The government of the United States has received 366 new reports of UFOs, which the government dubs unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). CNN reports that this number has been in place since March 2021. Around half of these reports are still unexplained so far.
Skyrocketing UFO Reports
Science Alert notes that this number of UFO reports is remarkably higher than the numbers of the last 17 years. However, this does not indicate an alien invasion of some sort.
Such information was relayed through an unclassified report that was issued by the ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) and that was collaborated on by the AARO (All-Dufoomain Anomaly Resolution Office) of the Department of Defense. This office was created through a congressional mandate. The recent report is an update to preliminary evaluations of the Pentagon's UAP records that were issued in 2021.
The evaluation reveals that there are 144 different reports that are related to unusual aerial activities spotted by service members of the military from 2004 up to 2021. The report also reveals that there are 247 fresh reports and yet another 119 reports that were found or documented after the said preliminary evaluation.
This brings the tally to 510 UAP reports as of August 30.
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Why Are UFO Reports Piling Up?
NBC News reports that this heightened number of cases is partially because of an increased understanding of the potential threats that are represented by the UAP. This could be for flight hazard safety or possible adversary platforms for collection. Aside from these reasons, the rise in numbers was also due to a dampened stigma regarding the reporting of UAP.
Nevertheless, the military officials and intelligence forces of the US think that this is a good thing. The report indicates that heightened reporting gives more opportunities to conduct in-depth analysis and solve certain events.
The press secretary for the Pentagon and the Air Force, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, expresses how these aerial anomalies pose a national security issue. He notes how it is paramount to ensure the safety of the bases, installation, service personnel, and security operations on land, sea, sky, and space. Ryder notes that they take each report seriously and check out each one.
The report has been praised by congress members from both sides. However, they also called for higher levels of transparency. Sen. Marco Runop, R-Fla, notes that there is more that needs to be done and that it is necessary to use current sensors to gather UAP data and analyze it.
Unclassified Report Details
The unclassified document does not reveal any specific case details. Such in-depth details can only be found in the classified document directed to Congress. However, there is a breakdown provided. 163 of these cases were due to balloons or similar items; 26 were caused by drones or similar devices; and 6 were caused by clutter, such as weather events, airborne debris, or birds. This leaves 171 reports unattributed and uncharacterized.
The report mentioned that none of these UAP reports were related to adverse health impacts or collisions. There is also nothing in the report that proposes the potential role of aliens in such UAP events.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb notes that even if one case has a reported extraterrestrial origin and if the said object does not pose any threats to national security, being able to identify it would be the most important human discovery. He notes how this ODNI report complements scientific endeavors. However, it does not grant evidence regarding UAP nature, which could be accelerating, looking, or moving differently than current technological devices.
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