UAP & National Security | Mellon, Gallaudet, von Rennenkampff & McConnell at Disclosure Forum 2026

UAP & National Security |
Mellon, Gallaudet, von Rennenkampff & McConnell at Disclosure Forum 2026

What does the UAP issue mean for national security, military preparedness, government secrecy, and the balance between transparency and legitimate defense concerns?

At Disclosure Forum 2026, NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz moderates a wide-ranging national security discussion with Christopher Mellon, Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Marik von Rennenkampff, and Kirk McConnell.

The panel examines reported UAP incursions around military installations, Navy ships, sensitive test ranges, and U.S. airspace, as well as the government’s ability to identify, track, and respond to anomalous objects. The speakers also explore what the government may or may not understand about the phenomenon, how classified programs and information silos affect oversight, and what disclosure could mean if advanced technologies are involved.

The discussion explores:

Reported UAP incursions over military bases, ships, and training ranges

The Langley Air Force Base incidents and broader concerns about
     unidentified aerial activity

Reports of anomalous objects operating in and around the oceans

Whether some unexplained sightings could represent advanced foreign
     technology

The national-security implications of potentially transformative
     technologies

How classification and compartmentalization can hinder information
     sharing and congressional oversight

Special Access Programs and the limits of existing oversight mechanisms

Whether greater transparency could strengthen, rather than weaken,
     national security

The potential role of international cooperation if UAP represent a global      security issue

Whistleblower protections and the risks faced by individuals bringing
     classified information to Congress

The role of universities, citizen scientists, and private research efforts in      separating signal from noise

The Tic Tac, Gimbal, and GoFast cases and why they continue to shape
     the modern UAP debate

The panel also looks ahead at what could sustain the current momentum toward greater transparency, and whether the combination of congressional action, executive-branch releases, scientific research, and public interest has made the UAP issue fundamentally different from previous cycles of attention.

YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/_BLaQ1zRRa8?si=pQMLMnqrmF5MWWJN