Flying Saucers: What We Know of UAPs and UFOs

The United States just had a congressional hearing about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). In other words, US politicians recently discussed unidentified flying objects or UFOs. The internet has gone wild with wacky assumptions and somber conclusions in response.

Does this prove the existence of life beyond the stars or extraterrestrial life? Or is this a sample of another country brazenly testing its technology on American airspace? One thing is for sure: people should be wary about unknown entities in their territory, international or extraterrestrial.

First, let’s discuss more details about the recent congressional hearing about UAP and UFO phenomenon. Then, we will elaborate on what UFO sightings are and why they continue to capture our imagination. More importantly, we will discuss they are a matter of national security.

US lawmaker warns of “unidentified aerial phenomena.”

Congress hasn't held a public hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UFO's) in over 50 years. That will change next week when I lead a hearing in @HouseIntel on this topic & the national security risk it poses. Americans need to know more about these unexplained occurrences.

— André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) May 10, 2022

On May 17, 2022, top Pentagon officials had a congressional hearing about “unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). They said related reports from pilots and service personnel increased by roughly 400.

The Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray and the Under Secretary of Defense for Security Ronald Moultrie testified before a House subcommittee.

Their testimony noted the UAP reports organized by the Department of Defense after a congress report last year suggest that most of the analyzed sightings remain unidentified.

That document came from the Pentagon UAP Task Force and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). It found no proof that confirms these objects’ extraterrestrial or international origins.

The hearing opened with a statement from Rep. André Carson, chairman of the House Intelligence Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee.

The Democrat of Indiana said unidentified aerial phenomena “are a potential national security threat, and they need to be treated that way.”

He noted that the negative outlook toward UAPs obstructed “good intelligence analysis.” Pilots didn’t submit UFO reports, and the people who noted such phenomena met ridicule.

Meanwhile, Defense Department officials pushed the issue to the backroom or hid the reports. Now, Carson said that UAPs are real, even if they are unexplained.

Investigators determined one of the 144 reports assigned to them “as a large, deflating balloon.” Yet, the remaining 143 UAP reports from 2004 to 2021 are still a mystery.

Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray said that the number of unidentified aerial phenomenon reports grew to 400 since last year. He then showed a few clips regarding these instances.

They show flying debris that moves without any known means of propulsion. The director of Naval Intelligence added, “I do not have an explanation for what this specific object is.”

Unidentified flying objects and unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP)

After talking about the recent House hearing, let’s talk about the difference between UFOs and UAPs. Contrary to common belief, they refer to the same concept.

An American aviator and businessman named Kenneth Arnold coined the term “UFO” in June 1947. He allegedly witnessed nine lustrous, unknown craft dashing through the skies near Mount Rainer, Washington.

Newspaper articles described the strange flying things as “flying saucers” or “flying disks.” Eventually, the “flying saucer” crept into public consciousness.

After Arnold’s sighting, more UFO reports came out. Some even appeared in The New York Times. It featured one notable incident in 1947.

Near the Roswell Army Air Field, a public information officer described the object as a “flying disk.” The move made people curious, calling it the “Roswell Incident.”

Army officials immediately pulled back the statement and explained that the officer saw was only a crashed weather balloon. Some people believed that the military took the alien wreck to Area 51, a military base in southern Nevada.

While people speculated on the existence of alien life, the US military considered the unexplained phenomena as a national security threat.

The military soon investigated the sightings themselves through a series of projects. The Air Force investigation Project Blue Book is one of the most well-known.

It started in 1952 and went on until 1969, and it investigated a report from Barney and Betty Hill. They claimed extraterrestrials abducted and examined them in New Hampshire in September 1961.

According to History.com, this was the first widely distributed alien abduction story. Even though Project Blue Book ended, sightings of alien spacecraft continued to surface.

The New York Times wrote about the UFO investigation called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). It renamed UFOs to UAP since the latter has fewer historical issues.

UFOs and extraterrestrial life

The unknown has always captured the human imagination. As early as 1066 CE, people have been fantasizing about the stuff that darts around in the sky.

For example, an 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry depicted Haily’s Comet zooming through the inner solar system and blazing ominously above King Harold II of England. It told of his coronation and death in the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066.

Creation myths around the world connect these instances with sacred or divine intervention. Nowadays, people still anticipate meteor showers, so they could wish upon shooting stars.

Countless movies have depicted worlds beyond the stars, from Star Trek to Guardians Of The Galaxy. We never seem to get enough of heavenly bodies, so they inspire many video games and TV series.

