The U.S. government is expected to release a report on the recent "unidentified aerial phenomena" as observed by several American military pilots. The report is expected to be a landmark turnaround for the government, which has historically been dismissive of UFO sightings in the past.
U.S. intelligence agencies and the Pentagon are due in the coming days to submit their comprehensive report on the UFO sightings to Congress. Earlier in the year, the Pentagon released several videos from naval aviators, which showed unidentified aircraft exhibiting abilities that are not possible with modern aviation technologies.
Defense Department officials previously stated that they are taking the accounts of the military pilots seriously. Some have speculated that the unknown aircraft could be of foreign origin, which means that the U.S. aerial supremacy may be at risk.
Officials have mostly sidestepped questions about the aircraft's potential extraterrestrial origins. Most have leaned more toward them being incursions by foreign powers.
"We take reports of incursions into our airspace - by any aircraft, identified or unidentified - very seriously, and investigate each one," Pentagon representative, Sue Gough, said.
One of the videos, which was authenticated by the pentagon, was captured by retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich. The fighter pilot and several aviators from the USS Nimitz encountered a UFO off the coast of California in 2004. The unknown aircraft was described to resemble a large "Tic Tac," which flew at impossible speeds and angles.
After going public with her account, Dietrich said she was relieved to finally be able to speak up about the sighting, even if they really didn't know what she and her colleagues saw.
"I'm trying to normalize it by talking about it. I hope I'm not the 'UFO, Tic Tac person' for the rest of my life," Dietrich said.
Earlier in the month, U.S. intelligence officials said they found no evidence to prove that the UFOs were alien spacecraft. However, officials said they still cannot come up with an explanation for the unusual movements of the objects.
According to UFO skeptics, the government's report will likely be covering the national security risks posed by the unknown aircraft. The report will unlikely include any speculation on the vehicle's extraterrestrial origins, skeptics said.
