Extra-Terrestrial Response Division

The E.R.T.D. is a government agency in the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

Pronounced erh-ted.

E.R.T.D. is the Extra-Terrestrial Response Division. (No, we don't understand how that acronym works, either.) They are a government agency tasked with investigating alien technology.

Existing since at least the late 1950s, the E.R.T.D. is based out of Area 54, and has mainly concerned itself with investigating Mini-Cons.

Fiction

Panini Armada comic

In 1957, the E.R.T.D. took custody of a fragment of the Exodus discovered in Las Vegas, including the three Mini-Cons from the Land Military Team. Blast From the Past!

The E.R.T.D. was shut down in 2003 by their military liaison after a botched attack on the Air Defense Team.