UFOs & Disclosure

Government leaks, sightings, and the truth behind unidentified aerial phenomena.

2025 08 11 08 16 29 1024x597 1

FAA Records Add ‘Black Cube’ Sighting to Wright-Patterson AFB Drone Mystery

Newly released Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents obtained by The Black Vault under FOIA case 2025-04622 add significant new information to the still-developing story about a series of unauthorized drone incursions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in December 2024. These records, drawn primarily from the FAA’s SKYWATCH system, supplement the earlier Air Force FOIA release (2025-01757-F) previously covered by The Black Vault, and they introduce a striking new element: the report of a “black cube”-shaped “UAS” observed at around 16,000 feet.
SKYWATCH is an FAA operations security platform used to collect and disseminate reports of suspicious or unauthorized aerial activity, often relayed through Air Traffic Control Towers, FAA regional offices, and the Domestic Events Network. It serves as a central alert system for potential security risks, with reports often shared with law enforcement and military security forces.
Here is a breakdown summary of the events just released as a result of this case, and drawing from the SKYWATCH system. The documents themselves (located at the bottom of this article) go into greater detail.Continue scrolling for more…

Event #1 – December 14, 2024 (03:55Z)Air traffic controllers observed a drone over multiple sensitive locations on base, including the Hot Cargo Ramp, the south side of Runway 5L, the military ramp, and the east side of the airfield. Base security reported the drones were turning their lights off and flying past them in close proximity. The incident triggered NOTAMs (M1132/24 and M1133/24) for an airfield closure, with the information broadcast on the ATIS. The closure remained in effect until base leadership met later that morning.

Event #2 – December 17, 2024 (04:41Z)Multiple radar targets, presumed to be drones, were observed on tower radar. No visual confirmation was made, but the Riverside Police Department was notified.
Event #3 – December 17, 2024 (04:58Z)The situation escalated when ZID Center radar detected between seven and seventeen targets within 40 miles of the airport. Wright-Patterson Security Forces on the ground confirmed the objects were drones. Riverside Police were again contacted. The report categorized the incident as a “swarm” involving multiple unmanned aircraft.

Event #4 – December 17, 2024 (18:08Z)An aircraft on approach reported seeing a silver drone approximately five nautical miles southeast of Wright-Patterson at 3,200 feet. The pilot took no evasive action. FAA quality assurance later logged coordinates placing the object within the Dayton area, consistent with the Wright-Patterson region.
Event #5 – December 19, 2024 (18:45Z)The most unusual report came from an aircraft westbound at 16,000 feet near Appleton VOR, roughly 70–80 miles east-northeast of Wright-Patterson. The crew reported a drone “passing beneath them by about 500 feet” and described it as a “black cube.” FAA quality assurance assigned coordinates to the sighting, placing it well east of the base, but it occurred within the same week as the other incursions and was documented in the same SKYWATCH dataset.
Located within the “Drone Sightings Near Airports” reports located at the FAA’s website, the sighting above described as a “black cube” is listed, however, the description of it being a “black cube” was removed, or intentionally not included.

