Claim · E-011
Luis Elizondo: In 2018 he claims that the $22 million appropriated by Congress went to AATIP; in his written responses of December 2024 he writes that the $22 million funded “AAWSAP/AATIP,” including academic studies published as 37 DIA DIRD documents.
Luis Elizondo · Jul 2018 · MUFON symposium (July 2018); written responses to Rep. Burlison's questions (December 19, 2024) (Conference)
Direct knowledge AATIP and AAWSAP
Partly verified
The figure matches the DIA's AAWSAP contract, whereas attributing it to AATIP conflates the two names according to The Black Vault, and the number of DIRDs given (37) does not match the current count (38).
- In support
- The AAWSAP contract documents released by the Pentagon on September 18, 2026 show a DIA contract with Bigelow's company from September 2008, with $21,948,810 paid through December 2010; the DoD description for Kona Blue itself uses the wording “AAWSAP/AATIP.”
- Against or denials
- The Black Vault notes that the money funded AAWSAP, not AATIP; the DIRDs released by the DIA number 38 (Wikipedia, Scientific American); the Navy's 2019 email states that Elizondo's activity had no funding lines; at the same 2018 conference he said he had not been part of AAWSAP.
Sources
- Elizondo's written responses to Rep. Burlison's questions for the record, December 19, 2024 (copy hosted by the New Paradigm Institute) (primary source)
- The Black Vault – DoD emails on the 2017 UAP briefings and on Elizondo's role in AATIP, May 28, 2025 (analysis)
- Watch The Stars – sixth tranche of the PURSUE files with the AAWSAP contract, September 2026 (press)
- Scientific American – what really happened in the Pentagon's UFO office (press)
On this site
People 1
Inconsistencies 2
Documents 4
- The official objectives of the DIA's AAWSAP program (July 18, 2008) Original available
- The AAWSAP contract between the DIA and Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (September 22, 2008) and its modifications Original available
- The 2010 DIRD study on the effects of anomalous fields on human tissue Original available
- Elizondo's written answers to Rep. Burlison's questions Documented provenance
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