On June 25, 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its assessment of “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” or UAP (government-speak for UFOs). The assessment was a short 6 pages, yet it contained surprising revelations.
The study focused on UAP reports from November 2004 to March 2021, primarily from military aviators. Out of 144 reports, only one could be explained. Eighty reports were backed by electronic sensors, suggesting real, solid objects, and 18 UAPs showed speeds or movements beyond existing technologies. Most sightings occurred around military installations, posing potential national security hazards. Here are 10 reasons the government is now concerned.
The Los Alamos Green Balls of Light (December, 1948)
UFO sightings surged during World War II, with U.S. aviators calling them “Foo Fighters.” These mysterious glowing objects shadowed military aircraft, moving with impossible speed. The fear was a Nazi superweapon, but historians dismiss this. These UFOs never engaged in combat, so their purpose remained unknown.
More unsettling was the post-war appearance of green orbs near the Los Alamos and Sandia atomic weapons labs. For nine days in December 1948, these orbs flew near the labs. One orb even forced a pilot to swerve. The government investigated, suspecting secret U.S. devices or Soviet spying. Another theory was ball lightning, but its rarity made this unlikely. The lights continued into the early 1950s.
The Washington D.C. Sightings (July, 1952)
In July 1952, Washington D.C. experienced UFO sightings. Air-traffic controllers at National Airport detected seven slow-moving unidentified objects. Controllers at Andrews Air Force Base also saw blips racing at over 7,000 mph. A commercial pilot reported streaking lights, faster than falling stars. Two F-94 jets investigated, but the lights disappeared. A week later, an F-94 pilot visually sighted the lights but couldn’t catch them.
The Air Force attributed it to a temperature inversion, a common phenomenon where warm air traps cooler air. However, radar operators knew the difference. The government assigned the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) to study these events, following projects like Project Sign, Project Grudge, and Project Blue Book. Despite increased UFO sightings after a Life magazine article, the Air Force’s explanation reduced public outcry.
Operation Mainbrace Sightings (September, 1952)
In September 1952, the U.S. and seven NATO nations conducted Operation Mainbrace, a large-scale war game in the North Sea. UFO sightings occurred during the 12-day operation. A Danish destroyer spotted a triangular bluish UFO flying at an estimated 900 mph. A British aircraft observed a silver, disk-shaped object maneuvering strangely near an airfield.
A metallic disk flew over Karup Field in Denmark, and a U.S. carrier was buzzed by a silver, spherical object, photographed but never released. British RAF pilots chased a shiny sphere without success. Widespread UFO sightings were reported in Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. The government dismissed these as weather balloons, but Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, later director of Project Blue Book, noted a lack of interest and disbelief hindered investigations.
Malmstrom AFB UFO Incident (March, 1967)
The Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana experienced a series of UFO incidents. In March 1967, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander Robert Salas received reports of a UFO above the Launch Control Center (LCC). Shortly after, alarms indicated problems at missile sites, rendering multiple ICBM missiles inoperable.
Similar events occurred a week prior at Echo-Flight LLC. Security personnel reported UFOs hovering over missile silos, and missiles became inoperable. Investigations found no cause, and Boeing theorized an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) but couldn’t explain its source. UFOs appeared over Malmstrom in subsequent years, and similar sightings were reported at other Air Force Bases. Some believe UFOs are monitoring and possibly sabotaging America’s nuclear arsenal.
Cua Viet River Fire Fight (June, 1968)
UFOs have shown continued interest in war zones. During the Korean War, there were numerous sightings. In May 1951, American troops saw an orange-glowing object descend toward their lines and emit a blue-green light. A soldier who fired at the UFO reported metallic “dings” and experienced tingling and burning. Three days later, his company suffered dysentery and high white-blood-cell counts.
In Vietnam, Captain George Filer briefed about UFO sightings. On June 16, 1968, patrol boat PCF-12 received a distress call from PCF-19, claiming attack by unidentified lights. PCF-19 exploded, and survivors reported the lights stalking them before the attack. PCF-12 encountered the lights, fired, and retreated, eventually chased off by F-4 Phantoms. There was no wreckage of an “enemy helicopter,” and General George Brown later suggested the term was a euphemism for UFOs.
Campeche, Mexico Sightings (March 5, 2004)
On March 5, 2004, the Mexican Air Force hunting drug smugglers detected multiple bogeys on infrared cameras. The crew noted the strangeness as objects surrounded their aircraft before breaking off. Skeptics suggested electrical flashes, ball lightning, or flares from oil wells in the Bay of Campeche. However, UFOlogists viewed these images as superior to typical grainy UFO pictures.
Environmental conditions, such as cloudiness and fluctuating temperatures at sunset, may have influenced the infrared images. While the exact nature remains debated, the incident fueled further UFO discussions.
USS Nimitz Incident (November 14, 2004)
In November 2004, Carrier Strike Group 11 detected 14 anomalous aerial vehicles (AAV) during training off southern California. Two F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters were dispatched. The F/A-18 crews found a disturbance on the ocean’s surface and a white oblong object shaped like a “Tic-Tac” mint. It lacked wings, engine heat, or exhaust and moved erratically.
When the F/A-18 tried to intercept, the AAV shot away, disappearing in a second. The object returned and was videotaped. Calculations suggested the object moved at 282,000 mph with immense G-force, impossible for any known aircraft or human. Despite radar tracking from multiple systems, recordings and ship logs were confiscated, with limited information released in 2017. Analysis concluded the “Tic-Tac” was not any known aircraft and had acceleration beyond human capabilities.
USS Theodore Roosevelt Sightings (2015)
Along with the Nimitz footage, two other F/A-18 Super Hornet videos were declassified in 2017. Shot by the same pilot from the USS Theodore Roosevelt during training off the eastern coast, six pilots and weapons system operators experienced multiple encounters. Lieutenant Danny Accoin encountered a UFO on radar but couldn’t visually spot it. Another Roosevelt pilot had a near collision with a sphere encased in a cube.
In 2015, the “go-fast” and “gimbal” videos were taken, showing objects with no distinct wings or exhaust, accelerating to hypersonic speed and making abrupt stops. These events underscored both the advanced capabilities and potential safety risks associated with such encounters.
USS Russell’s Pyramid UFO (July 15, 2019)
In July 2019, the Navy held exercises off San Diego. Multiple ships reported harassment by “drones.” The USS Rafael Peralta was paced by a “white light” performing unusual maneuvers. On July 15, three pyramid-shaped UFOs trailed the USS Russell at 700 feet, changing elevation erratically. The Pentagon confirmed the video’s authenticity.
This video contributed to a classified briefing by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) aimed at reducing stigma and encouraging reporting of such incidents. Luis Elizondo, former head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), noted compelling evidence of UFOs posing a national security threat. He released Pentagon theories: U.S. tech unknown to the Pentagon, foreign adversarial tech, or something else entirely.
USS Omaha’s Trans Medium UFO (July 15, 2019)
On the same night as the USS Russell incident, the USS Omaha videoed a trans medium UFO, traveling through the sky and water. A dark blob appeared near the Omaha, measured 6 feet in diameter, and traveled at speeds up to 158 mph. It stayed for nearly an hour before entering the water. A submarine investigated, finding nothing.
The Omaha video was released with Pentagon confirmation. Luis Elizondo identified five unique technological characteristics of these UFOs: instantaneous acceleration, hypersonic speeds, low visibility, trans medium travel, and positive lift. He noted the unlikelihood of a foreign power developing all these without U.S. awareness, suggesting the performance characteristics are “well beyond anything we can either replicate or in some cases really even understand.”
So, the question remains: What are these objects, and where do they come from?
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