The earlier Air Force records documented numerous sightings by Security Forces personnel of multiple drones over Areas A and B of the base, some flying in formations and performing rapid altitude changes. Many were described as turning lights off, maneuvering in ways consistent with evasion, and in some cases appearing over sensitive areas like the flightline and base gates. However, the “black cube” sighting did not appear in the Air Force release. The FAA records now confirm that during the same operational window, pilots and controllers were also logging high-altitude, unusually shaped drone activity, broadening the scope of what was occurring in the region’s airspace.
The FAA data mirrors many of the Air Force incident points but adds radar “swarm” data, aircraft pilot reports, and precise coordinates where available. The coordinates from the December 17 silver drone sighting place it within the Wright-Patterson airspace vicinity, while the December 19 “black cube” coordinates are farther east but along a flight corridor that could connect to the operational area around the base during that week’s security incidents.
This is the approximate location of the “Black Cube” sighting (black marker) in relationship to WPAFB (red marker) and the “Silver UAS” (blue marker) as described by their latitude/longitude coordinates in the documents
While most of the December 2024 events involved drones at altitudes that could be considered typical of hobbyist or small commercial systems, the “black cube” report at 16,000 feet raises questions about capabilities far beyond those of standard small UAS operations. Whether connected to the Wright-Patterson incursions directly or it is a separate high-altitude event all together, its inclusion in FAA’s SKYWATCH reporting during the same security surge is notable.
Together, the Air Force and FAA FOIA releases now establish that multiple confirmed incursions occurred over and around Wright-Patterson in December 2024, including “swarms”; that a base closure and NOTAM airfield closure were directly tied to drone activity; that FAA radar detected up to seventeen simultaneous targets within 40 miles; and that a rare, pilot-reported sighting of a “black cube” drone at high altitude was documented during the same period. These details expand the public record and offer new leads in understanding the scale and sophistication of the aerial activity that prompted Wright-Patterson’s partial shutdown.
Note: Imagery used in this article are artist renditions based on descriptions of the event.
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Document Archive
2025-04622 Released Records [8 Pages, 0.5MB]
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FBI Files: Directors, Agents and Personnel of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

 Abramson, Harold Alexander – [20 Pages, 9.9 MB] – Harold Alexander Abramson (November 27, 1899 – September 1980) was an American physician (allergist and pediatrician) noted as an early advocate of therapeutic LSD. He played a significant role in CIA’s MKULTRA program to investigate the military applications of LSD.

Angleton, James Jesus – FBI Release #1 – [347 Pages, 83.4 MB] Angleton, James Jesus – FBI Release #2 (Final) – [97 Pages, 7MB] – James Jesus Angleton (December 9, 1917 – May 11, 1987) was chief of CIA Counterintelligence from 1954 to 1975. His official position within the organization was “Associate Deputy Director of Operations for Counterintelligence (ADDOCI)”. Angleton was significantly involved in the U.S. response to the purported KGB defectors Anatoliy Golitsyn and Yuri Nosenko. Angleton later became convinced the CIA harbored a high-ranking mole, and engaged in an intensive search. Whether this was a highly destructive witch hunt or appropriate caution vindicated by later moles remains a subject of intense historical debate.

 Bissell, Richard – FBI Release #1 – [36 Pages, 3MB] Bissell, Richard – FBI Release #2 – [9 Pages, 3.5MB] – Richard Mervin Bissell Jr. (September 18, 1909 – February 7, 1994) was a Central Intelligence Agency officer responsible for major projects such as the U-2 spy plane and the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

 Buckley, William Francis – William Francis Buckley (May 30, 1928 – June 3, 1985) was a United States Army officer and CIA station chief in Beirut from 1984 until 1985. His cover was as a Political Officer at the US Embassy.  He died on or around June 3, 1985—five months before the date claimed by his captors—while in the custody of Hezbollah. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and is commemorated with a star on the Memorial Wall at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Colby, William – FBI Release #1 – [128 Pages, 8.7MB] –Colby, William – FBI Release #2 – [134 Pages, 9.5MB] – William Egan Colby (1920-1996) was an American intelligence officer and diplomat who served as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from 1973 to 1976 during a transformative period for the U.S. intelligence community. A World War II veteran and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) operative, Colby had a long, varied career in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), beginning in 1950. He was instrumental in controversial covert actions like the Phoenix Program during the Vietnam War, aimed at dismantling the Viet Cong’s infrastructure. As DCI, Colby faced a tumultuous time marked by increased scrutiny of CIA activities; he was a key figure during the Church Committee hearings of the 1970s, where he divulged classified information about the Agency’s questionable practices, leading to significant changes in oversight and control of American intelligence operations. His candid approach brought both commendation for transparency and criticism for revealing too much, the latter leading to his forced resignation in 1976.

