SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION COMMITTEE (SEC) GRILL FLAME REPORT, DATED NOVEMBER 1979

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Summary: This document is a memorandum from the U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity (AMSAA) regarding the Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) GRILL FLAME report from November 1979. The report was found to be ambiguous and confusing, and the AMSAA GRILL FLAME Project Officer disagrees with the recommendation to terminate all AMSAA GRILL FLAME efforts. The officer believes that the SEC made a mistake in considering the AMSAA challenge/validation efforts to be part of the SRI contract and that it is inappropriate to direct a principal independent evaluation organization to terminate all efforts. However, the officer does agree with the report's conclusions and recommendations, including the need for a central authority to manage and fund GRILL FLAME activities. The officer suggests that AMSAA should continue monitoring and analyzing the results of Project GRILL FLAME and attempt to replicate some of the typical results to gain a better understanding of the capabilities and limitations.

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Body:  Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00788R002000250025-7
 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
 U. S. ARMY MATERIEL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS ACTIVITY
 Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland  21005
 MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
 13 February 1980
 SUBJECT:  Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) GRILL FLAME Report,
 Dated November 1979
 1.  Subject report, transmitted to AMSAA January 1980, was found to be
 somewhat ambiguous and confusing.  As a result, Ifeel that as the
 GRILL FLAME Project Officer, I must state for the record an exception
 to the following element of that report:
 Terminate all AMSAA GRILL FLAME efforts.  This recom-
 mendation, as best as can be determined, is based only on a
 partial understanding of AMSAA's initial effort, which was
 terminated before the SEC came into being.  There is an
 apparent mistake by the SEC in considering the AMSAA
 challenge/validation efforts to be an integral part of the
 SRI contract.  Lastly, a precedent of directing a principal
 independent evaluation organization to terminate all efforts
 on a matter of Army application is considered to be an inap-
 propriate recommendation.
 2.  The following conclusions and recommendations of the subject report
 appear to be sound and also to reflect AMSAA GRILL FLAME Project personnel's
 use:
 a.  Observation of unexplained human capability to generate data of
 potential intelligence utility has been documented; however, scientific
 proof of these unexplained capabilities has not been accomplished due
 to lack of controls, repeatability and other limitations.
 b.  Exploratory testing of the utility of these capabilities should
 continue; however, basic scientific research in this area is unlikely
 to succeed if based on currently available information.
 c.  A central authority is needed to manage and fund GRILL FLAME
 activities.
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 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00788R002000250025-7
 DRXSY-DS
 SUBJECT:  Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) GRILL FLAME Report,
 Dated November 1979
 3.  I feel that AMSAA should continue monitoring and analyzing results
 of Project GRILL FLAME, and that it should, within proper constraints,
 be allowed to challenge through attempted replication some of the typical
 results in order to obtain a better perception of the associated
 capabilities and limitations.
 W-W  KRAMAR
 AMSAA GRILL FLAME Project Officer
 CF:
 HQDA(DAMA-ZD/Mr. Gale)
 Cdr, DARCOM, ATTN:  DRCDE/Dr. Haley
 2
 Approved For Release 2003/09/10 : CIA-RDP96-00788R002000250025-7