Sean M. Kirkpatrick, the head of the office Pentagon which reviews UFO incidents detected by the US military, appeared before Congress in Washington on Wednesday and revealed that his department is reviewing 650 cases of strange sightings. He ruled out that they were of extraterrestrial origin and explained that his office has so far not detected evidence that the unexplained cases of objects have been caused by Russia or China. Instead, he pointed to the existence of “worrying indicators” that foreign capabilities could come into play, suggesting that some of those cases could indeed have their origins in Chinese technology.
This was the answer that Kirkpatrick gave to the question of the vice-chairman of the committee, Senator joni ernstwho asked him if the capacities from countries like China and Russia could be causing some of these “abnormal behaviors”. The questioner did not rule it out, and went further by commenting that Beijing has been faster in developing technological advances than the United States.
His argument was clear and resounding to the congressional committee listening. The head of the AARO anomalies office noted that the Chinese “are less risk averse when it comes to technical advances than we are. They are willing to try things and see if it works. Are there capabilities that could be used against us both in the form of weapons and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance)? Absolutely,” she said. “Do I have proof that they are doing it in these cases? No, but I do have worrying indicators, ”she clarified.
It also stated that “most of the unidentified objects reported to AARO reveal characteristics of balloons, unmanned aerial systems, natural phenomena, or other easily explainable sources.” The most famous case in recent months was the presence of several objects shot down by the US after detecting a spy balloon that was busted by an F-22 Raptor fighter off the coast of North Carolina last February.
During the hearing, Kirkpatrick showed two new videos on unexplained anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, as the Pentagon calls them, to demonstrate how the newly created All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) works, trying to find a scientific and rational explanation. Others, however, continue without a scientific explanation. “AARO has found no credible evidence to date of extraterrestrial activity, beyond technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics,” said the Pentagon executive.
The two videos shown before Congress – both published on the Pentagon website – correspond in the first place to an incident that, according to what he said, took place in the Middle East on July 12, 2022, and that is unresolved. The second shows two views of a case that the Pentagon says took place in South Asia on January 15, 2023. It ultimately turned out to be a commercial aircraft.
Most of the incidents handled by this office have occurred at an altitude between 15,000 and 25,000 feet, which is controlled airspace for military aircraft. 52% of the reports of strange cases correspond to objects that are described as “round or spherical”most of a size ranging from one to four meters with a white, silver or translucent metallic color. According to Kirkpatrick’s description, these unidentified objects appeared at different speeds, some even twice the speed of sound.
