A UFO sighting near a critical military sector was reported last summer, prompting the Pentagon to announce the establishment of a new organisation to study claims of UFOs near sensitive military sites.
Specifically, the new Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group will investigate claims of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAP) in the vicinity of United States military installations. UAP is the military word used to refer to what are commonly referred to as UFOs, or Unexplained Flying Objects.
A Pentagon press release cited “incursions by any airborne object into our SUA (Special Use Airspace) as posing safety of flight and operations security concerns, as well as the potential for national security challenges.” SUA is a term that refers to restricted military airspace, military operations areas, firing ranges, and other areas restricted for national security and other purposes, according to the Pentagon.
Aircrew safety in special-use regions is at danger, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who said that unexplained aerial phenomenon in special-use areas “raises possible national security issues” in a document announcing the group’s creation.
The new group will coordinate the Pentagon’s efforts with those of other federal agencies “to detect, identify, and attribute objects of interest in Special Use Airspace (SUA), as well as assess and mitigate any associated threats to flight safety and national security,” according to a Pentagon statement.
The director of the Joint Staff and other senior officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will serve on the executive council, which will be headed by the under secretary of defence for intelligence, who will also serve on the executive committee.
In June, the United States intelligence community produced a study that had been requested by Congress and which presented the first declassified assessment of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAP).
That study, compiled by the Navy’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force, was unable to explain 143 instances and said that 18 of them looked to “show sophisticated technological capabilities.” The Pentagon has indicated that the UAP Task Force would be merged into a newly established entity that will be disclosed shortly.
The UAP assessment also emphasised the need for reforms in the Pentagon’s systems, regulations, technology, and training in order to increase the Pentagon’s capacity to analyse and respond to UAP incidents.
