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by Gildas Bourdais
On Friday July 16, 1999 an important document was published in
France entitled, UFOs and Defense: What must we be prepared for?
("Les Ovni Et La Defense: A quoi doit-on se préparer?").
This
ninety-page report is the result of an in-depth study of UFOs,
covering many aspects of the subject, especially questions of
national defense. The study was carried out over several years by an
independent group of former "auditors" at the Institute of
Advanced
Studies for National Defense, or IHEDN, and by qualified experts
from various fields.
Before its public release, it has been sent to
French President Jacques Chirac and to Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
The report is prefaced by General Bernard Norlain of the Air Force,
former Director of IHEDN, and it begins with a preamble by
André Lebeau, former President of the National Center for Space Studies
(Centre National D’études Spatiales), or CNES, the French equivalent
of NASA.
The group itself, collective author of the report, is an
association of experts, many of whom are or have been auditors of
IHEDN, and it is presided over by General Denis Letty of the Air
Force, former auditor (FA) of IHEDN.
Its name "COMETA" stands for "Committee for in-depth studies." A
non-exhaustive list of members is given at the beginning which is
quite impressive. It includes:
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General Bruno Lemoine, of the Air Force (FA of IHEDN)
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Admiral Marc Merlo, (FA of IHEDN)
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Michel Algrin, Doctor in Political Sciences, attorney at law (FA of
IHEDN)
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General Pierre Bescond, engineer for armaments (FA of IHEDN)
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Denis Blancher, Chief National Police superintendent at the Ministry
of the Interior
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Christian Marchal, chief engineer of the national Corps des Mines
and Research Director at the National Office of Aeronautical
Research (ONERA)
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General Alain Orszag, Ph.D. in physics, armaments engineer
The committee also expresses its gratitude to outside contributors
including Jean-Jacques Vélasco, head of SEPRA at
CNES, François Louange, President of Fleximage, specialist in photo analysis, and General Joseph Domange, of the Air Force, general delegate of the
Association of Auditors at IHEDN.
General Norlain explains in a short preface how this committee was
created. General Letty came to see him in March 1995, when he was
Director of IHEDN, to discuss his idea of a committee on
UFOs. Norlain assured him of his interest and referred him to the
Association of Auditors of IHEDN, which in turn gave him its
support. As a result, several members of the committee come from the
Association of Auditors of IHEDN, joined by other experts.
It is interesting to recall here that, twenty years ago, it was a
report of that same Association which led to the creation of GEPAN,
the first unit for UFO study, at CNES.
Most of the committee hold, or have held, important functions in
defense, industry, teaching, research, or various central
administrations. General Norlain expresses hope that this report
will help develop new efforts in France and lead to indispensable
international cooperation.
General Letty, as president of COMETA, points to the main theme of
the report, which is that the accumulation of well documented
observations compels us now to consider all hypotheses as to the
origin of UFOs, especially extraterrestrial hypotheses. The
committee then presents the contents of the study. The first part
consists of the presentation of some remarkable cases from both
France and other countries.
In a second part, they describe the present organization of
research, in France and abroad, and studies made by scientists
worldwide which may provide partial explanations of the UFO
phenomenon, in accordance with known laws of physics. The main
global explanations are then reviewed, from secret crafts to
extraterrestrial manifestations.
In a third part, measures to be taken regarding defense are
considered, based on information from both civilian and military
pilots. Strategic, political and religious consequences, should the
extraterrestrial hypothesis be confirmed, are then discussed.
Part I: "Facts and Testimonies" (Download
file)
Many of the cases selected are well known by most researchers, and
need only be mentioned here. They are: Testimonies of French pilots:
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M. Giraud, pilot of Mirage IV (1977)
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Colonel Bosc, fighter pilot (1976)
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Air France flight AF 3532 (Jan 1994)
Aeronautical cases worldwide.
