For the first time in over half a century, on May 17, the United States Congress held its first hearing on unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Testifying before a House Intelligence subcommittee, Pentagon officials did not disclose additional information from their ongoing investigation of hundreds of unexplained sightings in the sky, news agency AP reported. But, they said they had picked a director for a new task force to coordinate data collection efforts on what the government has officially labeled “unidentified aerial phenomena.” Ronald Moultrie, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said the Pentagon was also trying to destigmatise the issue and encourage pilots and other military personnel to report anything unusual they see. “We want to know what’s out there as much as you want to know what’s out there,” Moultrie told lawmakers, adding that he was a fan of science fiction himself. “We get the questions not just from you. We get it from family and we get them night and day.”
According to AP, lawmakers from both parties say UFOs are a national security concern, citing chances that these aerial objects are Russian or Chinese technologies.
This week, we take a deep dive into the murky universe of UFOs, its many lores, and its many geopolitical and historical implications.
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