NYT: In new report, intelligence officials can't explain most UFO sightings
The truth is still out there.
U.S. intelligence officials have investigated more than 120 incidents involving flying objects of unknown origin, and they write in a new classified government report that while they didn't find any evidence these are alien spacecraft, they also cannot explain how they are able to accelerate so quickly, change direction in a split second, and submerge, senior administration officials briefed on the matter told The New York Times.
The unidentified aerial phenomena were witnessed mostly by Navy pilots, and the report says most of the events did not involve objects that were made by the U.S. military or used advanced government technology, the officials said. Intelligence officials tested different explanations, and found that most didn't fit when looking at every incident. The objects couldn't be weather balloons, for instance, because of changes in wind speed during the interactions.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It is possible that these objects have been developed by a foreign country. One senior U.S. official told the Times that intelligence and military officials are concerned about Russia's and China's experiments with hypersonic technology, and if that's what the Navy pilots are witnessing, it suggests the Russians and Chinese are far ahead of the American military's research.
The sightings mentioned in the report include one-off events and recurring interactions. From the summer of 2014 to March 2015, Navy pilots over the East Coast reported seeing odd objects nearly every single day, including one that looked like a spinning top going against the wind. The objects were able to move at hypersonic speeds, fly up to 30,000 feet, and stay in the air for 12 hours.
Congress is expected to release an unclassified version of the report by June 25.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Swiss bliss: Chenot Palace Weggis takes wellness to the next level
The Blend Heath retreat on Switzerland's Lake Lucerne offers a mid-winter reset
By Felix Bischof Published
-
Earth's mini-moon was the moon all along
Under the radar More lunar rocks are likely floating in space
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: February 4, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published