Susan Gough

Susan Gough is a spokesperson for the United States Department of Defense (DoD) who has issued public statements and responses on behalf of the Pentagon regarding the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) and unidentified aerial phenomena.

United States Department of Defense (DoD) · Department of Defense spokesperson

Susan Gough is a spokesperson for the United States Department of Defense (DoD), who has served as the Pentagon’s public-facing voice on matters concerning the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) and related unidentified aerial phenomena. In a 2019 exchange with The Black Vault, Gough’s office said it was unable to provide a full copy of the Department of Defense’s response to Senator Harry Reid, stating that the Public Affairs office does not release Congressional correspondence.¹

The exchange concerned a 2009 memo from Reid to Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn III on the Special Access Program status of AATIP. Gough said the memo was authentic.² She said Luis Elizondo had no assigned responsibilities for AATIP during his time in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSDI).³ She said the Department of Defense had received the memo and had responded to Reid.⁴ Gough further said that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) administered AATIP and that Elizondo was never assigned to the DIA.⁵ She said Elizondo had interacted with the DIA office managing the programme while it was still running, but had not led it.⁶

Gough has also spoken on other UAP-related matters. She said that an intelligence report had formally attributed some military sightings of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) to surveillance by China using relatively ordinary drone technology.⁷ Separately, in connection with the 2023 ‘Balloongate’ Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) shoot-down controversy, Gough admitted that the Pentagon had known, in the months before the Super Bowl-week shoot-downs, that it was aware of potentially dangerous balloons or drones in American airspace.⁸

References (8)

Gough's office told The Black Vault it could not release the Department of Defense's full response to Senator Reid, since Public Affairs does not release Congressional correspondence
“She then explains that her office is unable to provide The Black Vault a full copy of the response, since the Public Affairs office does not release Congressional correspondence”
Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had "No Responsibilities" on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing - The Black Vault char:3650-3813 View the source record →
Gough said the 2009 Harry Reid memo was authentic
“I can confirm that the memo you’re referring to is authentic… It makes no change to previous statements.”
Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had "No Responsibilities" on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing - The Black Vault char:1156-1249 View the source record →
Gough said Elizondo had no assigned responsibilities for AATIP while in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
“Mr. Elizondo had no assigned responsibilities for AATIP while he was in OUSD(I) [the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence].”
Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had "No Responsibilities" on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing - The Black Vault char:1261-1388 View the source record →
Gough said the Department of Defense received the memo and responded to Reid
“DOD received it and responded to Sen. Reid,” Ms. Gough said.”
Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had "No Responsibilities" on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing - The Black Vault char:3589-3644 View the source record →
Gough said the DIA administered AATIP and that Elizondo was never assigned to the DIA
“DIA [Defense Intelligence Agency] administered AATIP, and Elizondo was never assigned to DIA.”
Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had "No Responsibilities" on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing - The Black Vault char:3968-4058 View the source record →
Gough said Elizondo interacted with the DIA office managing AATIP while it was ongoing, but did not lead it
“Elizondo did interact with the DIA office managing the program while the program was still ongoing, but he did not lead it.”
Pentagon Reinforces Mr. Luis Elizondo Had "No Responsibilities" on AATIP; Senator Harry Reid's 2009 Memo Changes Nothing - The Black Vault char:4063-4183 View the source record →
Gough said an intelligence report had formally attributed some military UAP sightings to Chinese surveillance using ordinary drone technology
“Ms Gough asserted an intelligence report had formally attributed *some* (my emphasis) of the military sightings to Chinese surveillance, 'with relatively ordinary drone technology'.”
In Plain Sight ch29:25190-25359 View the source record →
Gough admitted the Pentagon knew months before the Super Bowl-week shoot-downs that it was aware of potentially dangerous balloons or drones in American airspace
“She admitted the Pentagon knew in October 2022, four months prior to the Super Bowl week shoot-downs, that they were aware of potentially dangerous balloons or drones in American airspace.”
In Plain Sight ch29:29481-29660 View the source record →

Susan Gough

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