 Conein, Lucien – [45 Pages, 8.3MB] – Lt. Col. Lucien Emile Conein (born 29 November 1919, Paris, France – died 3 June 1998, Bethesda, Maryland) was a noted U.S. Army officer and OSS/CIA operative. Among other exploits, he was instrumental in the November 1963 coup against Ngô Đình Diệm that resulted in Diệm’s assassination, having served as Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.’s liaison officer with the coup plotters and delivering $42,000 of the known cash disbursements.  He later ran secret operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Although the FBI said that additional possible records could exist, they claim they could not find/locate them.

 Cameron, Donald Ewen – [21 Pages, 8.3MB] – Donald Ewen Cameron (24 December 1901 – 8 September 1967) — known as D. Ewen Cameron or Ewen Cameron — was a Scottish-born psychiatrist who served as President of the American Psychiatric Association (1952–1953), Canadian Psychiatric Association (1958-1959), American Psychopathological Association (1963), Society of Biological Psychiatry (1965) and World Psychiatric Association (1961-1966). In spite of his high professional reputation, he has been criticized for administering electroshock therapy and experimental drugs to patients without their informed consent. Some of this work took place in the context of the Project MKUltra mind control program.

Clarridge, Duane –  [17 Pages, 2.8MB] – Duane Ramsdell “Dewey” Clarridge (April 16, 1932 – April 9, 2016) was an American senior operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and supervisor for more than 30 years. Clarridge was the chief of the Latin American division from 1981 to 1987 and a key figure in the Iran-Contra Affair.

George, Clair– FBI Release #1 –  [64 Pages, 9MB]George, Clair – FBI Release #2 –  [64 Pages, 2.2MB] – Clair Elroy George (August 3, 1930 – August 11, 2011) was a prominent American intelligence officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Over his three-decade career, he became known for his expertise in espionage and counterintelligence, holding several key positions, including Deputy Director for Operations. George played a pivotal role during the Cold War, overseeing clandestine operations globally. His career was marked by controversy during the Iran-Contra affair, where he was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice, though later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. Clair George’s legacy remains a significant chapter in the history of U.S. intelligence operations.

 Gottlieb, Sidney – FBI Release #1 – [43 Pages, 15.4MB] – Sidney Gottlieb (born Joseph Scheider; August 3, 1918 – March 7, 1999) was an American chemist and spymaster best known for his involvement with the Central Intelligence Agency’s 1950s and ’60s assassination attempts and mind control program, known as Project MKUltra.

 Harvey, William King – [376 Pages, 172 MB] – William King “Bill” Harvey (September 13, 1915 – June 9, 1976) was a Central Intelligence Agency officer, best known for his role in Operation Mongoose. He was known as “America’s James Bond”, a tag given to him by Edward Lansdale.

 Helms, Richard – [342 Pages, 190 MB] Helms, Richard – Letter stating additional FBI Records were destroyed – [2 Pages, 0.4MB]Richard McGarrah Helms (March 30, 1913 – October 23, 2002) served as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from June 1966 to February 1973. Helms began intelligence work with the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Following the 1947 creation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) he rose in its ranks during the Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy administrations. Helms then served as DCI under Johnson, then Nixon.

 Maheu, Robert – [1,151 Pages, 852MB] – (Note: This is a large file. It is recommended you right click and select “save as” instead of opening in a browser).Continue scrolling for more…

Robert Aime Maheu (October 30, 1917 – August 4, 2008) was an American businessman and lawyer, who worked for the FBI and CIA, and as the chief executive of Nevada operations for the industrialist Howard Hughes. Maheu said: “The CIA was my first steady client, giving me ‘cut-out’ assignments [those jobs in which the Agency could not officially be involved].”

