Reverse engineering allegations are claims that the U.S. government, often via defense contractors, has attempted to study and replicate recovered non-human technology.
What are the reverse-engineering claims?
The allegations hold that recovered craft and materials were distributed to aerospace and defense contractors to analyze their propulsion, materials, and energy systems, hidden within special-access programs.
Who has alleged reverse engineering?
David Grusch's 2023 testimony is the most prominent, naming the existence (but not public specifics) of such efforts. Earlier researchers and some former officials have made similar claims for decades.
What is the counterargument?
AARO's 2024 report stated it found no evidence that any such reverse-engineering program ever existed, attributing the belief to circulating narratives and misidentified conventional programs.
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Related Intelligence
AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
The Pentagon office established in 2022 to detect, track, and resolve UAP across air, sea, space, and transmedium domains.
Open file →David Grusch
David Grusch is a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and whistleblower who testified before Congress in 2023 about alleged UAP retrieval programs.
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