Week of April 13, 2026
This week saw significant developments across multiple black operations programs and oversight activities. A new operation has been added to the active tracker (Operation Epic Fury), while existing programs continue to generate considerable Congressional scrutiny and FOIA challenges. Notable highlights include confirmed incursions at strategic military installations, expansions of classified surveillance programs under investigation, and escalating legislative efforts toward transparency.
Status: Active DoD operation against Iran
Key Assets: RQ-180 (classified reconnaissance variant) deployed from Larissa Air Base, Greece
Incident Summary: F-15E Strike Eagle engaged and shot down during operations. Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) successfully rescued. Ceasefire established April 8, though fragile and subject to ongoing tensions.
Assessment: Heightened operational tempo in CENTCOM AOR. Program remains highly compartmented; limited distribution.
Period: March 9-15 | Location: Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (B-52H bomber base, nuclear-capable)
Incident Profile: Organized waves of 12-15 jamming-resistant unmanned aerial systems (UAS) conducting sustained overflight operations. Aircraft exhibited advanced electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, defeating standard air defense countermeasures.
Congressional Statement: Senator John Cassidy (R-LA) confirmed recovery of 2 drone systems from the incursion zone. No arrests or identifications of operators to date. Source remains undetermined.
Contractor: Paragon Solutions
Capability: Zero-click mobile exploitation spyware (iOS/Android)
Contract Value: $2,000,000 (FY 2025-2026)
Development: Congressional inquiry has now exposed the full operational scope of the program. Previously compartmented details have entered the legislative record, significantly expanding public and oversight awareness.
H.R. 8197 Termination Bill: Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) introduced legislation April 6, 2026, to officially terminate the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
Executive Order Disclosure: Trump administration issued EO mandating UAP/UFO disclosure, directed at AARO holdings.
AARO Caseload: Office currently maintains 2,400+ documented UAP cases in active archive.
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Action: Removal of FOIA accessibility provisions in April 2026. Classified climate-related documents disappeared from FOIA request queues.
Assessment: Coordinated document suppression activity. Likely connected to broader declassification hold initiatives.
This period marks a significant contraction in FOIA transparency mechanisms across multiple agencies:
Removal of FOIA provisions has resulted in the disappearance of sensitive climate-related records from public query systems. The coordinated nature of this action suggests interagency coordination on information control.
Despite termination efforts via H.R. 8197, AARO's 2,400+ case files remain under presidential attention, with competing pressures from legislative oversight bodies seeking mandatory disclosure versus executive withholding directives.
Congressional inquiry has forcibly declassified operational details of the Paragon Solutions contract. Program compartmentation has been breached through the legislative oversight process, a significant deviation from prior security posture.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN)
Date Introduced: April 6, 2026
Status: Pending committee review. Represents legislative push toward UAP transparency via institutional reorganization.
Broad EO issued directing declassification and disclosure of UAP-related materials held by federal agencies. Targets AARO archives as primary source.
Full operational scope of Paragon Solutions contract now in the legislative record. Oversight committees have successfully extracted compartmented program details through formal inquiry process.
Jurisdiction: State of Connecticut
Status: State-level transparency initiative. Represents emerging pattern of sub-federal UAP disclosure efforts in response to federal withholding.
Public confirmation of drone recovery and notification of incomplete investigation into operator source. Congressional pressure mounting for full incursion briefing.