Dr Sean Kirkpatrick, the head of the investigative team appointed by the Pentagon to examine unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP), informed the Senate that their investigations had yet to uncover any extraterrestrial activity or technology. He mentioned that 650 such phenomena have been reported and that several per cent of them showed signs of advanced technical capabilities, possibly coming from other countries. A few of these phenomena have been sighted in Poland.
‘In our research, the (Defense Department’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office – ed.) has found no credible evidence thus far of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics,’ Kirkpatrick said at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The expert who heads the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which was established last year, was briefing senators on the status of research into aerial phenomena observed by US soldiers and instruments.
His office, he said, has so far recorded about 650 such cases, of which about half are prioritised for their “anomalous, interesting value”. He added that only a few per cent of them betrayed advanced technical capabilities.
“The adversary is not waiting”
Kirkpatrick spoke to reporters on the issue of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and the potential involvement of Russia and China. He said that while he had no concrete proof, he had “concerning indications” that China may be involved. He went on to say that further investigations are needed to uncover the truth.
“The adversary is not waiting. They are making progress and they are doing it fast (…) They are less wary of the risk of technological advances than we are. They are more willing to try things and see if they work,”
the Pentagon official explained.
A table presented by the official showed that most of the objects observed were circular in shape, 1-4 metres in size, white or silver in colour, lacked visible signs of propulsion and travelled at speeds of up to Mach 2. He added that many of the objects were probably weather balloons. At the same time, he reported that only a few phenomena have so far gone through the full process of scientific analysis, while about 30 are halfway through.
Kirkpatrick also presented a map of the phenomena, indicating that the most common area for observing unexplained aerial phenomena was the California coast and the Middle East. The map shows that some were also observed over Poland and Belarus. The expert explained that this was due to the location of the US military.
During the committee meeting, the head of the AARO also presented two videos of objects captured by the MQ-9 Reaper drone cameras. One of the videos showed a silver sphere of small size observed from above, which was moving at significant speed at a relatively low altitude. Kirkpatrick said that due to a lack of data and measurements from other sources, the incident remains unexplained. The second example presented – also recorded by the MQ-9 in the Middle East – depicted a flying saucer-like object that, upon analysis, turned out to be a commercial aircraft.