Of course, we now have credible and science-based explanations for these phenomena. Our planet constantly moves in outer space and other stuff like asteroids and comets.

Some collide with our planet, but our atmosphere quickly burns them into dust. Others make a huge enough impact to leave craters, but none has caused significant damage.

We understand that the strange objects in the sky are unlikely to be aliens. We will not encounter a worldwide alien invasion like the one from the film “Independence Day!”

The public congressional hearing on unidentified objects met a primarily lukewarm response. People dismissed the publications reporting it, saying they had a slow news day.

As expected, most people responded with jokes and memes. During a time of an ongoing global pandemic and conflict between Ukraine and Russia, a hearing about extraterrestrial origins just sounded absurd.

Others saw the public hearing as a tone-deaf action from the government. They thought the officials had more pressing matters to address, such as a looming recession.

Airborne object identification is a national security issue.

US Congress holds first public UFO hearing in over 50 years https://t.co/gwPxQpxMGy

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 17, 2022

US lawmakers saw this as a potential national security threat despite the public response. Arkansas Republican Rick Crawford reminded the people that “it’s not about finding alien spacecraft.”

The US government just held the first public congressional hearing regarding an unexplained aerial phenomenon in over 50 years for a serious reason. The capabilities of these UFOs are a serious concern.

Look at the flight characteristics again, and you’ll notice that these unidentified objects soar through the air using an unknown method. Some reports suggest that they are unmanned aerial systems.

As the House Intelligence Counterterrorism Subcommittee chair said, air force pilots avoided reporting about them due to the skeptical national security community.

Now that government officials met regarding the issue, it implies a chilling realization for national security. The UAP reports might be aircraft from other countries!

Advanced unmanned aerial systems with known technology aren’t as far-fetched as you may think. For example, the United Kingdom will soon deploy jet-suit paramedics.

They are emergency responders that fly around on propulsion systems to reach people in need quickly. Then, we have the eVTOL projects around the world.

The acronym stands for “electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing,” but you may call them electric flying taxis. The UFOs might be natural phenomena that came from other countries.

Perhaps they’re boldly breaching international boundaries to test their equipment. Maybe they could be advanced surveillance systems. After all, many of the recent UAP sightings occurred in military training grounds and other designated airspace.

As a result, the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) came to light during that hearing about unexplained aerial phenomena.

Under Secretary of Defense for Security, Ronald Moultrie said that the main object of AOIMSG is to organize and investigate UAP reports from military personnel.

Real-life applications of space exploration

Outer space isn’t just for the UAP task force or other intelligence agencies. We benefit in many ways from space exploration as it paved the way for modern technologies.

For example, your smartphone has GPS tracking thanks to satellites orbiting our planet. It lets you follow your Grubhub deliveries and keep track of your Uber rides.

Experts improved on that service with the help of data collected from space. Now, it lets companies coordinate supply deliveries from ships and trucks.

It made air traffic control possible as satellites can now share data about passenger planes in real-time. We’ve made significant progress with space exploration, yet it continues until now.

Companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic are trying to make space tourism a reality. So far, they’ve sent a few wealthy passengers beyond the skies.

Elon Musk owns SpaceX, and thanks to its data, he has created Starlink. It provides an internet connection around the world via satellites. The technology may soon remove the need for cable connections or cell towers.

He sent a few Starlink systems to Ukraine, enabling the soldiers to access the internet. The devices have been instrumental in their ongoing struggle with Russia.

Further space exploration could improve our lives in more ways in the future. However, the US government takes considerable effort into investigating national security threats.

Conclusion

The US government just had a hearing about UAP or unidentified aerial phenomena. The vast majority responded with jokes, complaints, and serious discussions.

However, the US government stressed that this was not an issue for UFO enthusiasts. The UFOs might be advanced aircraft that came from other countries.

If these airborne objects were from a foreign adversary, they are national defense issues. That is why the US is seriously looking into the UAP reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did a congressional hearing happen this week?

On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, US lawmakers held a hearing about unidentified aerial phenomena or UAP. They said these could have come from a foreign adversary, so the government must investigate them.

What is a UAP?

UAP stands for unidentified aerial phenomena, and it shares the same meaning with UFO. The Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program changed its name due to the past connotations of UFOs.

Are UAPs from outer space?

Some believe that UAPs or UFOs have extraterrestrial origins. However, the US government investigates them as they could be unauthorized aircraft from other countries.