Pentagon planted UFO myths to hide secret weapons programs, report finds

UFO hearing recap, lawmaker exposes ‘truth’

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) joins LiveNOW from FOX to talk about the new Pentagon report on UFOs. A report from the Pentagon includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens, according to officials.

LOS ANGELES – In the shadow of the Cold War, while America raced to outpace the Soviet Union in military innovation, the Pentagon turned to an unexpected tactic: alien conspiracy theories.

A newly revealed Department of Defense review shows that the U.S. military deliberately spread UFO rumors—including staged photos and false briefings—to protect classified weapons programs. The practice wasn’t just passive denial or silence. In some cases, it was policy.

The backstory:

While the office was originally intended to investigate possible extraterrestrial sightings, much of what it uncovered pointed back at the government itself.

What we know:

What we don’t know:

The military’s fake alien unit: ‘Yankee Blue’

• At least a dozen personnel were reportedly introduced to a fictional alien-investigation program called “Yankee Blue” as part of a hazing ritual
• The practice began in the 1980s and reportedly continued until 2023
• The Pentagon formally banned the practice after AARO flagged it during its review

“These episodes reveal how secrecy and misinformation, even when well-intentioned, can spiral into myth,” said Sean Kirkpatrick, AARO’s first director. He told the Wall Street Journal that many popular conspiracy theories can be traced to actual efforts by the U.S. military to conceal vulnerabilities or capabilities during tense periods of geopolitical rivalry.

Kirkpatrick added that not all findings from the review have been made public, but promised more details in a forthcoming report.

The revelations come as public trust in government transparency around UFOs continues to grow. While recent years have seen serious Congressional inquiries into unidentified aerial phenomena, this new report adds a surprising twist: that many UFO legends were never about aliens at all—they were cover stories engineered by the military itself.

The Pentagon says it will publish a follow-up to the Historical Record Report later in 2025, which will include more details on the disinformation programs, hazing rituals, and instances of “inauthentic materials” being used as deception tools.