Marchetti, Victor– [30 Pages, 2.2MB] – Victor Leo Marchetti, Jr. (December 23, 1929-October 19, 2018) was a special assistant to the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency who later became a prominent critic of the United States Intelligence Community and the Israel lobby in the United States.

 McCone, John – [746 Pages, 46.4MB] – John Alexander McCone (January 4, 1902 – February 14, 1991) was an American businessman and politician who served as Director of Central Intelligence during the height of the Cold War.  After the disaster of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, president John F. Kennedy forced the resignation of the CIA director Allen Dulles and some of his staff. McCone replaced Dulles on November 29, 1961.

Millis, John I. – [184 Pages, 103MB] – John I. Millis was a former case officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who also served as the top staff member of the House Intelligence Committee.

Montgomery, Hugh – [746 Pages, 46.4MB] – Hugh Montgomery (November 29, 1923 – April 6, 2017) was a United States diplomat and intelligence officer. He served for 63 years with the Central Intelligence Agency and has been called one of the CIA’s founding fathers.

 Paisley, John – [297 Pages, 183.3MB] – John Arthur Paisley (August 25, 1923 – September 24, 1978) was a former official of the Central Intelligence Agency.  Paisley served in the CIA from 1963 to 1974. During his career, he was heavily involved in Soviet operations. Paisley retired as deputy director in the Office of Strategic Research, the branch that monitored Soviet military movements and nuclear capabilities.

Shackley, Theodore “Ted” – [340 Pages, 96MB] – Theodore George “Ted” Shackley, Jr. (July 16, 1927 — December 9, 2002) was an American CIA officer involved in many important and controversial CIA operations during the 1960s and 1970s. He is one of the most decorated CIA officers. Due to his “light hair and mysterious ways”, Shackley was known to his colleagues as “the Blond Ghost”. Note: There are 1,092 (approximate) additional pages which will require $40 to get. Please CONTACT if you are interested in sponsoring the file.

Tofte, Hans – FBI Release #1 – [33 Pages, 3.4MB]Tofte, Hans – FBI Release #2 – [41 Pages, 5.4MB] – Hans V. Tofte (1911–1987) was a Danish-American intelligence officer who played a significant role in Allied and U.S. covert operations during and after World War II. Born in Copenhagen, he fled Nazi-occupied Europe and joined the British Special Operations Executive, training guerrilla fighters in Burma and China. He later served with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Yugoslavia and Italy, where he supported resistance groups and earned the Legion of Merit. After the war, he joined the CIA and became known for bold paramilitary missions, including a 1951 operation that intercepted medical supplies bound for Chinese forces in Korea. Tofte was also involved in Cold War operations in Latin America, including the 1954 coup in Guatemala. His CIA career ended in 1966 amid controversy over classified documents found in his home. He retired with his pension and lived out his final years in New York, passing away in 1987.

White, George Hunter FBI Release #1 (to The Black Vault) – [53 Pages, 3.5MB]
 White, George Hunter FBI Release #1 (third party requester, archived here for reference) – [19 Pages, 12.9MB] White, George Hunter FBI Release #2 (third party requester, archived here for reference) – [31 Pages, 20.7MB] – George Hunter White was a CIA operative who had worked on the MKULTRA / Mind Control projects.  He was also heavily involved in the previous OSS “truth drug” experiments.
 

Wilson, Edwin Paul – [651 Pages, 304MB] – Edwin Paul Wilson (May 3, 1928 – September 10, 2012) was a former CIA and Office of Naval Intelligence officer who was convicted in 1983 of illegally selling weapons to Libya. It was later found that the United States Department of Justice and the CIA had covered up evidence in the case. Wilson’s convictions were overturned in 2003 and he was freed the following year.

