{"id":34787,"date":"2022-05-17T15:25:46","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T15:25:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/05\/17\/ufos-pose-real-danger-dod-says-but-aliens-arent-to-blame-probably\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:20:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:20:57","slug":"ufos-pose-real-danger-dod-says-but-aliens-arent-to-blame-probably","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2022\/05\/17\/ufos-pose-real-danger-dod-says-but-aliens-arent-to-blame-probably\/","title":{"rendered":"UFOs pose real danger, says Pentagon, but aliens aren\u2019t to blame \u2014 probably"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense Department officials on Tuesday confirmed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/06\/06\/there-is-stuff-enduring-mysteries-trail-us-report-on-ufos\/\" target=\"_blank\">unidentified flying objects<\/a> are real and pose a potential serious threat to the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, they aren\u2019t panicking about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2020\/04\/27\/pentagon-releases-videos-of-encounters-between-ufos-and-navy-pilots\/\" target=\"_blank\">aliens invading America<\/a> anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s because military officials believe that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2021\/06\/25\/klaatu-barada-who-knows-intel-report-is-inconclusive-about-ufos\/\" target=\"_blank\">nearly all of the unexplained events<\/a> could be explained with more research and observation. To do that, they need military members to be more open to reporting the mystery objects without fear of being laughed off as science fiction conspiracy theorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/06\/06\/there-is-stuff-enduring-mysteries-trail-us-report-on-ufos\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21154653191264.png.png?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">\u2018There is stuff\u2019: Enduring mysteries trail US report on UFOs<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A report summarizing what the U.S. knows about \u201cunidentified aerial phenomena\u201d \u2014 better known as UFOs \u2014 is expected to be made public this month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are attempting to explain what may be natural phenomenon, or sensory phenomenon, or legitimate counterintelligence threats to places where we have [military] bases or platforms,\u201d said Ronald Moultrie, under secretary of defense for intelligence, in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHopefully, if we get more information out there, we\u2019ll start to lessen the impact of some of those spurious reports.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the hearing \u2014 the first public hearing on UFOs before Congress in more than 50 years \u2014 military officials acknowledged that sightings of \u201cunidentified aerial phenomena\u201d have jumped significantly over the last two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scott Bray, deputy director of Naval Intelligence, said the reports are \u201cfrequent and continuing,\u201d especially around military bases and training areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5138\" height=\"3425\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22137509557832.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22137509557832.jpg.jpg 5138w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22137509557832.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22137509557832.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22137509557832.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22137509557832.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22137509557832.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5138px) 100vw, 5138px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie, right, and Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray speak with a UAP on a screen, during a hearing of the House Intelligence, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee hearing on &#8220;Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,&#8221; on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Defense Department intelligence report last year detailed 144 UFO encounters between 2004 and 2020. Bray said there have been 11 \u201cnear misses\u201d with military aircraft from the unknown objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon leaders are establishing a new office focused on the UAPs, \u201cto facilitate the identification of previously unknown or unidentified airborne objects in a methodically logical and standardized manner,\u201d Moultrie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials said most of those events likely have mundane explanations \u2014 things like commercial drones and \u201cairborne clutter\u201d \u2014 that cannot be proven because of a lack of data on the incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In many cases, the reports come from pilots flying by objects at high speed, spotting something amiss for only a second or less. But Bray said at least some could pose significant threats, either from foreign adversaries or accidental collisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Less likely (though, officials acknowledged, not completely debunked) is the possibility of alien life watching humans from the skies above.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/06\/25\/klaatu-barada-who-knows-intel-report-is-inconclusive-about-ufos\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"186\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UFO-Main.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Concerned over potential threats, DoD ramping up reporting efforts in wake of intel report on UFOs<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">When it comes to UFOs, the truth is still out there according to intel report.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have no material, we have detected no emanations within the UAP Task Force that would suggest it\u2019s anything non-terrestrial in origin,\u201d Bray said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both lawmakers and the defense witnesses said public hearings like Tuesday\u2019s are important to calm conspiracy theories about the military hiding proof of alien life. Public discussions are also key to encouraging the collection of more information on sightings so there can be a rigorous scientific analysis of every incident, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several committee members pressed the defense officials for any additional evidence of extraterrestrial encounters. They also acknowledged that the Pentagon\u2019s explanations are unlikely to stop public speculation about possible alien encounters being covered up by military leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, after the public session, the committee held a closed, classified briefing continuing discussion on the topic, a move they conceded was both problematic and necessary to protect sensitive military information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moultrie, who confessed to being a big science fiction fan during his testimony, said the Defense Department is open to all potential explanations for the UFOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But rather than looking to outer space for answers, officials are looking anywhere they can for better data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are all curious and we seek to understand the unknown,\u201d Moultrie said. \u201cAnd as a lifelong intelligence professional, I\u2019m impatient. I want the immediate explanations for this as much as anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHowever, understanding can take significant time and effort.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Congress this week held its first public hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena in more than 50 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":39814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[8,160,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3424],"class_list":["post-34787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"JC72NM6FL5GVVG22AJTGOCD4L4","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/05\/17\/ufos-pose-real-danger-dod-says-but-aliens-arent-to-blame-probably\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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