James Lacatski

Former Defense Intelligence Agency engineer and program manager, independently reported in multiple accounts — a 2026 KLAS/Mystery Wire report, and a 2026 Dan Farah/Hal Puthoff podcast transcript — as the DIA official who actually proposed, designed, and managed the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP), the 2008–2009 Pentagon UAP research effort. Also a published co-author, with Colm Kelleher and George Knapp, of a book series on AAWSAP's history.

Matters to this vault as the figure every account of Jay Stratton's disputed "founder/co-founder" title is implicitly measured against: the 2026 KLAS report states flatly that "Dr. James Lacatski proposed, designed, and managed" AAWSAP, crediting Stratton only with co-pitching the preliminary 2007 idea — the clearest statement found so far of who, by name, did the thing Stratton's publisher claims he did. No primary U.S. government document has yet been found naming Lacatski either, in this exact role.

References

• claim-2026-klas-report-credits-lacatski-alone-with-proposing-designing-managing-aawsap
• claim-2009-depsecdef-aawsap-talking-points-packet-redacts-all-dia-officials-by-name