Why it matters: On the surface, the US government's unclassified report on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) may sound like nine pages of nothing. But upon closer inspection, there are several fascinating nuggets that warrant further discussion. Indeed, this could very well be the tip of the iceberg on a topic that has remained shrouded in mystery for decades, perhaps even centuries.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has published its long-awaited preliminary report regarding its assessment of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), or what for years was referred to simply as unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
The ODNI used a limited subset of data largely collected by the US government based on incidents occurring from November 2004 to March 2021, with the majority occurring in the last two years as reporting mechanisms became better known to the military community.
Of the 144 cases studied that originated from US government sources, the team was able to identify exactly one reported UAP with high confidence. In that case, they identified the object as a large, deflating balloon. Every other case remains unexplained.
The report further concluded that most of the UAPs reported probably do represent physical objects considering most (80 out of 144) were detected across multiple sensors including radar, infrared, electro-optical, weapon seekers and visual observation.
What’s more, the ODNI said most reports described UAP as objects that interrupted pre-planned training or other military activity. Sightings also tended to cluster around US training and testing grounds, but this may “result from a collection bias as a result of focused attention, greater numbers of latest-generation sensors operating in those areas, unit expectations, and guidance to report anomalies.”
Other fascinating tidbits include, but aren’t limited to:
- In 18 incidents, described in 21 reports, observers reported unusual UAP movement patterns or flight characteristics.
- The UAPTF has 11 reports of documented instances in which pilots reported near misses with a UAP.
- Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernible means of propulsion.
- In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings.
- The UAP documented in this limited dataset demonstrate an array of aerial behaviors, reinforcing the possibility there are multiple types of UAP requiring different explanations.
- Sociocultural stigmas and sensor limitations remain obstacles to collecting data on UAP.
- UAP clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security.
According to the report, there is no data to indicate any UAP are part of a foreign collection program or indicative of a major technological advancement by a potential adversary.
The ODNI further notes that they may require additional scientific knowledge to successfully collect on, analyze and characterize some UAPs. "We would group such objects in this category pending scientific advances that allowed us to better understand them."
Ultimately, the report concluded that the limited amount of high-quality reporting on UAP hampers their ability to draw firm conclusions about the nature or intent of the objects. Unsurprisingly, the task force said additional funding for research and development could further the future study of UAPs.
Image credit alexskopje, Dean Clarke
https://www.techspot.com/news/90210-us-intelligence-report-rules-out-foreign-adversaries-source.html
