Pentagon report: UFO sightings, near miss with plane and 'cylindrical object'

The Pentagon has presented its most recent report on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), revealing hundreds of new incidents but without providing conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial life. The report includes 757 new incidents, documenting sightings reported between May 1, 2023, and June 1, 2024, including 272 incidents that occurred between 2021 and 2022 but had not been previously reported.

During this period, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) received 757 reports of UAP, with 485 corresponding to incidents occurring within the latest interval. Among these, AARO resolved 118 cases, identifying the phenomena as objects such as balloons (70%), drones (16%), satellites (4%), or birds (2%). Investigators found explanations for nearly 300 of the incidents, often attributing the unidentified objects to misidentifications such as balloons, birds, and satellites, including those from Elon Musk's Starlink network.

However, hundreds of other cases remain unexplained. The report's authors stressed that the lack of explanation is often because there is not enough information to draw firm conclusions. "These are the cases that require significant time, resources, and focus," Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said.

"The vast majority of the reported incidents occurred in airspace," with several sightings near military bases and national security facilities. The report specified that, of the sightings it is aware of, 708 occurred in the air, 49 in space, and none at sea. Forty-nine incidents occurred at altitudes estimated to be at least 62 miles (100 kilometers), which is considered space. None of the reported incidents occurred underwater.

The report underscored that, despite growing public interest and the government's effort to provide transparency about this phenomenon, there are no indications suggesting life outside Earth. Pentagon officials stated that only a very small percentage of reports are potentially anomalous, and none of the cases examined have extraterrestrial origins. Sabrina Singh stated, "It is important to underscore that, to date, the department has discovered no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology."

Jon Kosloski noted, "there are definitely anomalies," but emphasized that sufficient signals have not been found to assert the existence of life beyond planet Earth. "Reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, particularly near national security sites, must be taken seriously and investigated with scientific rigor by the United States government," he stated. "None of the cases resolved by AARO have pointed to advanced capabilities or innovative technologies," a sentiment echoed by Singh.

Among the new instances is a recent near miss involving a commercial plane and a mysterious "cylindrical object" near New York, which is still under investigation. According to the report, this was the only case mentioning a possible air safety issue for civilians: "A commercial crew reported a near miss with a 'cylindrical object' while flying over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York. AARO continues its investigation and analysis of this case." No injuries or crashes were reported in any of the incidents investigated by the AARO, and no adverse health effects have been recorded for the observers.

The publication of the report came a day after U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers requested greater government transparency during a hearing on UAPs, underscoring a culture of suppression and intimidation. During the hearing, members discussed "the lack of transparency from the DoD and the intelligence community regarding UAP," including undisclosed expenditures on related programs and implications for national security.

Lawmakers emphasized that the growing number of reports demonstrates the need for the government to maintain a systematic and scientific approach to the investigation of UAPs and to share findings with Americans. Republican Representative Andy Ogles commented, "There is something out there. The question is: Is it ours, is it someone else's, or is it otherworldly?" underscoring the mystery surrounding these phenomena.

Concerns were raised that foreign powers may be using advanced technologies or secret aircraft to spy on U.S. military installations, particularly near national security sites. The AARO found no evidence linking the reported activities to a foreign power or advanced technologies, stating: "There are no indications or confirmation that these activities can be attributed to foreign actors."

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq