The truth is out there, as the 1990s The X-Files still reminds us. But could the answer to the unexplained be closer to home, as in those unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAPs) could be not only of Earth origin but of American making?
That’s not likely the case, but what are those mysterious objects if not alien and not advanced military programs?
Explaining the Unexplainable
In March, the U.S. Department of Defense released a report that stated there was no evidence of extraterrestrial spacecraft, even as some phenomena remain very much unexplainable. The newest DoD report, issued just last week, included findings from the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which looked at 757 new cases.
“This report covers unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) reports from May 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024, and all UAP reports from any previous time periods that were not included in an earlier report. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) received 757 UAP reports during this period; 485 of these reports featured UAP incidents that occurred during the reporting period. The remaining 272 reports featured UAP incidents that occurred between 2021 and 2022 but were not reported to AARO until this reporting period and consequently were not included in previous annual UAP reports,” the AARO report stated.
Cases Solved – But Case Not Closed
What is notable is that even as AARO stated that it resolved 118 cases during the reporting period – finding that they were prosaic objects, including various types of balloons, birds, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – a great number of cases remain unresolved.
Yet, the objects have been determined not to be alien in nature.
“AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology,” the report added, but it also ruled out that it could be secret weapons from an adversary. “None of these resolved cases substantiated advanced foreign adversarial capabilities or breakthrough aerospace technologies. AARO will provide immediate notification to Congress should AARO identify that any cases indicate or involve a breakthrough foreign adversarial aerospace capability.”
What does that leave? Perhaps, the UAPs are American-made – as in secret military programs.
Yet, not according to author and former Pentagon official Luis Elizondo who last week offered written testimony to lawmakers on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Subcommittee on Cyberspace, Information Technology, and Government Innovation; and National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs.
“Let me be clear: UAP are real. Advanced technologies not made by our Government — or any other government — are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe. Furthermore, the U.S. is in possession of UAP technologies, as are some of our adversaries,” wrote Elizondo, a former intelligence officer, who also called for more transparency.
“A small cadre within our own Government involved in the UAP topic has created a culture of suppression and intimidation that I have personally been victim to, along with many of my former colleagues. This includes unwarranted criminal investigations, harassment, and efforts to destroy one’s credibility,” Elizando added.
Conspiracy Theories Abound
Because it is impossible to determine what a significant number of UAPs may be, coupled with the fact that it appears the government isn’t telling us everything they know has created a situation where conspiracy theories will quickly take root.
“Yes, it can feed conspiracy theories, but there are real and legitimate questions to be answered,” suggested Dr. Robert A. Sanders, distinguished lecturer of national security at the Henry C. College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the University of New Haven.
“Multiple, reliable U.S. military pilots have seen phenomenon that defies known, conventional aircraft operational parameters,” Sanders told ClearanceJobs. “There are photographic, radar, and voice comms that support a reasonable level of research/search for possible answers that meet our human understanding. I say, who is afraid of looking, and why? We are delving into the dangers of AI with little restraint, so why not UFOs?”
Reading Between the Lines
From 1947 until 1969, the United States Air Force ran its famous Project Blue Book, which consisted of 12,618 reported sights of UAPs. As NPR reported, of those just 701 remain “unidentified,” but none were said to constitute a security threat or even indicated abilities beyond modern science.
Yet, conspiracy theories remain, and likely even grow because individuals can more readily share their findings with the masses – often without the necessary skepticism that investigators may bring to the table. In other words, those who don’t immediately want to believe may seek out rational alternatives, while others may seek a “truth” and find it out there.
“This news has definitely been active in social media. Testimony as we saw regarding the UFO sightings can certainly fuel conspiracy thinking,” Dr. Cliff Lampe, professor of information and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, told ClearanceJobs.
“People are excerpting clips of a long testimony without context, which is always a core feature of supporting conspiracy theories,” explained Lampe. “The other effect we see is that people respond to the new testimony satirically, which then itself is taken out of context to fuel more misinformation.”