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2025 08 04 07 12 04

DOD Releases “Verbal Legal Advisement” Given to UFO Whistleblower David Grusch

David Grusch
The Department of Defense (DOD) has released, in full, the exact text of the “Verbal Legal Advisement” presented to UFO whistleblower David Grusch and likely other witnesses during All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) interviews. The release, under FOIA case 24-F-1138 filed by The Black Vault in April 2024, answers questions raised in previous disclosures and sheds new light on how AARO sought to address concerns about security, legal liability, and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) for witnesses providing classified UAP-related testimony.
In 2023 and 2024, AARO made numerous documented attempts to interview David Grusch regarding his claims of government involvement with and knowledge about extraterrestrial materials and reverse engineering programs. As detailed in prior FOIA releases (24-F-0266), Grusch repeatedly raised questions about whether AARO was legally authorized to receive highly classified information, including materials covered by NDAs and Special Access Programs (SAPs).
AARO staff responded by providing memorandums from both the Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, explicitly affirming AARO’s legal authority to receive all levels of UAP-related information “notwithstanding any nondisclosure agreement you may have signed”.Continue scrolling for more…

March 8. 2023, memorandum by Major General David W. Abba
Despite this, Grusch continued to seek written and verbal assurances and requested further documentation about policies and procedures for handling such information, specifically questioning the limits of AARO’s authority and the protections for those disclosing sensitive material.
FOIA case 24-F-1138, filed in April 2024 by The Black Vault, specifically sought the wording of the “Verbal Legal Advisement” referenced in previous correspondence with Grusch. The DOD’s full release now makes this critical document available to the public for the first time.
The advisement, read aloud to witnesses prior to interviews, sets forth the following key points:

Voluntary Participation: Witnesses are asked to confirm their participation is voluntary and that they may end the interview or decline to answer questions at any time.
Privacy Act and Ownership: The interview is conducted primarily to collect historical information, with the understanding that transcripts and materials belong to the U.S. Government, may be shared with Congress, and are subject to the Privacy Act.
Legal Status of Disclosures: Critically, the advisement states: “Do you understand that for the limited purpose of this oral history, and only during the course of our discussion in this Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), that the information you disclose is not subject to any Nondisclosure Agreement you have signed?”Witnesses are then advised:“Upon completion of this interview today all non-disclosure agreements remain in full force.”
Potential Consequences for False Statements: The advisement also warns witnesses that knowingly providing false information can result in criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and that withholding or falsifying information may negatively affect their security clearance and federal employment.

The entire “verbal legal advisement” is below:

The advisement is grounded in explicit statutory language. Section 1673 of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides that AARO is “authorized to receive any information related to UAP regardless of classification, and notwithstanding any nondisclosure agreement you may have signed.” This statutory authority is reaffirmed in memorandums from both the DOD Special Access Program Central Office and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, released to Grusch and now public through FOIA:

“Individuals with current or previous access to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)-related information which is subject to a USG Nondisclosure Agreement are authorized to provide this otherwise protected information to AARO representatives.”
“The provision of UAP-related information which is subject to a Nondisclosure Agreement to AARO personnel constitutes an authorized disclosure if the information is provided and received for the limited purpose of conducting AARO’s assigned mission…”

