THE DOCUMENTS
DOW-UAP-D117, “AAWSAP DIRD Metallic Glasses for Aerospace Applications December 14 2009”; DOW-UAP-D118, “AAWSAP DIRD Aerospace Applications of Programmable Matter December 14 2009”; DOW-UAP-D119, “AAWSAP DIRD Biomaterials January 7 2010”; and DOW-UAP-D120, “AAWSAP DIRD Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms January 12 2010”: four Department of War records from the U.S. Department of War’s PURSUE Release 06, published at war.gov/ufo on 18 September 2026. The titles are the release’s, from the file names. The papers’ own titles, on each cover, are Metallic Glasses: Status and Prospects for Aerospace Applications, which the release title shortens, and Aerospace Applications of Programmable Matter, Biomaterials and Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms, which the other three release titles match. Each cover is a Defense Intelligence Reference Document with the Defense Intelligence Agency seal and the series line Acquisition Threat Support, and prints a date, ICOD: 1 December 2009 and a control number: DOW-UAP-D117, 14 December 2009, DIA-08-0911-012, 30 pages; DOW-UAP-D118, 14 December 2009, DIA-08-0911-016, 20 pages; DOW-UAP-D119, 7 January 2010, DIA-08-0912-006, 32 pages; DOW-UAP-D120, 12 January 2010, DIA-08-0912-008, 27 pages. Page 2 of each names the preparing office, Acquisition Support Division (DWO-3), Defense Warning Office, Directorate for Analysis, Defense Intelligence Agency, and places the paper in a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2009 under the Defense Warning Office’s Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. The banner UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY heads and foots every page with its last four words struck through, except at the foot of DOW-UAP-D119 p. 5. The only redactions are two labels on p. 2 of each, none a black bar, none with an exemption code: the author, AAP Person 63, 90, 65 and 66 in turn, in large type below Author:, boxed on DOW-UAP-D118 alone; and AAP Person 1, in a small ruled box in front of the words AAWSA Program Manager. This briefing cites PDF pages.
Why this one is worth your time
These four papers open the 37 that the release files as Defense Intelligence Reference Documents, D117 to D153. By cover date, the date printed above the ICOD line, D117 and D118 of 14 December 2009 are the earliest of the 37, as they are by the file-name dates in the release titles. All four are about materials, and each sets out in its own words both the prospects and the limits of those materials.
What the documents say
D117, metallic glasses. The Summary says metallic glasses combine some of the mechanical advantages of metals with the processing flexibility of thermoplastic polymers, and that the absence of crystalline defects makes them much stronger than conventional alloys but leaves them with near-zero tensile ductility and poor fatigue resistance (p. 5). It names the chief limitation for aerospace as a lack of good glass-forming alloys: no good aluminium-rich ones, titanium-based ones that are dense or contain beryllium, and magnesium- and iron-based ones that are brittle (p. 5). The body puts the fatigue limit of high-strength crystalline alloys at typically about 40 per cent of tensile strength and that of metallic glasses at only about 5 per cent, and calls the poor fatigue resistance a critical limitation for aerospace structure because components must be overdesigned (p. 15). It says the decrease in strength and the tendency to crystallise at elevated temperature preclude structural use near the glass transition temperature (p. 17). Its proposal for structure in aircraft or spacecraft is dendritic metallic glass matrix composites to replace steel where strength is critical and space is limited, perhaps in pylon structures and landing gear, with two caveats attached in the same paragraph (p. 23). The Summary is printed again, with one change of wording, at pp. 28 to 29.
D118, programmable matter. It calls itself a “white paper” and a primer on smart materials and their possible aerospace applications over the next 50 years (p. 4). Its Introduction argues that if a satellite’s sensors, filters, emitters and solar panels were made of programmable smart materials, a component failure might be answered by a software update, and says such materials can even create new defensive capabilities (p. 4). After quantum dots, metamaterials and liquid crystals (pp. 5 to 8) it names temperature sensitivity as the greatest challenge (p. 11), and gives as its commercial example a smart window film introduced in the third quarter of 2009 (pp. 12 to 13). A section headed Scenario for Possible Applications describes a day aboard a space station in low Earth orbit whose programmable hull, among other things, can in a pinch turn invisible (pp. 17 to 18); the Conclusions say that some elements of the scenario are based on current and emerging technologies and others are speculative (p. 20). Its research recommendation looks five years ahead and puts near-term consumer applications first, on the argument that consumer applications are more likely to spin off to the aerospace industry than the reverse (pp. 18 to 19). It names the addressable quantum dot array as perhaps the most promising long-term technology, names 2050 three times (pp. 10, 19, 20), and closes on the number and scope of unknown unknowns (p. 20).
