The Pentagon said there have been more than 200 new reports of UFOs and unidentified anomalous phenomena during an eight-month span earlier this year, according to the Defense Department’s report to Congress that was released this week.
The report noted there were 274 new sightings reported to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office between Aug. 31, 2022, and April 30, 2023. The office, which leads the government’s efforts documenting and analyzing UFO and UAP reports, is also looking at 17 previously undisclosed sightings that occurred from 2019-22.
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“The safety of our service personnel, our bases and installations, and the protection of U.S. operations security on land, in the skies, seas, and space are paramount,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. “We take reports of incursions into our designated space, land, sea, or airspaces seriously and examine each one.”
The majority of the reports come from military service members and commercial airline pilots, but while UFOs or UAPs are a “potential threat,” none flew directly in the path or in dangerously close proximity to the aircraft, the Pentagon said.
Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, said the office is still receiving dozens of sightings each month, but the majority turn out to be balloons, like one seen in February, or other man-made “mundane” things. However, 2%-4% are unidentifiable and get further research. None of the sightings have also been confirmed as being made by other countries to spy on the United States, but Kirkpatrick said it remains a possibility.
“There are some indicators that are concerning that may be attributed to foreign activity, and we are investigating those very hard,” Kirkpatrick told CNN on Wednesday. “There are ways to hide in our noise that always concern me. I am worried from a national security perspective.”
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Public interest in UFOs and UAPs surged after President Joe Biden created an office that solely focused on investigating the reports. As part of the guidelines for the office, it must present a yearly report to the federal government.
The Pentagon is also preparing for the launch of two new portals for people to file sightings. One portal is for the public, while the second is for former and current government employees or contractors to relay their sightings.