Office of the Director of National Intelligence, CAPCO Memo, stating authorization for witnesses to testify to AARO
Despite these written and verbal assurances, Grusch continued to seek additional documentation, expressing concern that simply citing the law and a DOD memo might not be sufficient protection, particularly given the complex patchwork of security policies and compartmented access involved. In emails, Grusch pressed for further clarification and asked for memos from additional agencies, including the CIA and Department of Energy, to address SAPs and other access restrictions.
AARO’s position, as reflected in both the advisement and supporting memoranda, is that the law provides broad statutory protection for such disclosures, so long as they occur within the scope of an official AARO interview and in an appropriate secure environment (like a SCIF). The advisement makes clear that any protections are limited to the duration and context of the interview itself. After the interview, all NDAs resume full effect.
As indicated by the released official documents and legal advisement, witnesses disclosing information to AARO in accordance with the advisement and in a secure setting are protected by federal law from NDA enforcement for those specific disclosures. Section 1673 of the FY23 NDAA is explicit, and violation of this provision by DOD officials, such as pursuing retaliation or NDA enforcement for authorized disclosures, would be a violation of federal law. Federal employees who act in bad faith or retaliate against whistleblowers may be subject to administrative or legal sanctions, though specific criminal penalties would depend on the circumstances and intent.
Could the DoD be lying to Grusch in order to pursue legal action after his disclosures during the interview? That is highly unlikely, as knowingly misrepresenting the legal status of NDAs or misleading witnesses about their protections could result in administrative or even criminal consequences under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 (false statements), or for violation of whistleblower protection laws.
The release of the “Verbal Legal Advisement” resolves a longstanding question about what witnesses like David Grusch were told before being asked to testify to AARO. The advisement confirms that, at least for the duration of the official interview, NDAs do not bar disclosure of UAP-related information to AARO. The law provides specific statutory protection for such disclosures, and the DOD has now placed these assurances on the public record.
But, what if the interview needed to extend beyond UAP-related information?
“The key issue here is that many of these activities have conventional classified and compartmented Security Classification Guides that also cover non-UAP activities as well,” Grusch said in a November 13th, 2023, email to the staff of AARO. “To discuss the UAP-related activities would also expose these conventional SAP mission areas. An oral history interview subject must also be absolved of this obligation to protect this information as well, some of it may be bigoted or WAIVED (lAW DODI 5205.11 and 10 USC Sec 119).”  This was a concern and issue that Grusch never felt was properly addressed, hence why he did not show for a schedule meeting with them that was originally set that next day on November 14th.
The statutory protections granted by the DoD and the AARO apply specifically to “UAP-related information,” as defined by Section 1673 of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Verbal Legal Advisement and supporting policy memoranda make clear that witnesses can disclose any information directly related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) during official interviews, and that such disclosures are not subject to any nondisclosure agreements for the duration of the interview. Both DOD and ODNI memoranda affirm that these protections apply when disclosures are made in a secure setting and in the context of AARO’s authorized mission.
While these protections do not explicitly extend to information that lies outside the defined bounds of UAP-related topics, the legal advisement provided to witnesses specifically states that participation is voluntary, witnesses may choose not to answer any question, and the interview can be ended at any time. This means that even if there are classified or compartmented matters unrelated to UAPs that a witness feels cannot be shared, all UAP-related information can be disclosed without violating NDAs. If questioning were to extend into areas outside the UAP mandate, the advisement already protects the witness’s right to withhold responses and to withdraw from the interview if necessary.
Given these protections, witnesses are fully authorized to provide testimony and be interviewed on all UAP-related information, without fear of breaching nondisclosure agreements. Any information outside the statutory definition could be omitted, but the law and the DOD’s own procedures make clear that witnesses like Grusch could have participated, disclosed all UAP-related knowledge, and simply declined to answer or end the interview if questions moved beyond those bounds. There is no ambiguity about the legal cover provided for UAP-related disclosures within the formal process.
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Note: This article focuses on the 2023 correspondence and scheduled meeting between David Grusch and AARO. According to reporting by Matt Laslo on July 18, 2025, Representative Eric Burlison stated that “[David Grusch] and I met with AARO. And separately he and AARO had a long conversation.” However, the specific context, content, and details of those meetings have not been independently confirmed. The Black Vault has submitted additional FOIA requests seeking further information.
Document Archive
OSD/JS FOIA Case 24-F-1138 [3 pages, 0.8MB]

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Declassified DoD Interviews Reveal Soviet Cold War Fears and Nuclear Realities

