The U.S. government cannot explain 143 of the 144 cases of unidentified flying objects reported by fighter jets. This is stated in the long-awaited report of the secret services published on Friday (25/6).
Everyone expected that this exhibition would shed light on the mystery of dozens of flying objects recorded from 2004 to 2021.
The report concludes that there is insufficient data to categorize these items, except in one case. Thus, the long-awaited report of the American intelligence services, which was presented to the Congress yesterday, probably leaves everything open.
The balloon
"There is probably no single explanation" for these phenomena, according to the report. "We do not currently have sufficient information in our databases to attribute these incidents to specific causes," he added.
The report lists incidents from 2004 to 2021; the US intelligence service admits it has no explanation for more than 140 of them. All the information gathered "does not allow a conclusion to be drawn".
Of the 144 incidents examined, only one could be explained: it was a large balloon that was deflating.
Unusual movements or unusual flight characteristics were recorded at 18, which surprised those who noticed them.
Drones, birds or threats?
Some could be explained by the presence of remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or birds, which have confused radar systems. Others could be due to tests of equipment or military technology by other powers, such as China or Russia, according to a report by the Office of the Director of Intelligence Services (ODNI).
U.S. intelligence services are worried about the possibility of Beijing and Moscow testing ultrasonic technologies, systems that move at speeds 10 to 20 times faster than sound, and can make extremely difficult maneuvers, US media officials said.
Curiosity about the phenomena was fueled by the publication last year of some videos taken by US Navy pilots, which seem to record flights of Unidentified Flying Objects (ATIA). One was filmed in November 2004, the other two in January 2015.
After decades of secrecy, Congress has instructed the government to inform the general public about the activities of the Pentagon unit tasked with studying the selected unexplained aerial phenomena.
The report does not explicitly mention the possibility that these phenomena are associated with extraterrestrial life forms. But it is not ruled out either.
For the US military and intelligence services, what needs to be explained above all is whether these phenomena pose a threat to the United States.
"Unexplained airspace raises questions about flight safety and US national security," the nine-page text said.
According to Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the number of incidents has been rising since 2018.
"This report probably does not allow a clear conclusion to be drawn and is only the beginning of efforts to explain an issue that poses a risk to aviation in several parts of the country and the world," Warner said in a press release. .
The United States "must be able to understand and reduce the threats to our pilots, whether they come from UAVs, meteorological balloons, or our opponents' intelligence gathering means," he added.