Washington: On Wednesday, three former US military officials provided testimony before the United States Congress regarding unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), commonly referred to as UFOs. They disclosed possible encounters with UFOs, raised concerns about the threats they pose to national security, and accused the government of withholding information on the matter.
David Grusch, a former military intelligence officer, testified about a multi-decade effort by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to retrieve and reverse-engineer crashed UFOs in the US. He claimed to “absolutely” believe that the government possesses UAPs and even the remains of non-human operators. The Pentagon denied Grusch’s cover-up claims and stated that there is no verifiable evidence supporting the existence of extraterrestrial material programmes. Nevertheless, his allegations prompted an immediate investigation by the oversight committee.
Former US intelligence official David Grusch says under oath that the US government is in possession of UFOs and non-human bodies pic.twitter.com/tYJA1rNr6Z
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The other witnesses, David Fravor, a former Navy commander, and Ryan Graves, a retired Navy pilot, shared their own experiences with UAP sightings during their missions. Their testimonies, along with those of other military and commercial pilots, have sparked significant interest in the UFO phenomenon.
Lawmakers on the committee expressed bipartisan concern over UAP sightings and their potential impact on national security. Some accused the federal government of concealing key UFO-related information from the public. The top Democrat on the subcommittee, Rep. Robert Garcia, emphasised the need for investigation and oversight due to the numerous reports and whistleblowers coming forward.
Experts suggest that some of these UAP sightings might be attributed to various mundane explanations like balloons, drones, or optical illusions. The Pentagon has maintained that there is no evidence linking UAPs to alien activity, although they have not ruled out that possibility. David Grusch revealed that Congress has been kept in the dark about UAPs or UFOs, and executive branch agencies have withheld information on the subject for years. He alleged that the US government possessed “intact and partially intact” alien vehicles and non-human biological material.
The former Navy pilots, Ryan Graves and David Fravor, shared their experiences encountering UAPs during missions. Graves described encountering dark grey or black cubes inside a clear sphere, while Fravor recounted his famous “Tic Tac” video showing a large object off the coast of California in 2004, which exhibited capabilities beyond current material science.
Commander David Fravor's opening statement where he talks about a 'tic tac' ship with no wings that could stop mid-air and travel 60 miles in less than a minute pic.twitter.com/Ji70mXphNp
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Some lawmakers criticised the Pentagon for not providing more details in classified briefings or releasing images to the public. Pentagon officials previously showed a video taken from an F-18 military plane that depicted a balloon-like shape. While Pentagon officials acknowledged receiving “several hundreds” of new reports of UFOs, they maintained that there is no evidence to suggest that any of the objects seen are of alien origin. They consider any unauthorised presence in US airspace a safety threat.
When asked about the potential of life beyond Earth, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said he has no opinion on the subject. He did, however, recognise the presence of inexplicable airborne phenomena witnessed and reported by Navy and Air Force pilots. He stressed that the real nature of these events is unclear, and there are currently no conclusive answers as to what they may be.
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