Released UFO videos only scratch the surface
The Department of Defense confirmed what seekers of extraterrestrial life have long hoped to be true: They’re real. At least, these three videos are. What the videos show? The government isn’t so sure there.
On Monday, the Pentagon released three Navy videos that have driven speculation about unidentified flying objects for years, saying it meant to “clear up any misconceptions” about whether the unclassified footage was real or complete.
It’s real, the Pentagon said, including links so the curious could download the footage for themselves.
The videos, captured by naval aviators, show objects hurtling through the sky, one rotating against the wind, and pilots can be heard expressing confusion and awe. When they first appeared online, they breathed new life into the decadeslong conversation about whether interstellar visitors had ever come to Earth.
The Pentagon’s release cheered enthusiasts in the search for extraterrestrial life, even though experts caution that earthly explanations usually exist for such sightings — and that when people don’t know why something happened, it does not mean it happened because of aliens.
Navy pilots spoke about objects that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Details emerged about a mysterious, five-year Pentagon program and claims of metal alloys said to have been recovered from unidentified phenomena. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., spoke about his long push for more research on unidentified flying objects.
“I’m glad the Pentagon is f i nally releasing t his f ootage, but i t only scratches the surface of research and materials available,” he said Monday on Twitter. “The U.S. needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications.”