History and Origin of KONA BLUE
AARO’s information paper explains its historical account of KONA BLUE, a proposed Department of Homeland Security special-access effort derived from AAWSAP/AATIP. It distinguishes interviewees’ claims about “non-human biologics” from AARO’s finding that the proposal was never approved as a SAP, received no funding or materials, and collected no data.
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Document Intel
Source status, provenance, and extraction context.
- Source / agency
- All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
- Type
- Report
- Classification
- Unclassified
- Reference #
- —
- Published
- —
- Content Type
- application/pdf
- Pages
- 1
Structured Analysis
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AARO says it first learned of KONA BLUE through interviews conducted for its historical review.
AARO first learned of the KONA BLUE program from interviews conducted as part of its historical review.
AARO reports that multiple interviewees described KONA BLUE as a DHS sensitive compartment intended to protect retrieval and exploitation of “non-human biologics.”
Multiple interviewees identified KONA BLUE as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sensitive compartment established to protect the retrieval and exploitation of "non-human biologics."
AARO says its research found that KONA BLUE was a Prospective Special Access Program proposed to DHS leadership but never approved or formally established.
KONA BLUE was a Prospective Special Access Program (PSAP) that had been proposed to DHS leadership but was never approved or formally established.
AARO states that KONA BLUE received no materials or funding and that no information exists beyond the proposal presentation bearing the program name.
KONA BLUE never received any materials or funding, and there is no information beyond the proposal presentation marked with the KONA BLUE name.
AARO traces KONA BLUE to AAWSAP/AATIP, which it says DIA managed from 2009 through 2012 using congressional earmarks, with Bigelow Aerospace as the primary contractor.
which was managed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 2009-2012 and funded through congressional earmarks. Bigelow Aerospace, headquartered in Nevada, served as the primary contractor
The paper says DIA terminated AAWSAP/AATIP because of a cited lack of merit and lack of utility in Bigelow Aerospace’s products for DIA’s mission.
DIA terminated the program due to a cited lack of merit and lack of utility in the products Bigelow produced for DIA’s mission.
The paper says KONA BLUE’s proposal would have continued AAWSAP/AATIP work involving sensitive materials, technologies, and advanced aerospace vehicles under DHS.
KONA BLUE would continue the work previously undertaken by DIA’s AAWSAP/AATIP to investigate, identify, and analyze sensitive materials and technologies, to include advanced aerospace vehicles.
The paper says DHS established KONA BLUE as a prospective program in 2011, but six months later the DHS Deputy Secretary disapproved it as a SAP and ordered its immediate termination over inadequate justification, information, personnel, and budget planning.
Six months later, however, the Deputy Secretary of DHS disapproved KONA BLUE as a Special Access Program (SAP), and further directed its immediate termination
AARO states that no data or material was transferred to or collected by DHS under KONA BLUE, while AAWSAP/AATIP information remains in DIA archives.
no data or material of any kind was ever transferred to or collected by DHS under the auspices of KONA BLUE.
The paper says the prospective-program proposal and associated documents were declassified jointly by DoD and DHS for public release.
This archived PSAP proposal and associated documents have been declassified in partnership between DoD and DHS and are being released to the public
Chronology extracted from the document text.
DIA terminates AAWSAP/AATIP
AARO places DIA’s management in 2009-2012 and says the agency terminated the program for cited lack of merit and utility.
DHS establishes KONA BLUE as a prospective program
The paper says the DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology established KONA BLUE as a PSAP based on claims that protected information and material existed.
DHS disapproves and terminates KONA BLUE
The paper says the Deputy Secretary disapproved KONA BLUE as a SAP and directed immediate termination.
DIA manages AAWSAP/AATIP
AARO says DIA managed the congressionally earmarked program and Bigelow Aerospace served as primary contractor.
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