A released Department of Defense document, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act,provides a rare and candid look inside the Soviet leadership’s strategic mindset during the Cold War.The 152-page file compiles firsthand interviews with senior Soviet military officials, policymakers, and Western counterparts, exposing a mix of overestimation, fear, and internal debate that shaped the era’sarms race and nuclear brinkmanship.
Conducted primarily in the early 1990s, the interviews were part of a formal study by the Office of Net Assessment, drawing on the testimony of Soviet officers such as Marshal Sergei Akhromeev, General Andriian Danilevich, and Western figures including former U.S. Secretary of Defense Harold Brown.The collection offers new insight into how both sides viewed nuclear deterrence,the potential for war, and the logic behind massive arms buildups.
Soviet Doubts About Nuclear WarfightingContinue scrolling for more…

The document reveals that, by the 1970s, leading Soviet military thinkers had concluded that nuclear weapons were not true warfighting tools, but rather political instruments of deterrence. “At no time did the USSR ever intend to make first use of nuclear weapons,” Marshal Akhromeev told U.S. researchers, explaining that although a preemptive attack would offer an advantage in theory, neither side would actually win if nuclear war began. He described nuclear arms as “political tools,” and noted that both superpowers’ command and control systems for nuclear forces reached full reliability only in themid-1970s, greatly reducing the risk of unauthorized or accidental use.
General Danilevich described how the results of secret Soviet computer models, shown to Brezhnevand other Politburo members in the early 1970s, predicted catastrophic devastation after a nuclear exchange. According to the unpublished findings, the Soviet armed forces would be “reduced to 1/1000 of their previous strength,” with 80 million Soviet citizens killed and 85% of industrial capacity destroyed. Danilevich recalled that Brezhnev was “visibly terrified” by the exercise and had to be reassured that it was not a real launch. The summary of this study was never published, as its message was judged “too psychologically detrimental to morale and resolve.” Instead, later models artificially reduced predicted destruction to make nuclear war appear less suicidal, a practice that continued into the 1980s.
Strategic Misperceptions and Internal Rivalries
The interviews point to a persistent pattern of misreading the other side’s intentions. Akhromeev, who was initially distrustful of the U.S., said that face-to-face meetings with American generals in the late 1980s changed his views, revealing that both sides had long misunderstood each other’s actual policies and motivations. “Each side made a tremendous misreading of the other side’s intentions, which led to a greater possibility of accidental strikes,” he said, but added that there was never an imminent danger of war in the 1970–87 period.
The document also details internal disputes within the Soviet leadership, especially between the General Staff, political authorities, and the powerful industrial sector. General Batenin recalled deep tensions between military planners and party leaders over decisions such as force structure and the production of new weapons, with disagreement over whether quantity or quality should be prioritized. The interviews highlight that subjective factors, political alliances, and personal relationships often overrode technical analysis in weapons procurement and strategy.
Economic Pressure and Arms Buildup
A recurring theme in the interviews is the immense economic burden of the Soviet arms race. Sergei Blagovolin, who worked on assessing the U.S. industrial mobilization potential, recalled that Soviet planners estimated the U.S. could produce “50 nuclear submarines and 50,000 tanks per year” in a mobilization scenario. These threat assessments were used for decades to justify vast increases in Soviet military spending and production, which ultimately contributed to the economic strains that weakened the USSR in the 1980s.
Chemical and New Weapons
On chemical weapons, both Soviet and U.S. interviewees agreed that the USSR maintained large stockpiles as a “secondary means” of warfare, to be used only if nuclear escalation could be avoided or in retaliation. Soviet planners consistently matched U.S. capabilities, but chemical weapons were viewed as fundamentally less decisive than nuclear arms.
There is also acknowledgment that both superpowers tracked and attempted to match technological innovations—such as cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions, and laser-based weapons—but economic and political realities limited their actual impact on the nuclear balance.
Political Leadership and Decision-Making
The interviews note the sometimes limited military experience of Soviet political leaders, with Brezhnev described as “very weak in the area of military decision making,” often leaving key decisions to the Minister of Defense and the General Staff. Final choices on weapons development and arms control frequently reflected a compromise between military advice, party priorities, and the interests of the defense industry.
Lasting Lessons
The released record offers a rare, unfiltered view of the late Cold War from the perspective of both Soviet and Western insiders. The testimony shows that, beneath the rhetoric and buildup, both sides recognized the catastrophic potential of nuclear war and relied on deterrence—not victory—as the true goal. The collection reveals how misperceptions, internal politics, and economic exhaustion shaped the course of the Cold War, and how close both superpowers came to the brink while ultimately avoiding direct conflict.
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Document Archive
The Crowded Path to Unlimited Soviet Arsenals: What Soviet Party Leaders, General Staff, and Industrialists Thought They Were Doing in the Cold War [153 Pages, 6.5MB]

