, civilian pilots, public safety peace officers and reliable witnesses from all walks of life have reported UFO/UAP incidents in the U.S. and around the world. 

In this article and others he’s penned, Mellon is informing us about these significant circumstances worth paying attention to. He’s trying to inform former and retired military members, and their families, friends and associates. He’s talking to all of us – grassroots active duty and reserve component military personnel, public safety first responders, students, and Americans and people around the world.
 
Maybe we would be wise to listen to him.


(Related article “Reagan’s 1987 UN speech on ‘alien threat’ resonates now” is posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)