Robert M. Collins

Military Career & UFO Access

Robert M. Collins is a retired Air Force Captain and former Air Force Intelligence Officer who served for over 22 years in defense and aerospace roles. His most significant position was as Chief Analyst and Scientist in theoretical Physics at the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) — now the National Air & Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) — located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, one of the U.S. government's primary repositories for unconventional aircraft analysis and alleged recovered UFO materials. Collins also worked on classified plasma physics research, including the Shiva device program at the Air Force Weapons Lab, and maintained a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance throughout his career.

Collins' introduction to classified UFO knowledge came in the summer of 1985, when fellow FTD analyst Ernie Kellerstrass briefed him on the reality of non-human intelligence activity and government retrieval programs. This encounter shifted Collins' professional trajectory and led him to pursue UFO research as his primary focus following his military retirement.

The Aviary & "Condor"

Collins became a central figure in "The Aviary," an informal but influential network of military officers, intelligence officials, and scientists who possessed knowledge of classified UFO and extraterrestrial biological entity (EBE) programs. Known within this group by the codename "Condor," Collins worked alongside Rick Doty ("Falcon"), a former Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) special agent, to strategize disclosure of classified UFO information to the American public.

The Aviary itself represented an internal government debate over UFO secrecy policy: some members, including Collins and Doty, favored controlled disclosure of UFO reality, while others maintained strict compartmentalization and continued the cover-up. This philosophical split, which became evident in the mid-1990s, reflected deep divisions within the intelligence community regarding how and when to reveal evidence of non-human intelligence.

Public Disclosure: "UFO Cover-Up Live" (1988)

Collins' most prominent public act was his participation in the 1988 Kodak-produced network television special "UFO Cover-Up Live," organized by UFO investigators William Moore and Jamie Shandera. Appearing silhouetted and with an electronically distorted voice for security reasons, Collins (along with Rick Doty as "Falcon") presented dramatic accounts of alien autopsies, UFO crash retrievals, government knowledge of ET presence, and the existence of classified programs operating outside normal congressional oversight.

The broadcast was controversial and widely dismissed by skeptics and mainstream media, yet it marked one of the most direct public testimonies by alleged U.S. government insiders regarding classified UFO programs. Collins' appearance lent credibility through his verifiable military background and technical expertise, though official government channels neither confirmed nor denied his claims.

Published Works & Testimony

Collins transitioned from covert disclosure to public authorship, co-authoring Exempt from Disclosure: UFOs, Aliens, Area 51, S-4, MJ-12, Wright-Patterson, Los Alamos (2006) with Rick Doty and historian Timothy S. Cooper. The book provides detailed accounts of:

• The existence and operations of MJ-12 (Majestic-12), the alleged secret committee overseeing UFO/ET research
• Crash retrieval programs and reverse-engineering of recovered extraterrestrial technology
• The role of Wright-Patterson AFB and Los Alamos National Laboratory in classified programs
• Internal government disagreements over disclosure policy
• Named individuals in the intelligence community involved in UFO secrecy

Collins also authored The Black World of UFOs: Exempt from Disclosure, which explores the structure of classified "black budget" programs, the compartmentalization of UFO knowledge within the intelligence apparatus, and the mechanisms used to maintain operational security around the phenomenon.

Credibility Assessment

Collins' claims occupy a contested space in UFO discourse. His military credentials and technical background at Wright-Patterson AFB are verifiable, and his FTD employment is documented. However, his UFO-specific duties and access to classified EBE programs remain unconfirmed by official military or intelligence sources. Skeptics note that some claims made by his collaborator Rick Doty — particularly regarding hoaxes involving UFO researchers Linda Moulton Howe and Paul Bennewitz — have been disputed, casting doubt on the reliability of some Aviary testimonies.

Nevertheless, Collins represents the most substantive middle-ground case: a credible military officer with plausible access to classified programs making consistent, detailed claims about government UFO knowledge. His work remains influential in UFO research communities focused on government transparency and disclosure advocacy.