Did TTSA Change How Navy Pilots Reported UAP?

Introduction

To the Stars Academy of Arts & Science (TTSA) did not create the US Navy’s formal procedures for reporting unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), nor is there evidence that it directly wrote or implemented Navy policy. Its influence was instead indirect but significant. By publicising Navy encounter videos, providing a platform for former defence officials and military aviators, and consistently framing unexplained encounters as aviation-safety and national security issues rather than as evidence of extraterrestrial visitors, TTSA helped create the public and political environment in which reporting reform became more acceptable. The Navy’s 2019 decision to formalise reporting procedures reflected operational concerns inside the service, but TTSA played an important role in bringing those concerns into public view and reducing the stigma surrounding them.[HISTORY]history.comus navy ufo sighting guidelinesReporting UFO Sightings to the US Navy Just Got Easier | HISTORYApril 25, 2019…Published: April 25, 2019

Why pilots lacked consistent reporting channels

Before 2019, Navy personnel could report unusual aerial encounters through existing aviation safety and intelligence systems, but there was no widely understood, standardised process specifically designed for recurring reports of unidentified or unauthorised aircraft. Pilots who experienced unusual encounters often described uncertainty over where such reports belonged and concern that discussing them could damage their professional reputation.

This was particularly relevant after the introduction of improved radar systems to carrier strike groups around 2014. Pilots associated with the USS Theodore Roosevelt reported repeated encounters with unidentified objects during training operations off the US East Coast. These reports raised practical questions about flight safety, airspace security and possible foreign surveillance rather than simply curiosity about unexplained phenomena.[The Washington Post]washingtonpost.comThe Washington Post UFO sightings: U.S. Navy drafts guidelines to reportThe Washington PostUFO sightings: U.S. Navy drafts guidelines to report - The Washington PostApril 25, 2019…Published: April 25, 2019

The Navy itself later explained that it was updating its procedures because there had been repeated reports of “unauthorised and/or unidentified aircraft” entering military-controlled training ranges. Officials stressed that every such report represented a potential safety or security concern requiring objective analysis rather than dismissal.[WTOP News]wtop.comNews‘Remove the stigma’: Navy changing its guidelines for reporting UFOsWTOP News‘Remove the stigma’: Navy changing its guidelines for reporting UFOs - WTOP News…

How TTSA reframed the issue for officials

TTSA’s most important contribution was not technical but rhetorical and political. From its launch in 2017, the organisation consistently avoided presenting the Navy encounters primarily as proof of alien spacecraft. Instead, figures including Luis Elizondo and Christopher Mellon argued that unidentified objects operating near military aircraft represented an intelligence and aviation-safety problem regardless of their ultimate origin.

This framing differed from many earlier UFO advocacy campaigns. Rather than asking officials to acknowledge extraterrestrial visitors, TTSA argued that professional military observations deserved systematic collection and investigation. That message proved more compatible with defence institutions, Congress and mainstream journalism.

The publication of the Navy videos commonly known as FLIR1, Gimbal and Go Fast amplified this argument. While TTSA neither recorded nor originally created the footage, it helped organise the public release of the videos alongside testimony from former officials and aviators. As a result, discussion shifted from speculation about UFOs towards questions such as:

Those questions aligned closely with institutional concerns about readiness and operational security rather than paranormal investigation.[The Washington Post]washingtonpost.comThe Washington Post UFO sightings: U.S. Navy drafts guidelines to reportThe Washington PostUFO sightings: U.S. Navy drafts guidelines to report - The Washington PostApril 25, 2019…Published: April 25, 2019

Why the Navy changed its reporting procedures

The Navy’s reporting reforms emerged from several overlapping pressures rather than from TTSA alone.

Operationally, pilots had continued reporting repeated encounters in military training areas. Institutionally, senior officials wanted more consistent collection of information about unidentified aircraft and unmanned systems operating near sensitive facilities. Politically, Congress had begun requesting briefings on the issue. Public attention generated by media reporting and TTSA’s advocacy increased pressure to demonstrate that reports were being handled systematically rather than informally.[history.com]history.comus navy ufo sighting guidelinesReporting UFO Sightings to the US Navy Just Got Easier | HISTORYApril 25, 2019…Published: April 25, 2019

When the Navy announced its revised procedures in 2019, officials emphasised that the objective was data collection. They described the new guidance as facilitating objective, data-driven analysis and reducing the stigma that might discourage personnel from reporting unusual incidents. Importantly, the language focused on “unidentified aircraft” and “unmanned aerial systems” rather than extraordinary explanations.[WTOP News]wtop.comNews‘Remove the stigma’: Navy changing its guidelines for reporting UFOsWTOP News‘Remove the stigma’: Navy changing its guidelines for reporting UFOs - WTOP News…

This emphasis closely matched TTSA’s public messaging, even though the Navy never credited the organisation with designing or directing the reforms.

What can and cannot be credited to TTSA

A careful assessment distinguishes between influence and authorship.

What TTSA can reasonably be credited with

TTSA helped normalise discussion of military UAP reports in several ways:

• It provided a prominent public platform for former defence and intelligence officials who argued that the issue should be treated professionally.
• It brought authentic Navy videos and pilot testimony into mainstream news coverage.
• It consistently framed unexplained encounters as matters of aviation safety and national security rather than simply entertainment or conspiracy.
• It contributed to reducing the professional stigma associated with discussing unusual military encounters in public.[The Washington Post]washingtonpost.comThe Washington Post UFO sightings: U.S. Navy drafts guidelines to reportThe Washington PostUFO sightings: U.S. Navy drafts guidelines to report - The Washington PostApril 25, 2019…Published: April 25, 2019

What TTSA cannot reasonably be credited with

Available evidence does not support stronger claims that sometimes appear in popular discussions.

