UFO Hearing In Congress: 5 Things U.S. Intelligence Officials Said

ACROSS AMERICA — In the first public hearing on UFOs in half a century, a top Navy intelligence official told lawmakers Tuesday the military has added more than 250 reports of aircraft flying at mysterious speeds and trajectories to its database in the past year, bringing the total to about 400.

Although lawmakers heard new information for the first time, what they didn’t hear is evidence of extraterrestrial life. They also didn’t receive any reassurance they shouldn’t worry about the unexplained sightings.

Here are five things to know about Tuesday’s House Intelligence Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee hearing:

1. Why Is The Pentagon Talking Now?

The Defense Department was loathe for many years to even acknowledge the existence of UFOs — or, as they’re referred to in military and spy agency circles, UAP, or unidentified aerial phenomena. But the Pentagon had to walk back years of public denial after a shadowy five-year program to investigate UFOs was exposed in 2017 by The New York Times and Politico.

The intelligence gathered over the five years of the program, which was initiated in 2007, included former Naval Cmdr. David Fravor’s account of an other-wordly encounter with an oblong, Tic Tac-shaped aircraft flying erratically through his airspace at an incredible speed, defying accepted principles of aerodynamics.

“I can tell you, I think it was not from this world,” Fravor told ABC News in 2017. “I'm not crazy, haven't been drinking. It was — after 18 years of flying, I've seen pretty much about everything that I can see in that realm, and this was nothing close.”

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, now a ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on the Pentagon in late 2020 to investigate the UFO sightings.

2. Did UFO Make Contact With U.S. Aviators?

The military said in its 2021 report to Congress on UFOs that investigators found no evidence supporting alien life, a finding Scott W. Bray, the deputy director of Naval intelligence, repeated Tuesday.

He told lawmakers the investigation hadn’t turned up anything “extraterrestrial in origin,” and that none of the documented objects had attempted to make contact with U.S. aviators.

All of the unexplained sightings appeared to be unmanned, Bray said.

3. What Isn’t The Pentagon Saying?

Still, the sightings are of great concern both to the military and to members of Congress from both parties, who worry about threats to national security. Some of the sightings of aircraft flying without a discernible means of propulsion have been reported near military bases, raising concerns they are the stealth spy aircraft of U.S. adversaries.

The U.S. government is believed to be withholding technical information about the sightings of the mysterious aircraft near military bases and coastlines, raising concerns about Chinese or Russian spy technology, The Associated Press reported.

“We are also mindful of our obligation to protect sensitive sources and methods,” Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie said in his opening remarks. “Our goal is to strike that delicate balance — one that will enable us to maintain the public's trust while preserving those capabilities that are vital to the support of our service personnel.”

4. Don't Be Embarrassed, Pilots Told

Indiana Congressman Andre Carson, a Democrat who chairs the subcommittee of the House Intelligence Committee that held the hearing, has previously said that pilots too often are reluctant to come forward for fear they’ll be ridiculed.

“We want to know what's out there as much as you want to know what's out there,” Moultrie told lawmakers, adding that he was a fan of science fiction himself. “We get the questions, not just from you. We get it from family, and we get them night and day.”

5. Why Are There More Sightings?

The move to destigmatize UFO reports appears to be contributing to an increase in reports, and detection capabilities are improving, Bray said.

For example, Bray said, Navy and Air Force pilots and crews “now have step-by-step procedures for reporting UAPs,” using onboard technology.

Also, sensors have been improved, and more drones and other non-military aerial systems are in the skies, which could account for some of the increased sightings.

Another possible culprit, Bray said: Mylar balloons.

In case you missed it, watch the hearing below:

The Associated Press contributed reporting.