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April 2, 2025—Picture a sky alive with drones so advanced they evade radar like specters. Amid that swarm, an alien craft could lurk unseen. The Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) bears the task of decoding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), yet a 21-page FOIA release—case 22-F-0863—reveals a fortress of redactions shielding their efforts. Ashes on Air ventures beyond the blackouts to explore a pressing question: could DARPA’s cutting-edge drones be turning the UAP quest into a cosmic misadventure?

AARO’s Veiled Origins

On April 1, 2025, the DoD relinquished these pages following John Greenewald Jr.’s 2022 FOIA request, chronicling AARO’s nascent steps from June 2021 to February 2022 under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security (OUSD(I&S)). Yet vast sections vanish under exemptions (b)(5) for deliberative talks and (b)(6) for privacy. AARO cloaks more than identities—they obscure strategies and technologies that might confirm suspicions about drones confounding the alien hunt.

Consider June 25, 2021: David Taylor emails Ronald Moultrie about Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks signing a memo to “formalize activities & establish procedures” for UAPs, aligning with a DNI report release (page 6). This marks a shift from the Navy’s UAP Task Force to a broader mandate, but redacted specifics hint at hidden scope—perhaps involving drone technology.

Congress Presses for Clarity

By July 13, 2021, Neill Tipton informs Moultrie of a briefing to 28 senators—13 SSCI, 15 SASC—that extends 45 minutes beyond its allotted time (page 10). Their opening salvo—“why have you not done anything yet?” (page 11)—underscores urgency. Tipton cites “standardization of reporting” and “direction to pilots,” yet the substantive Q&A lies buried in redactions. Might they have questioned whether drones, such as DARPA’s hypersonic creations, merge into UAP sightings? AARO’s reticence leaves the answer elusive.

Drones Beneath the Shroud: A Theory Emerges

One theory posits that DARPA’s drones—like X-61A Gremlins or HAWC missiles—navigate the skies, emulating UAPs and potentially masking extraterrestrial signals. The FOIA offers no explicit DARPA mention, but subtle traces emerge:

• Technological Echoes: A December 1, 2021, email from Lt. Col. Uriah Orland proposes Lex Fridman’s MIT AI and robotics expertise for AOIMSG—AARO’s precursor—noting DARPA-funded origins (page 7). Should MIT produce drones mirroring UAP traits—swift, stealthy, unconventional—this theory gains traction.
• Concealed Blueprints: Tipton’s September 30, 2021, email references a “holistic DoD Collection and Analysis Strategy” and “Technical Roadmap” (page 22), both obscured by redactions. These might catalog drone characteristics—or misidentifications—clouding the extraterrestrial divide.
• Expansive Reach: Hicks’ November 23, 2021, AOIMSG memo, outlined in the OSD(PA) Briefing Card, targets “airborne objects” in Special Use Airspace (SUA). This wide net ensnares drones—if DARPA saturates SUA, alien evidence could fade into the background.

AARO’s Redaction Bastion: Secrets Unyielded

AARO fortifies its silence with redactions:

• Strategic Concealment: December 13, 2021, emails between Moultrie and Taylor withhold a UAP data process—“not dependent on a single individual” (page 15). Does it address drone differentiation? The answer remains redacted.
• Aircrew Enigma: Greg Christ’s January 17, 2022, email conceals questions for pilots following UAP encounters (page 23). Do these probe drone signatures or alien markers? AARO guards the truth.
• Leadership Ambiguity: On February 2, 2022, Taylor and Cummings nominate a UAP Director, with Moultrie’s “agreed upon criteria” obscured (page 18). Could drone proficiency be a requisite? Redactions prevail.

This pattern suggests intent—AARO protects pivotal insights. Should DARPA’s drones replicate UAP behaviors, these omissions might safeguard classified operations—or mask AARO’s analytical shortcomings.

Tensions and Uncertainties

The OSD(PA) Briefing Card confesses, “We currently lack the data to indicate whether UAP are part of a foreign collection program or indicative of a major technology advancement by a potential adversary.” Hicks’ directive (page 9) and AOIMSG’s inception (page 14) underscore priority, yet Tipton’s plea—“look across the Department for help” (page 21)—reveals resource strain. The Briefing Card notes, “Encounters with UAP are often brief… we need more data” (page 2). Should drones overwhelm reports, AARO struggles to isolate alien from artificial. Senators’ July 13 demand for FY22 NDAA action (page 11) promises pressure, but AARO holds its ground.

Casting Light on Shadows

AARO’s shroud and DARPA’s drone ingenuity might entomb alien traces within a technological fog. What lies beneath—deliberate concealment or mere disarray? Readers may weigh in below—Ashes on Air pursues the shadows, for the sky harbors secrets too vast to ignore.

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Sources

• FOIA Response 22-F-0863 – DoD Freedom of Information Division
• OSD(PA) Briefing Card – AOIMSG Establishment Memo
• The Pentagon Says AATIP Wasn’t About UFOs—But the Man Slated to Take It Over Ended Up Designing the Government’s UAP Strategy – The Black Vault