There is no evidence that TTSA:

The Navy consistently explained its reforms as responses to operational safety, security concerns and repeated reports from service members. Congressional interest, military observations and broader media attention all contributed to the policy environment. TTSA was one influential participant within that wider process rather than the sole driver.[history.com]history.comus navy ufo sighting guidelinesReporting UFO Sightings to the US Navy Just Got Easier | HISTORYApril 25, 2019…Published: April 25, 2019

Reporting reform as TTSA’s most lasting policy impact

TTSA’s broader scientific ambitions remain debated, and many of its more ambitious technological claims have not been independently validated. Its most durable institutional legacy lies elsewhere.

By helping shift the conversation from “belief in UFOs” to “reporting unidentified aerial phenomena as potential flight-safety and security hazards”, TTSA contributed to a lasting change in how military encounters were discussed. The Navy’s 2019 reporting reforms reflected that new framing by encouraging structured reporting and objective analysis instead of informal handling or cultural dismissal. Subsequent Department of Defense efforts to standardise UAP reporting built upon the same principle that unidentified aerial incidents should first be treated as operational data requiring investigation, regardless of whether conventional explanations are ultimately found.[navy.mil]secnav.navy.milJune 11, 2026…Published: June 11, 2026

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Endnotes

1. Source: history.com
Title: us navy ufo sighting guidelines
Link:https://www.history.com/articles/us-navy-ufo-sighting-guidelines

Published: April 25, 2019

2. Source: wtop.com
Title: News‘Remove the stigma’: Navy changing its guidelines for reporting UFOs
Link:https://wtop.com/government/2019/05/changes-for-navy-pilots-reporting-ufos-follow-strange-sightings/

3. Source: secnav.navy.mil
Link:https://www.secnav.navy.mil/foia/readingroom/CaseFiles/UAP%20INFO/2024-000568%20CNO%20Message%20UAP%20Reporting%20OCT23_Redacted.pdf

Published: June 11, 2026

4. Source: doncio.navy.mil
Link:https://www.doncio.navy.mil/Chips/ArticleDetails.aspx?ID=16370

5. Source: navy.mil
Link:https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2240032/history-is-calling-submit-your-command-operations-report/

Published: December 6, 2019

6. Source: navy.mil
Link:https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/2238635/navy-announces-upcoming-administrative-processes-to-achieve-best-ever-performan/

7. Source: military.com
Title: U S Navy Drafting New Guidelines for Reporting UFOs | Military.com
Link:https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/04/24/us-navy-drafting-new-guidelines-reporting-ufos.html

8. Source: navy.mil
Title: Announces FY-19 GMT Requirements > United States Navy > display-pressreleases
Link:https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/2247019/navy-announces-fy-19-gmt-requirements/

9. Source: mynavyhr.navy.mil
Link:https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/References/BUPERS-Instructions/

10. Source: washingtonpost.com
Title: The Washington Post UFO sightings: U.S. Navy drafts guidelines to report
Link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/04/24/how-angry-pilots-got-navy-stop-dismissing-ufo-sightings/

Published: April 25, 2019

11. Source: scmp.com
Link:https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3007462/us-navy-drafting-new-guidelines-reporting-ufos

12. Source: washingtonpost.com
Title: Navy: No release of UFO information to the general public expected
Link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/navy-no-release-of-ufo-information-to-the-general-public-expected/2019/05/01/25ef6426-6b82-11e9-9d56-1c0cf2c7ac04_story.html

Additional References

13. Source: acquisition.gov
Title: part 5204 administrative matters
Link:https://www.acquisition.gov/nmcars/part-5204-administrative-matters

Published: July 11, 2022

14. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6F-TWyrbyU

15. Source: youtube.com
Title: Navy Fighter Pilot: The Truth About UFOs. “I’ve Seen Them With My Own Eyes”
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9hCc2RTIhI

16. Source: youtube.com
Title: Christopher Mellon on military’s UFO encounters
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5sXEeP1C-s

17. Source: youtube.com
Title: UFO Sightings: Navy Pilots Share Their Experiences | NOVA | PBS
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UP3c5UhlC8

18. Source: euronews.com
Link:https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/30/u-s-navy-revising-rules-encourage-pilots-report-unusual-sightings-ncna999801

19. Source: abcnews.com
Link:https://abcnews.com/politics/exclusive-trump-unidentified-flying-objects/story?id=63725191

20. Source: stripes.com
Link:https://www.stripes.com/Branches/Navy/2019-04-24/Wow-What-is-that-man-Navy-revamping-policy-for-UFO-reports-1480088.html

21. Source: theblackvault.com
Title: U.S. Navy Drafting “UFO Reporting Guidelines” – But What Does That Mean?
Link:https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/u-s-navy-drafting-ufo-reporting-guidelines-but-what-does-that-mean/

22. Source: defensenews.com
Title: Aliens, ahoy! Navy developing guidelines on reporting UFO sightings
Link:https://www.defensenews.com/off-duty/military-culture/2019/04/25/aliens-ahoy-navy-developing-guidelines-on-reporting-ufo-sightings/