US: WSJ report on Pentagon UAP disinformation
Wall Street Journal journalists reported that the Pentagon spread deliberate disinformation about UAP to conceal classified weapons programs, citing whistleblower stories as fabricated. The article references AARO's upcoming historical report and mentions myths like Yankee Blue.
Background
Background
On June 6, 2025, Joel Schectman and Aruna Viswanatha published an article in the Wall Street Journal claiming that military UAP whistleblowers had been influenced by deliberate disinformation from the Pentagon. This was said to be intended to divert attention from secret weapons tests.
Alleged Disinformation
The false narratives named include a metallic alloy material from To The Stars Academy, a supposed initiation ritual for new USAF commanders involving a photograph of a rebuilt UFO under the heading Project Yankee Blue, and a UFO photograph in a bar near Area 51 dating from the 1980s. The information is thought to derive from part 2 of the AARO historical report, written by former director Sean Kirkpatrick.
Reactions and Consequences
In September 2025 the Office of the Secretary of Defense rejected an alleged instruction to discontinue Yankee Blue in 2023, but agreed in December to a renewed search for records. Responses came from Robert L. Salas, Baptiste Friscourt, Christopher Sharp, and John Greenewald. Part 1 of the report had appeared in March 2024. The episode underlines debates about transparency and military cover in UAP matters.