D119, biomaterials. It defines biomaterials as metals, ceramics, polymers, glasses, carbons and composites intended to interface with biological systems (p. 5) and describes itself as a review of representative biomaterials and applications (p. 9). Under Importance of Biocompatibility it reports that more than 600 reported studies since 1996 found the biocompatibility of implanted biosensors poor, that many companies have abandoned implantable sensors and that the trend is to place them outside the body (p. 6). It then surveys materials from silicones to dialysis membranes (pp. 9 to 32), calls tissue engineering a bit of a misnomer (p. 20), and names as perhaps its biggest challenge ensuring angiogenesis in time within a scaffold, without which cells die for want of a blood supply (p. 21). Its Summary and Recommendations says the biomedical industry is slow to accept new materials because testing needs large amounts of money and time, and that implants mostly use materials available for more than 20 years (p. 32).
D120, aerospace structure. It divides its subject into launch vehicles, space vehicles and space propulsion (p. 4). Its Introduction argues that design must weigh materials capability from the start, citing the National Aerospace Plane, which it says was launched as a “military project”, became materials limited and was cancelled in 1993 after about $750 million in federal R&D (p. 4). In a parenthesis it says loss of toughness in the carbon-carbon wing leading edges was a prime factor in the Columbia disaster, and that a metallic heat shield arguably could have avoided it; the passage carries no citation (p. 14). It questions the industry’s zero tolerance for alpha case in titanium sheet, a reading of p. 18 from the page image where the text layer drops the Greek letter, and says the Air Force Materials and Manufacturing Directorate is starting a new project on those questions, motivated by hypersonic flight vehicles (p. 19). Its history of titanium matrix composites ends with work halted after about $500 million of U.S. government funds and a lesson that a credible market and cost study should come first (p. 21). It proposes a design rule against any coated material in critical structure that fails catastrophically when the coating is breached (p. 23), and calls ceramic matrix composites the class holding the greatest promise of defeating the temperature limits of current metals (p. 24). Its Summary and Recommendations says the review focused on opportunities and risks with little technical detail (p. 27).
What the documents do not say
None of the four uses UAP, UFO, unidentified, anomalous, anomaly or alien, and none names AAWSAP, a contract or Bigelow (case-insensitive, substring, in the issued text layer, the only layer on all four). Extraterrestrial appears once, in D117’s foam panels for extraterrestrial buildings (p. 25). Sighting, witness and crash return no hits in any of the four, and none cites another Defense Intelligence Reference Document.
None of the reference lists cites a classified or intelligence source; D117 lists 49 endnotes, D118 nine references, D120 six, and D119 none. The only threat on D117, D119 and D120 is the cover’s series line; D118 adds the threat of hackers to programmable matter (p. 10). D120 sets military applications outside its scope (p. 15). Foreign appears only for foreign bodies in tissue (D119 pp. 6, 8, 17) and foreign objects such as meteorites (D120 p. 11).
D119 never connects its subject to flight. Aerospace appears once in its text layer, in the programme name on p. 2, and spacecraft, aircraft, orbit and military return no hits. It carries no reference list, endnote or footnote: References, Bibliography, et al and http return no hits. The figure list and the body call the contact lens photograph Figure 27 (pp. 4, 26), where its caption on p. 27 reads Figure 25, seen on the page image; from there on caption numbers run two behind.
Neither D119 nor D120 names a future year or a period ahead: the years in them look back, and D120’s two hits for 2050 are an aluminium alloy designation (pp. 6, 7). D117 gives 20 to 50 years (p. 6); D118 gives 50 years, four decades, five years and 2050 (pp. 4, 10, 19, 20).
The front matter of each paper replaces the author’s name with a label (p. 2), and no page of the four prints a name as its author. No page gives a tasking number, an approval or a signature.
From the record
It is highly likely that continued work over the next 20-50 years will result in
DOW-UAP-D117, p. 6, the forecast closing the front-matter Summary, printed again at p. 29; the sentence continues: significant advances in all these areas
although it has yet to be demonstrated that the composites can be fabricated in the
DOW-UAP-D117, p. 23, the caveat on the paper’s proposal for aircraft and spacecraft, in the sentence that opens These might include pylon structures and landing gear; the sentence continues: sizes necessary.
create new defensive capabilities, such as chameleon-style camouflage,
DOW-UAP-D118, p. 4, the Introduction’s one sentence on defensive uses, which opens Smart materials can even; the sentence continues: deflection of laser beams, and even outright invisibility.
