Lawrence Fawcett
Lawrence Fawcett is a UFO researcher and co-author, with Barry J. Greenwood, of the book Clear Intent: The Government Coverup of the UFO Experience. The book, published in the late 1970s, was one of the first major works to document the US government's use of classification and procedural barriers to block public access to UFO information through Freedom of Information Act requests.
| Role | UFO researcher and author |
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NORAD UFO Data FOIA Request
In 1979, Fawcett and Greenwood submitted a FOIA request to NORAD seeking UFO and UAP tracking data. NORAD responded that fulfilling the request would require over 118,000 man-hours and would cost $155,000 (approximately $600,000 in 2026 dollars).
The extraordinary volume of work required — nearly 60 person-years of effort — indicated that NORAD possessed a massive database of UFO tracking records, far exceeding what was publicly acknowledged at the time. NORAD also refused to waive the fees on a follow-up request submitted three years later.
This response confirmed that NORAD had been systematically collecting and cataloging UFO data on a scale that contradicted the Air Force's public position that UFOs were not seriously investigated after the closure of Project Blue Book in 1969.
Documentation in Clear Intent
The book Clear Intent contains scanned copies of NORAD UAP reporting sheets and detailed chapters on the difficulties of obtaining UFO information through FOIA, documenting the various tactics employed by military and intelligence agencies to deny, delay, or price out civilian access to UFO records.
Significance
The Fawcett-Greenwood FOIA request to NORAD remains one of the most significant UFO-related document requests ever filed, as NORAD's response inadvertently confirmed the existence of an enormous classified UFO tracking database — evidence that directly contradicted official statements that UFO investigation had ended with Project Blue Book.