A much-anticipated intelligence report on UFOs sent to Congress on Friday found no evidence of alien life and could not explain 144 government reports of UF0s mostly from military personnel from 2004 to 2021, calling them “largely inconclusive.”
The report by the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force to committees of Congress said the limited amount of high-quality reporting on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) “hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions about the nature of UAP.” The report was issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The nine-page unclassified version of the report added, “There are probably multiple types of UAP requiring different explanations based on the range of appearances and behaviors described in the available reporting.”
However, the report said UAP “clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security. “
Of the 144 reports reviewed, 80 involved observations with multiple sensors that included radar, infrared, electro-optical, weapon seekers and visual observation. There were no photos or videos included the report.
Various UAP “probably lack a single explanation,” the report states, but puts them into five categories: airborne clutters, natural atmospheric phenomena, U.S. government or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems and a catchall “other” group.
The report calls for use of artificial intelligence and machine learning software to “cluster and recognize similarities and patterns in features of the data points” already collected, as well as future data.
It suggests using high-altitude balloons and other means to assess future UAP reports. Also the task force that created the report is looking for new ways to increase collection of UAP cluster areas when military forces are not present.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the frequency of UAP incidents appears to be increasing, adding, “The U.S. must be able to understand and mitigate threats to our pilots whether they’re from drones or weather balloons or adversary intelligence capabilities.” He called the intelligence report “rather inconclusive,” but said it “marks the beginning of efforts to understand and illuminate what is causing these risks to aviation in many areas around the country and the world.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, called the report an “important first step in cataloging these incidents, but it is just a first step." The Defense Department and intelligence community “have a lot of work to do before we can understand whether these aerial threats present a serious national security concern,” he added. He is vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
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