Observations from the ground:
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Tanarive (1954)Observation of a saucer near the ground by a French
pilot, J.-P. Fartek (1979)
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Observation at close range over a Russian missile site by several
witnesses (1989)
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Close encounters in France:
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Valensole (Maurice Masse, 1965)
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Cussac, Cantal (1967)
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Trans-en-Provence (1981)
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Nancy (the "Amaranth" case, 1982)
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Counter-examples of explained phenomena (two cases).
Although the selection is limited, it seems to be sufficient to
convince an uninformed but open-minded reader of the reality of
UFOs.
Part II: "The Present State of Knowledge" (Download
file)
The second part begins with a survey of the organization of official
UFO research in France, from the first instructions given to the
gendarmerie in 1974 for the recording of reports, to the creation of
GEPAN in 1977, its organization and its results, including
collection of more than 3,000 reports from the gendarmerie, cases
studies, and statistical analyses.
It then surveys agreements passed by GEPAN and, later,
SEPRA, with
the air force and the army, the civilian aviation and other
organizations, such as civilian and military laboratories, for the
analysis of samples and photographs.
Regarding SEPRA’s methods and results, we are reminded of some
famous cases (Trans-en-Provence, l’Amarante), and emphasis is placed
on catalogues of cases, notably of pilots (Weinstein catalogue), and
radar/visual reports world wide.
A historical note appears here with a quotation of the famous letter
of General Twining, of September 1947, which even then asserted the
reality of UFOs.
The following chapter, called "UFOs: Hypotheses and attempts at
modeling" ("OVNI: hypothèses,essais de modélisation") discusses some
models and hypotheses which are under study in several countries.
Partial simulations have already been made for UFO propulsion, based
on observations of aspects such as: speed, movements and
accelerations, engine failure of nearby vehicles, and paralysis of
witnesses.
One model is MHD propulsion, already tested successfully
in water, and which might be achieved in the atmosphere with
superconducting circuits, in a few decades. Other studies are
briefly mentioned regarding both atmospheric and space propulsion,
such as particle beams, antigravity, or reliance on planetary and
stellar impulsion.
It is suggested that the failure vehicle engines may be explained by
microwave radiation. In fact, high power hyperfrequency generators
are under study in France and other countries. One application is
microwave weapons. Particle beams, such as proton beams, which
ionize the air and therefore become visible, might explain the
observation of truncated luminous beams. Microwaves might explain
body paralysis.
In the same chapter global explanatory hypotheses are studied next.
Hoaxes are rare and easily detected. Some nonscientific theories are
discarded, such as conspiracy and manipulation by very secret,
powerful groups. Also rejected are parapsychological phenomena, and
collective hallucinations. The hypothesis of secret weapons is also
regarded as very improbable, as is "intoxication" or hysteria at the
time of the Cold War, along with natural phenomena.
We are then left with various extraterrestrial hypotheses. One
version has been developed in France by astronomers Jean-Claude Ribes and
Guy Monnet, based on the concept of "space islands" of
American physicist O’Neill, and it is compatible with present-day
physics.
The organization of UFO research in the United States, Great Britain
and Russia is rapidly surveyed. In the United States, the media and
the polls show a marked interest and concern of the public, but the
official position, especially of the Air Force, is still one of
denial, more precisely that there is no threat to national security.
Actually, declassified documents, released under FOIA, show another
story, one of surveillance of nuclear installations by UFOs, and the
continued study of UFOs by the military and intelligence agencies.
The report stresses the importance, in the United States, of private
independent associations. It mentions the briefing document Best
Available Evidence [available from CUFOS—see publications page] sent
in 1995 to a thousand personalities worldwide, and the Sturrock
workshop in 1997, both sponsored by Lawrence Rockefeller.
The
Best
Available Evidence has obviously been welcomed by the authors of the
COMETA report.
The committee also notes the public emergence of alleged insiders
such as
Colonel
Philip Corso, and concludes that his testimony might
be partially revealing as to the real situation in the U.S., despite
its many critics.
The report briefly describes the situation in Great Britain, with a
special mention of Nick Pope, and poses the question of the possible
existence of secret studies pursued jointly with American services.
