Concepts
UFO → UAP → UAP: the name changes and what they do to FOIA
Every rename of the phenomenon or the office changes the words a records search has to match. The renames are documented. Whether any were done to break FOIA searches is not.
Ties
| To | Role | Years | Verdict | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAP Gerb | obfuscation thesis | Concept | ||
| FOIA queue | search-term implications | Concept |
Tied from
| From | Role | Years | Verdict | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAP Gerb | name-change / FOIA-obfuscation thesis | Concept | ||
| Burlison MITRE letter 2026 | asks for any guide telling staff to **avoid** the terms UAP, UFO, USO, crash retrieval | 2026 | Documented · occurred | burlison.house.gov |
Mentioned in
Links
Terms
| Years | Term | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1947– | 'Flying saucer', 'flying disc' | Press; Air Force 1947 memos |
| 1952– | UFO (Ruppelt) | Blue Book |
| 1953–69 | UFO reports routed as CIRVIS under JANAP 146 / AFM 55-11 | Bolender memo |
| 2008–12 | 'Advanced aerospace weapon system applications' (AAWSAP), with no UFO in the name | DIA |
| 2010s | AATIP: 'aerospace threat identification' | DoD (officially 'never a recognized program') |
| 2019 | Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) in Navy reporting guidance | Navy |
| Aug 2020 | UAP Task Force | Navy / ODNI |
| Nov 2021 | AOIMSG (Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group) | DoD |
| Jul 2022 | AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) | DoD |
| Dec 2022 | FY2023 NDAA: 'aerial' → 'anomalous' (covers sea and space) | Congress |
| Also in use | 'Anomalous aerospace vehicles/objects' (DIRD 26), 'UAS', 'non-human intelligence (NHI)' | Various |
Why it matters for FOIA (documented effect)
- FOIA searches are keyword searches of indexed records. A request for 'UAP' won't match 1960s 'UFO'/'CIRVIS' files, and 'UFO' won't match AAWSAP's 'advanced aerospace' language. Program names with no UFO wording are the biggest blind spot: AAWSAP's own documents never say 'UFO.'
- Renames done to obstruct FOIA. Stated reasons were stigma reduction ('UAP') and scope ('anomalous' for sea and space). The effect on searches is real either way.
Practical rule for our requests
Every request lists all terms: UFO, UAP (aerial and anomalous), flying saucer/disc, CIRVIS/JANAP 146, AAWSAP, AATIP, AOIMSG, AARO, 'anomalous aerospace', 'advanced aerospace', NHI, plus program names and document numbers.