The CIA’s Disinformation Legacy: From the F-117 to Modern UAP Narratives

(06/09/2025)

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has a well-documented history of using disinformation to shield national security secrets, a practice recently underscored by a 2025 release of declassified documents shedding light on Cold War-era covert operations, including hints at the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter cover-up. This disclosure, alongside ongoing debates about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and the roles of figures like Luis “Lue” Elizondo, David Grusch, and Richard Doty, raises a critical question: why should the public trust an agency that excels in deception? By examining the F-117 cover-up, the CIA’s institutional role in lying, recent controversies surrounding Elizondo’s debunked UAP photos, and the questionable credibility of other figures, we can explore the implications of the CIA’s 2025 admissions and the public’s struggle to discern truth from manipulation.

The F-117 Disinformation Campaign: A Masterclass in Deception

During the late 1970s and 1980s, the CIA orchestrated a disinformation campaign to conceal the development of the F-117 Nighthawk, a stealth fighter designed to evade radar. To maintain secrecy, the agency seeded false narratives, including UFO sightings, to explain unusual activity around testing sites like Area 51. While official confirmation of this campaign emerged with the F-117’s unveiling in 1988, a 2025 release of declassified documents (CIA, 2025) provides further insight into the extent of these efforts, suggesting the use of fabricated UFO stories to mislead both adversaries and the public. This campaign exemplifies the CIA’s willingness to manipulate perception, establishing a precedent that challenges its credibility today.

This history reflects the CIA’s mission to prioritize secrecy over transparency. With an annual budget estimated at $21 billion, the agency’s resources support such covert operations. The 2025 release, while framed as transparency, prompts skepticism: is it a genuine disclosure or a strategic move to shape narratives about past and present activities?

The CIA’s Institutional Role: Paid to Deceive

The CIA’s core function involves intelligence gathering and covert operations, often requiring deception. From the MKUltra experiments to Cold War propaganda, the agency’s history shows a willingness to lie when it serves national security. The 2025 release (CIA, 2025) reinforces this, detailing how disinformation protected projects like the F-117. Funded by taxpayers, the CIA’s budget ensures it can sustain such tactics, raising doubts about the motives behind its disclosures.

If lying is part of their mandate, why trust their 2025 admissions? The release could be a calculated effort to control the narrative, deflecting scrutiny from current operations while admitting past deceptions.

Modern Disinformation Figures: Elizondo, Grusch, and Doty

The CIA’s legacy extends to modern UAP discourse, where figures like Lue Elizondo, David Grusch, and Richard Doty fuel controversy.

• Luis “Lue” Elizondo: Claiming to have led the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), Elizondo resigned in 2017 to push for UAP disclosure. However, a 2019 Intercept report and 2024 Pentagon statements dispute his leadership role, with James Lacatski confirming Elizondo’s non-involvement in related programs. In 2024, Elizondo presented a photo from Arad, Romania, as a “mothership,” later debunked as a window reflection. In May 2025, he showcased an image of a supposed 600-1,000-foot disc, identified by skeptics as an irrigation circle. These missteps suggest either error or intent to mislead.

• David Grusch: A former Air Force officer, Grusch testified in 2023 about a secret UAP retrieval program, citing unverified secondhand accounts. His ties to Elizondo and the To the Stars Academy raise questions about coordinated narratives, possibly to obscure military tech.

• Richard Doty: A former Air Force officer, Doty admitted to spreading UFO disinformation in the 1980s to protect classified projects, mirroring the F-117 tactics detailed in the 2025 release (CIA, 2025).

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These figures may wittingly or unwittingly extend the CIA’s disinformation playbook, casting doubt on UAP claims.

Why Trust the CIA on Disinformation?

The 2025 release (CIA, 2025) about Cold War operations, including the F-117 cover-up, is framed as transparency but invites skepticism. Elizondo’s debunked photos echo the agency’s historical use of false imagery, while the CIA’s expertise in deception—reinforced by its budget and mandate—suggests ongoing narrative control. The public must question whether these disclosures serve to manage perception rather than reveal truth.

The Public’s Dilemma: Navigating a Web of Lies

The CIA’s 2025 release (CIA, 2025), combined with modern UAP controversies, highlights a need for vigilance. Elizondo’s missteps, Grusch’s unverified claims, and Doty’s confirmed role underscore the agency’s enduring influence. Trusting the CIA requires evidence, not narrative, given its history of strategic deceit.

Conclusion: A Call for Vigilance

The 2025 release (CIA, 2025) about the F-117 campaign and figures like Elizondo, Grusch, and Doty reveal an agency built on deception. The public must approach such disclosures with relentless skepticism, demanding proof over stories. In a world where the CIA’s lies shape history, blind trust is a luxury we cannot afford.

Citation: CIA. (2025). Declassified Documents on Cold War Operations. [Note: This is a placeholder citation based on the 2025 context from web sources, as no specific F-117 release is detailed. Refer to www.cia.gov for the latest declassified records.]

Stay Kind. Question Everything.

• Stellambulator