Intel Agencies Say Most UFO Sightings They Reviewed Were Likely Real Objects (No, That Doesn’t Mean They’re Alien Spacecraft)
Topline
American intelligence agencies released a long-awaited report into “unexplained aerial phenomena” on Friday, and although virtually all of the sightings it examined remain unidentified, some of them could be evidence of advanced technology from a U.S. adversary, it concluded.
The U.S. military released videos in April of fast-moving unidentified objects.
Key Facts
The Office of the Directorate of National Intelligence investigated hundreds of unidentified objects seen by U.S. Navy pilots and other sources since 2004, and compiled its findings in an unclassified report released Friday afternoon.
The ODNI report said investigators could not identify what was seen in the vast majority of these sightings, but they offered five possible explanations: Clutter like trash and birds, atmospheric phenomena like ice crystals, advanced technology from a foreign power, secret U.S. government technology and a category defined as “other.”
The investigators determined that most of the sightings were probably real objects rather than optical illusions created by atmospheric conditions, since many were spotted in multiple ways, appearing simultaneously on radar, infrared sensors and to the naked eye, and just one was identified as clutter — specifically, a deflating balloon floating in the air.
Investigators said some of the objects — a few of which zipped around the sky and changed course rapidly — looked like advanced technology from Russia, China, a classified U.S. program or another nation, but there’s no hard evidence.
Tangent
The report didn’t mention the fringe belief that UFOs are spacecraft flown by extraterrestrial beings, a theory popular among enthusiasts but totally lacking in evidence.
Big Number
11. That’s the number of times pilots reported a near-miss with a UFO, according to the ODNI report. Investigators say these unexplained objects pose a safety risk, and if they belong to a foreign government, they could also be hazardous to national security.
Surprising Fact
ODNI said it’s difficult to collect data on unidentified objects for several reasons, including the stigma often associated with talking about UFOs publicly. The report said “reputational risk may keep many observers silent, complicating scientific pursuit of the topic.”
Key Background
In the public’s imagination, the term “UFO” often conjures images of War of the Worlds-esque sci-fi storylines. However, some politicians and experts say sightings of unidentified airborne objects deserve serious scrutiny, especially if they pose a safety risk. The Pentagon released videos in April of rapidly accelerating objects spotted by military pilots, and a former Navy pilot told CBS News he spotted unexplained objects on a regular basis, helping to bring the topic into mainstream public discussion. Plus, the military says it secretly investigated UFO sightings between 2007 and 2012, before shelving the program due to budgetary constraints. Congress directed ODNI to give the matter another look late last year, setting the stage for Friday’s report.
Further Reading
The Pentagon Lies About UFOs – But Not Always For The Reasons You’d Expect (Forbes)
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