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.
-
Dark chocolate macadamia cookies recipe
The Week Recommends These one-bowl cookies will melt in your mouth
-
Israel's plan to occupy Gaza
In Depth Operation Gideon's Chariots will see Israel sending thousands of troops into Gaza later this month to seize control of the strip
-
Prince Harry's 'bombshell' BBC interview
Talking Point Royal claims he is not safe to visit the UK and fuels speculation over King Charles' health in 'extraordinary' BBC interview
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
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
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
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