Navy CHINFO Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) Briefing Card, 24 July 2020

Navy CHINFO Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) Briefing Card, 24 July 2020, released 2022-04-15, via The Black Vault. This document is a briefing card from the U.S. Navy's Chief of Information (CHINFO) dated July 24, 2020, detailing the Navy's stance on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs). The document was released to the public through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2022. The briefing card is marked "NOT FOR RELEASE" and contains sensitive information regarding UAP sightings and investigations. It was released to the public as part of the Department of Defense's (DOD) effort to clear up misconceptions about UAPs. The document begins by stating that there have been numerous reports of unauthorized and unidentified aircraft entering military-controlled training ranges and designated airspace in recent years. The Navy takes these reports seriously and investigates each incident to ensure the safety of aircrews and the security of operations. The briefing card also addresses the media interest in UAPs, citing a History Channel program in 2019 and a New York Times article in 2017 that featured Navy videos of UAPs. The Navy confirmed that the videos were indeed copies of actual Navy footage and released them to the public through the FOIA process on April 27, 2020. The document outlines the Navy's stance on UAPs, including the definition of the term, which is any aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified. The Navy uses the term UAP to avoid pre-judging the results of any investigation and to encourage aviators to report sightings without hesitation. The briefing card also discusses the Navy's investigation process, which involves multiple agencies and organizations. The information obtained from these investigations is classified, and the Navy has published a Security Classification Guidance (SCG) to protect the integrity of the investigations. The document concludes with a section on FOIA requests and responses, advising that all requests should be coordinated with DOD Public Affairs and OPNAV N2N6 Public Affairs before responding. Key messages from the briefing card include the importance of safety and security, the need to investigate each report of a UAP sighting, and the classification of information related to UAPs. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The Navy CHINFO Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Briefing Card, 24 July 2020, is available at https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/navy/PAOBriefingCard.pdf.