THE Pentagon has released footage confirming 'unidentified aerial phenomena' in a move that has sparked a frenzy among UFO enthusiasts.
What does the footage show?
The declassified clips show objects shooting through the sky with no visual evidence of engines or wings as they seemingly defy the laws of physics in speed and flight duration. All were recorded by Navy pilots, one was taken in November 2004 and two in January 2015. The Pentagon says they show “unexplained aerial phenomena”, which some believe are unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
Specifically?
The 2004 clip was taken by an F-18 fighter jet sent out to take a closer look. The pilot said "it accelerated like nothing I've ever seen. I have no idea what I saw - it had no plumes, wings or rotors and outran our F-18s”.
The 2015 sightings?
One features a small white object moving swiftly through the frame, before the viewfinder locks on to it. One of the pilots filming says, "Look at it fly”. The other video shows an oval-shaped object flying above the clouds and one voice says, "Wow what is that, man? Look at that thing, it's rotating”!
Why have they been released?
They were leaked before unofficially, but the US Department of Defense said it wanted to declassify them “to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real”. It also confirmed the objects were high-speed at low-altitude and remain “unidentified”.
It comes as…
The American government has taken on a more transparent approach in this field of late, with a rise in reports of sightings and new procedures introduced for better investigation.
President Trump isn’t on board?
President Trump said last year: “I did have one very brief meeting on it. But people are saying they’re seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly.”
A programme for investigating reports of UFOs closed in 2012 but the Department of Defense said it "takes seriously all threats and potential threats to our people, our assets and our mission and takes action whenever credible information is developed”.
The 2004 pilot previously spoke out?
Now retired, Commander David Fravor said he had been on a training mission in California when he got called to reports of objects dropping out of the sky from 80,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean and going straight back up. He said it was like a "little white Tic Tac, moving around, left, right, forward”, adding: "I can tell you, I think it was not from this world…After 18 years of flying, I've seen pretty much about everything that I can see in that realm, and this was nothing close”.
Calls for more action?
Retired US Democratic Senator Harry Reid praised the Pentagon's release of the footage, but said it "only scratches the surface" of what the public should know, adding that "The US needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications”.
MAUREEN SUGDEN
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