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Part 2: What Ancient Archaeology IS in Antarctica?

“Who tampers with Google maps once an image with lat/long are given in a public web forum or news media about a subject as apparently sensitive to government intelligence agencies as the alien presence of ancient archaeological structures and artifacts in Antarctica?”
– Linda Moulton Howe, Reporter and Editor Earthfiles.com

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Part 1: What Ancient Archaeology IS in Antarctica?

— “My government, NASA, which many of us in the U. S. say stands for Never A Straight Answer, proceeded to erase 40 rolls of film of the Apollo Program — the flight to the Moon, the flight around the Moon, the landings on the Moon, the walking of guys here and there. NASA erased, for Christ’s sake, 40 rolls of film of those events! Now we’re talking about several thousand individual frames that were taken that the so-called authorities determined that you did not have a right to see … (because) they were ‘disruptive,’ ‘socially unacceptable,’ ‘politically unacceptable.’ I’ve become furious. I’m a retired Command Sgt. Major. I was never famous for having a lot of patience.”
– Bob Dean, U. S. Army Command Sgt. Major /NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE),speaking to European Exopolitics Summit, Barcelona, July 25, 2009

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PlanetK2 18b SpectraAtmosphere

Abundance of Methane and Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet K2-18 b Could Mean Life 124 Light-Years from Earth.

“This is a transformational moment in the search for life beyond the solar system, where we have demonstrated that it is possible to detect biosignatures in potentially habitable planets with current facilities. We have entered the era of observational astrobiology.”  

– Astrophysicist Nikku MadhusudhanUniversity of Cambridge, U. K.Institute of Astronomy

April 17, 2025:  Astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan of the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy, lead author of the study with James Webb Space Telescope published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters and JWST.

© 1998 – 2025 by Linda Moulton Howe.All Rights Reserved.

Abundance of Methane and Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet K2-18 b Could Mean Life 124 Light-Years from Earth. Read More »

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Part 1: Sasquatch That Can’t Be Killed with Bullets and Disappear in A Flash of Light.

“Until he passed away, the farmer’s son told me that he’d never forget how that large 8-foot-tall Bigfoot creature with those glowing green eyes kept looking back and staring at him as he’s firing live ammo into it. And he said there was no evidence that it was injured in any way!”

– Stan Gordon, UFO Anomalies Zone website

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© 1998 – 2025 by Linda Moulton Howe.All Rights Reserved.

Part 1: Sasquatch That Can’t Be Killed with Bullets and Disappear in A Flash of Light. Read More »

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Silent, Stationary White “Orbs” in Utah and Colorado

“Some people who saw them over Breckinridge said the white objectsformed triangles and a line. But on our camera, it seemed the objectsdid not move at all … for as long as five to fifteen minutes without movingan inch on our viewscreen in the camera. And then you would see a flashof light and they would take off across the edge of the (Baldy) mountain ridge.”

– Colorado KUSA-TV 9news Reporter Matt Renoux in Breckinridge, CO

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© 1998 – 2025 by Linda Moulton Howe.All Rights Reserved.

Silent, Stationary White “Orbs” in Utah and Colorado Read More »