On May 17, the United States Congress will hold its first-ever public hearing on Unidentified Flying Objects in over 50 years. In June last year, a report was published that detailed multiple reports of “unidentified aerial phenomena” or UAPs. Following the report, The House Intelligence Committee’s subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation hearing is going to start this Tuesday.
The report was published by the director of national intelligence after the Senate Intelligence Committee had requested the same. It said between 2004 and 2021, there were 144 UAP encounters recorded by the United States government. The report added that there was limited data available about the incidents, which means they could not be explained. It said there was a possibility of multiple types of UAPs that would require different explanations on a case-to-case basis.
The reasons of UAPs included airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, government or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems or other reasons. It did not rule out the possibility of technology of extraterrestrial origin. The report mentioned 18 incidents where ‘unusual’ movement patterns of flight were reported demonstrating advanced technology. It said those could be potentially deployed by China, Russia or another nation or a non-government entity.
Representative André Carson said in a statement, “The American people expect and deserve their leaders in government and intelligence to seriously evaluate and respond to any potential national security risks—especially those we do not fully understand. Since coming to Congress, I’ve been focused on the issue of unidentified aerial phenomena as both a national security threat and an interest of great importance to the American public. The hearing will give the American people an opportunity to learn what there is to know about these incidents.”
He added, “There have been nearly 150 sightings. Eighty of the sightings [were] detected with some of the best technology the world has ever seen. We can’t rule out something that is otherworldly, but that’s a very small percentage.” He said, “Someone has to do it.”
Democrat congressman and chairman of the House intelligence committee Adam Schiff said, “This will give the public an opportunity to hear directly from subject matter experts, and leaders in the intelligence community, on one of the greatest mysteries of our time. The hearing would break the cycle of excessive secrecy and speculation with truth and transparency”.
Hearing on UFO after fifty years
Last open hearing on UFOs was held in early 1970 when Air Force closed a public investigation on UFOs known as Project Blue Book. Gerald R. Ford, who was the House Republican minority leader from Michigan organized a hearing in response to reports of UFO sightings by over 40 people that including 12 policemen in 1966. Ford had said, “I believe the American people are entitled to a more thorough explanation than has been given them by the Air Force to date.” Air Force explained the sightings as “swamp gas”.
Another hearing was held two years later by Congress. Scientists outside Air Force presented papers on UFOs. The Air Force concluded the hearing in 1969 that no UFO ever threatened national security and the objects did not display any technology that was not available in those days. The investigation was closed.
