An increase in UFO sightings in the 1960s was likely caused by secret test flights of advanced US government spy plans, a Pentagon report has concluded.
The findings, which were submitted to Congress on Friday, said there was “no evidence” that the US government had interactions with aliens and that most sightings of UFOs and “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP) were of ordinary objects.
A Pentagon spokesperson said officials were open-minded in their approach to looking into the matter but had found no evidence of alien visitors.
Maj Gen Patrick Ryder, a Defence Department spokesman, said there was also no evidence to back up claims of secret programmess, hidden alien technology or anything else extraterrestrial, the New York Times reported.
“All investigative efforts, at all levels of classification, concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification,” Maj Gen Ryder said in a statement.
The report was issued by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
The AARO looked at archives and classified files and reviewed all official government investigations dating back to 1945, “researched classified and unclassified archives, conducted dozens of interviews, and partnered with Intelligence Community and DOD [Department of Defence] officials responsible for controlled and special access program oversight, respectively” Maj Gen Ryder added.
Whistle-blowers’ and former government officials’ accounts suggesting the US is hiding evidence of extraterrestrial material were also challenged in the report. For instance, it found that an alleged 1961 leaked memo about UFOs was inauthentic, and an “alien spacecraft” sample collected by UAP investigators was made of the rather more earthly magnesium, zinc and bismuth.
The report said that while many reports of UAPs remain unsolved, if better quality data were available “most of these cases” could be identified “as ordinary objects or phenomena.”
Despite its clear stance, the report conceded that the findings would not satisfy those adamant that alien visits have taken place.
“The proliferation of television programmes, books, movies, and the vast amount of internet and social media content centred on UAP-related topics most likely has influenced the public conversation on this topic, and reinforced these beliefs within some sections of the population,” the report said.
People’s belief that UFO sightings are extraterrestrial in origins could be as result of greater exposure to the topic on “traditional and social” media, the Pentagon added.
“Aside from hoaxes and forgeries, misinformation and disinformation is more prevalent and easier to disseminate now than ever before, especially with today’s advanced photo, video and computer-generated imagery tools,” the report found. “Internet search and content recommendation algorithms serve to reinforce individuals’ preconceptions and confirmation biases just as much as to help educate and inform.”
Congress has mandated a second report by the Pentagon, although the conclusions are not likely to differ.
Last year Congress passed a measure ordering the National Archives to declassify more records. Meanwhile, NASA and US intelligence agencies are seeking ways to collect more detailed data about unexplained sightings.
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