It mentions as well research in Russia, and the release of some
information, notably by the KGB in 1991.
Part III: "UFOs and Defense" (Download
file)
In the third part the report states that if it is true that no
hostile action has been proven yet, at least some acts of
intimidation have been recorded in France (the Mirage IV case, for
instance). Since the extraterrestrial origin of UFOs cannot be ruled
out, it is therefore necessary to study the consequences of that
hypothesis at the strategic level, but also at the political,
religious and media/public information levels.
The first chapter of Part III is devoted to prospective strategies
and it begins with fundamental questions. What if UFOs are
extraterrestrial? What intentions and what strategy can we deduce
from their behavior?
Such questions open a more controversial part of the report.
Possible motivations of extraterrestrial visitors are explored here,
such as protection of planet Earth against the dangers of nuclear
war, suggested for instance by repeated flying over nuclear missile
sites.
The committee then ponders the possible repercussion on the
behavior, official or not, of different nations and focuses on the
possibility of secret, privileged contacts which might be
"attributed to the United States." The attitude of the U.S. is seen
as "most strange" since the 1947 wave and the Roswell event. Since
that time, a policy of increasing secrecy seems to have been
applied, which might be explained by the protection at all cost of
military technological superiority to be acquired from the study of
UFOs.
Next, the report tackles the question "What measures must we take
now?" At the least, whatever the nature of UFOs, they require
"critical vigilance," in particular regarding the risk of
"destabilizing manipulations." A kind of "cosmic vigilance" should
be applied by the elites, nationally and internationally, in order
to prevent any shocking surprise, erroneous interpretation and
hostile manipulation.
Nationally, COMETA urges the strengthening of SEPRA, and recommends
the creation of a committee at the highest level of government,
entrusted with the development of hypotheses, strategy, and
preparation of cooperative agreements with European and other
foreign countries. A further step would be that European states and
the European Union undertake diplomatic action with the Unites
States within the framework of political and strategic alliances.
A key question of the report is "What situations must we be prepared
for?" It mentions such scenarios as,
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an extraterrestrial move for
official contact
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discovery of a UFO/alien base on Earth
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invasion
(deemed improbable) and localized or massive attack
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manipulation or
deliberate disinformation aiming at destabilizing other states
COMETA devotes special attention to "aeronautical implications,"
with detailed recommendations aimed at various personnel, such as
air staffs, controllers, weathermen and engineers. It also makes
recommendations at the scientific and technical levels, aimed at
developing research with potential benefits for defense and
industry. The report further explores the political and religious
implications of UFOs, using as a model the perspective of our own
exploration of space: How would we do it, how would we handle
contacts with less advanced civilizations?
Such an approach is not new to the well-informed readers of the
abundant ufological literature, but it has a special value here,
being treated seriously at such a level. The implications for the
media and public opinion are not neglected, with the problems of
disinformation, fear of ridicule, and manipulation by certain
groups.
In its conclusion, COMETA claims that the physical reality of
UFOs,
under control of intelligent beings, is "quasi-certain." Only one
hypothesis takes into account the available data: the hypothesis of
extraterrestrial visitors. This hypothesis is of course unproven,
but has far-reaching consequences. The goals of these alleged
visitors remain unknown but must be the subject of speculations and
prospective scenarios.
In its final recommendations, COMETA stresses again the need to:
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Inform all decision-makers and persons in positions of
responsibility
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Reinforce means of investigation and study at
SEPRA
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Consider whether UFO detection been taken into account by agencies
engaged in surveillance of space
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Create a strategic committee at the highest state level
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Undertake diplomatic action with the Unites States for cooperation
on this most important question
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Study measures which might be necessary in case of emergencies
Finally, this document is accompanied by seven interesting
appendices which are worth reading even by seasoned ufologists:
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Radar detection in France
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Observations by astronomers
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Life in the Universe
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Colonization of space
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The Roswell case and possible disinformation
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Antiquity of the UFO phenomenon and elements for a chronology
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Reflection on various psychological, sociological and political
aspects of the UFO phenomenon
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