Unidentified phenomena pose flight-safety threat and potential broader risks: US government

Preliminary US intelligence analysis of unidentified aerial phenomena has concluded that such incidents are at least a threat to flight safety and potentially present a broader hazard. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released an initial assessment of UAP – more commonly dubbed UFOs, or unidentified flying objects – conducted by a task force. This task force focused on 144 reports obtained from US government sources from 2004-21, largely firsthand witness information from military aviators and data sourced from “reliable” systems, states the preliminary analysis, which was released on 25 June. Most of the UAPs “probably do represent physical objects”, it adds, given that 80 reports involved observation from “multiple” sensors – among them radar, infra-red, electro-optical, and weapon seekers, as well as visual observation. The task force concludes that UAPs “clearly post a safety of flight issue” given that aviators are contending with an “increasingly cluttered” air domain. While pilots are required to report safety hazards, it says, they might be deterred from doing so if it means being forced to cease tests or training and land aircraft. Eleven documented instances involved pilots reporting “near misses” with a UAP, says the analysis.<br/>