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For: The opinion Posted Jan 15, 2023, 7:15 pm EST
The Department of Defense has received 366 new reports of UFOs or “unidentified aerial phenomena” since March 2021, and about half of them appear to be balloons or drones, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
An initial assessment found that the phenomena in 26 cases were unmanned or drone-like aircraft and that 163 were balloons or “balloon-like entities”, while six reports could be attributed to birds, debris such as plastic bags or weather phenomena.
But the report also noted that an “initial characterization does not mean positively resolved or not identified.”
A new US government report on unidentified aerial phenomena has some possible answers, but a whole lot of mysteries remain. One thing you won’t find in the report? The words alien or extraterrestrial. https://t.co/HUZmuTtOCM
— CNET (@CNET) January 15, 2023
Approximately Half of the new cases could not be explained and “appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities, and require further analysis,” it said.
A classified version of the report was sent to lawmakers, as mandated by a defense spending bill passed by the last Congress.
The public report said that multiple factors affect the observation of an unidentified aerial phenomenon, “such as weather, lighting, atmospheric effects, or accurate interpretation of sensor data.”
Most of the new sightings came from Navy and Air Force aviators and operators, saccording to the report, adding that the new reports bring the total number of UFO cases to 510.
The increase “is due in part to a better understanding of the potential threats it may pose, either as flight security hazards or potential adversary collection platforms,” the report said.
The main intelligence agency published its first UFO report in 2021, which analyzed 144 reported cases. The officials found no evidence that the reported sightings indicated signs of extraterrestrial life or advanced new aircraft or weapons by foreign adversaries.
Although the report did not cite evidence that the UFO sightings could be linked to foreign adversaries, government agencies “will continue to investigate any evidence of possible involvement of foreign governments in similar events.”
Last year, the Pentagon established an office to document and analyze UFO reports. It is known as the All Domains Troubleshooting Bureau.
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