Therefore, near-term applications such as smart windows and energy-saving
DOW-UAP-D118, p. 19, the paper’s research recommendation under Directions for Future Research; the sentence continues: metapolarizers, which offer direct and immediate economic advantages (namely energy savings) and which dovetail neatly with existing infrastructure, should be considered the most promising for research over the next 5 years.
Experiences of many investigators (more than 600 reported studies since 1996)
DOW-UAP-D119, p. 6, under Importance of Biocompatibility; the sentence continues: with the biocompatibility of biomaterials related to the function of implanted biosensors have been poor such that many companies have abandoned implantable sensor devices altogether.
tissue engineering. This is a bit of a misnomer in that it is an advanced form of cell
DOW-UAP-D119, p. 20, at the head of Tissue Constructs; the line closes the sentence on constructs of living tissue and opens the next, which continues: culture and cellular biology
canceled in 1993, after about $750 million in federal R&D expenditures and a
DOW-UAP-D120, p. 4, the Introduction on the National Aerospace Plane, in the sentence that opens This project rapidly became materials limited and was; the sentence continues: substantial private sector investment.
an empty vehicle weight. With the exception of military applications, which are outside
DOW-UAP-D120, p. 15, opening the section on reusable single-stage-to-orbit vehicles; the line closes the sentence on empty vehicle weight and opens the next, which continues: the scope of this document, empty vehicle weight is a critical metric
Where the case connects
The release files these papers under the same AAWSAP prefix as the contract records DOW-UAP-D110 to D116, which Release 06 Briefing 10 covers; no page of the four names a contract. D110, the statement of objectives, lists materials as the sixth of twelve technical study areas and sets its objective through the year 2050 (D110 p. 1). That these four papers answer that area is an inference from their subject, not something any of the five records states.
Release 06 Briefing 22 covers DOW-UAP-D128, the human tissue paper, whose front matter carries the same two kinds of substitution label. The release prints the same author label, AAP Person 65, on D119 and on DOW-UAP-D136, the biosensors paper that Release 06 Briefing 23 covers among the human interface papers; the release does not say whether a label stands for one person. D119 and D120 share the control number group DIA-08-0912 with DOW-UAP-D121, which Release 06 Briefing 19 covers. Release 06 Briefing 24 covers the release as a whole.
Read it yourself
DOW-UAP-D117, “AAWSAP DIRD Metallic Glasses for Aerospace Applications December 14 2009”, DOW-UAP-D118, “AAWSAP DIRD Aerospace Applications of Programmable Matter December 14 2009”, DOW-UAP-D119, “AAWSAP DIRD Biomaterials January 7 2010”, and DOW-UAP-D120, “AAWSAP DIRD Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms January 12 2010”, are hosted at war.gov in PURSUE Release 06. The front matter is pages 1 to 6 of DOW-UAP-D117, 1 to 4 of DOW-UAP-D118, 1 to 7 of DOW-UAP-D119 and 1 to 5 of DOW-UAP-D120, and the scenario in DOW-UAP-D118 is pages 17 to 18.
Read the files. Decide for yourself.
Related wiki entries
The wiki entries below give background on the programme and publisher behind this briefing, and on the subjects it touches.
References and further reading
- DOW-UAP-D117, “AAWSAP DIRD Metallic Glasses for Aerospace Applications December 14 2009”, PURSUE Release 06, U.S. Department of War, hosted at war.gov/ufo
- DOW-UAP-D118, “AAWSAP DIRD Aerospace Applications of Programmable Matter December 14 2009”, PURSUE Release 06, U.S. Department of War, hosted at war.gov/ufo
- DOW-UAP-D119, “AAWSAP DIRD Biomaterials January 7 2010”, PURSUE Release 06, U.S. Department of War, hosted at war.gov/ufo
- DOW-UAP-D120, “AAWSAP DIRD Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms January 12 2010”, PURSUE Release 06, U.S. Department of War, hosted at war.gov/ufo
- Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE), U.S. Department of War, war.gov/ufo
- AARO UAP Records, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, aaro.mil/UAP-Records
- Signals from the Periphery, Release 06 Briefing 10, on the contract file, DOW-UAP-D110 to D116
- Signals from the Periphery, Release 06 Briefing 19, on DOW-UAP-D121 and the other microwave, ultracapacitor and MHD papers
- Signals from the Periphery, Release 06 Briefing 22, on DOW-UAP-D128, the human tissue paper
- Signals from the Periphery, Release 06 Briefing 23, on DOW-UAP-D136 and the other human interface papers
- Signals from the Periphery, Release 06 Briefing 24, on the release as a whole