Benjamin Robert Rich

Early Life and Career

Benjamin Robert Rich (1925–1995) was born in Manila, Philippines, and immigrated to the United States in 1941. After earning degrees in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley (1949) and UCLA (1950), he joined Lockheed's Burbank facility in 1950, initially working on aerodynamics and propulsion for the F-104, U-2, and YF-12 programs. His meticulous engineering and innovative thinking made him invaluable to Kelly Johnson, the legendary founder of Skunk Works.

Skunk Works Leadership and Stealth Technology

Rich became the second director of Lockheed Skunk Works in 1975, succeeding Johnson. During his tenure (1975–1991), he spearheaded the development of the F-117 Nighthawk, the world's first operational stealth fighter. His leadership was instrumental in the aircraft's classified development, testing, and eventual 1989 public reveal. Rich won the prestigious Collier Trophy in 1989 for the F-117A's production and deployment, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (1989), and received the Distinguished Service Medal (1994), the highest civilian military honor. His memoir, Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed (co-authored with Leo Janos, 1994), became a celebrated insider account of Cold War aerospace innovation.

The UFO Statements Controversy

In his final years, Rich made several cryptic remarks about advanced technology that circulated widely in UFO circles. During a 1993 UCLA Alumni Speech, he stated: "We already have the means to travel among the stars, but these technologies are locked up in black projects and it would take an Act of God to ever get them out to benefit humanity…Anything you can imagine, we already know how to do." He also allegedly said, "We now have the technology to take ET home," and linked UFO propulsion concepts to ESP and instantaneous information transmission across the cosmos.

Rich claimed an "error in the equations" had been corrected, theoretically enabling interstellar travel without the constraints of conventional physics. When pressed on how such propulsion might work, he obliquely referenced concepts beyond current scientific models.

Authenticity and Intent

The seriousness of Rich's UFO comments remains contested. Starting in 1983, after the success of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Rich concluded speeches with the "take ET home" remark as a joke that drew positive audience reaction, and he continued using it. However, two credible aerospace witnesses present at the 1993 UCLA event reported speaking with Rich afterward and indicated his remarks were earnest, not humorous. Critics argue these accounts are unverified or conflate in-group aerospace humor with genuine belief. Rich died of esophageal cancer in January 1995, never formally clarifying his position.