The Pentagon has released a new report on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO), officially known as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs). The report revealed hundreds of fresh cases but no proof substantiating the claim of any extraterrestrial origin.
The report consisted of hundreds of new cases of misidentified balloons, birds, and satellites, including some that cannot be explained in easier terms, such as a close call between a commercial airliner and an unidentified object near the New York coast.
Not providing any evidence of any extraterrestrial existence, the report indicated the increased public interest in the subject and the US government’s efforts to give some answers.
The report came a day after the US legislators demanded greater transparency during a hearing on UAPs. “There is something out there. The question is: Is it ours, is it someone else’s, or is it otherworldly?” Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee was quoted as saying by news agency AP in its report.
The US government’s study on UAPs is primarily focused on possible threats to their national security or air safety, thus neglecting the science fiction aspect associated with the phenomenon. The report was prepared by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), an office created in 2022 to study UPAs. In its report, AARO has rubbished the claims of the existence of any unearthly origins.
“It is important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology,” the report said, the news agency AP reported.
The Pentagon reviewed 757 cases of unidentified objects reported to US authorities between 1 May 2023 and 1 June 2024. The total includes 272 incidents from earlier periods that had not been previously reported.
Most incidents took place in airspace, but 49 occurred at altitudes above 62 miles, classified as space. None occurred underwater. Reports came from commercial and military pilots as well as ground observers.
Investigators explained nearly 300 cases in the report. Many involve balloons, birds, aircraft, drones, or satellites. The Starlink satellite system, owned by tech giant Elon Musk, was a common source of confusion, as chains of satellites were mistaken for UFOs.
Hundreds of cases remain unexplained, often due to insufficient information to reach conclusions.
No injuries or crashes were reported. A commercial flight crew said that a near miss with a “cylindrical object” over the Atlantic Ocean near New York. That case is still under investigation.
In three other cases, military crews reported being followed by unidentified aircraft. Investigators found no evidence linking the activity to foreign powers.
(With inputs from AP)