Current:Home > NewsPentagon unveils new UFO website that will be a 'one-stop' shop for declassified info -ProfitPoint
Pentagon unveils new UFO website that will be a 'one-stop' shop for declassified info
View
Date:2025-04-13 18:31:24
The Pentagon's office to investigate UFOs revealed on Thursday a new website where the public can access declassified information about reported sightings.
The site will be operated by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO,) a relatively new Pentagon program established to analyze reports of what the government officially refers to as unidentified anomalous (or aerial) phenomena. The Department of Defense announced the website in a press release, hailing it as a "one-stop shop" for photos and video of UAP approved for public release.
The site will also soon be a place where U.S. government and military personnel can report objects violating U.S. airspace or flying in ways believed to be beyond the capabilities of human technology.
"The department is committed to transparency with the American people on AARO's work on UAP," according to a statement from the defense department. "This website will serve as a one-stop shop for all publicly available information related to AARO and UAP, and AARO will regularly update the website with its most recent activities and findings as new information is cleared for public release."
'At the threshold:'How UFOs became mainstream in America
AARO founded after report finds hundreds of UAP sightings
In a short message at the top of the website, AARO Director Sean Kirkpatrick said the site is intended to shed light on the work of an office Congress created in July 2022.
AARO was launched after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence identified 144 military UAP encounters since 2004 in a preliminary assessment released in June 2021. That figured jumped this year to more than 500 military UAP reports, many of which cannot be explained as natural occurrences such as unmanned aircrafts or weather balloons.
Astrophysicists caution that otherworldly explanations aren't likely even in the absence of a natural explanation.
Hunt for extraterrestrial life:Metallic spheres found on Pacific floor are interstellar in origin, Harvard professor finds
What's on the site now?
The site now includes a handful of videos, some of which have been explained as commercial craft and some of which have been labeled as "unresolved." Each video contains a short description with an explanation by AARO of where it was captured and what characteristics the object is exhibiting.
The site also includes links to an assortment of laws, memos, congressional briefings and press releases related to UAP.
The Pentagon plans to update the website this fall to include a secure tool allowing current and former U.S. government employees, service members and contractors with direct knowledge of government programs or activities to contact AARO directly to make a report.
A mechanism for members of the general public to make reports will be announced in coming months, the defense department said.
Craving more aliens?Here are 3 UFO docuseries streaming now
Website follows Congressional hearing on UAP
The website comes at a time of mounting bipartisan pressure on the military and executive branch to release more information about what is known of UAP.
In July, three former military members appeared before a House Oversight subcommittee, where they regaled members of Congress with claims of mystifying flying objects, government cover-ups and a covert spaceship crash retrieval program.
In his testimony, former U.S. intelligence official David Grusch testified that he had been informed about a “multidecade” Pentagon program to recover and study crafts of non-human origin and extraterrestrial lifeforms that have crashed on earth. Though he was unable to present evidence publicly, Grusch, a member of a previous Pentagon task force that investigated UAP, also accused the government of hiding the program from Congress and misappropriating funds to operate it.
The Pentagon has repeatedly denied that such a program exists.
Following the hearing, three Republicans and one Democrat on the House subcommittee sent a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., calling for the establishment of a select committee to investigate UAP further.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also this year introduced legislation that would require the Pentagon to release any information it has gathered about the objects. First introduced in July, the legislation would also require that the defense department release information it had about nonhuman intelligences to an established review board, which would have the authority to declassify the information.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected].
veryGood! (4485)
Related
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Video: Nearly 20 thieves smash and grab from California jewelry store; 5 men arrested
- Judge orders BNSF to pay Washington tribe nearly $400 million for trespassing with oil trains
- When colleges close, students are left scrambling. Some never go back to school
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- “Fortunate” Céline Dion Shares Sweet Onstage Moment With Son René-Charles at Documentary Premiere
- Georgia GOP to choose congressional nominees, with candidates including man convicted in Jan. 6 riot
- Biden’s Title IX law expanding protections for LGBTQ+ students is dealt another setback
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Armie Hammer calls 2021 allegations of cannibalism 'hilarious'
Ranking
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Majority of Americans favor forgiving medical debt, AP-NORC poll finds
- Brooklyn preacher gets 9 years in prison for multiyear fraud
- Argentina begins Copa América vs. Canada: How to watch Messi play, best bets, and more
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Remains of missing 8-month old found hidden in Kentucky home; parents arrested
- GOP contest between Bob Good and John McGuire highlights primary slate in Virginia
- The Washington Post’s leaders are taking heat for journalism in Britain that wouldn’t fly in the US
Recommendation
US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
Psst! Wayfair’s Anniversary Sale Is Here—Score Furniture, Lighting, and Decor up to 70% Off
Stellantis recalling nearly 1.2 million vehicles to fix software glitch that disables rear camera
GOP claims Trump could win Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia in 2024 election. Here's what Democrats say.
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
From backyard lawns to airport fields, 11-year-old turns lawn mowing dreams into reality
What's open and closed on Juneteenth 2024? Details on Costco, Walmart, Starbucks, Target, more
Russian warships depart Cuba after visit following military exercises