The director of national intelligence released a long-awaited report about UFOs, which the government prefers to refer to as unidentified aerial phenomenons or UAPs on June 25. The report includes 144 confirmed sightings of UAP by military personnel over 15 years. It attempts to understand them. There are five main categories for sightings. The first four categories are well-known: weather anomalies, airborne clutter, U.S. government development craft, and foreign adversary tech. The fifth is simply another, which is perplexingly vague.AdvertisementWhat Next: TBD's Friday episode, Shane Harris was my guest. He reports on intelligence and national safety for the Washington Post. We spoke about government attempts to find out what is in the sky. This is less about little green men and more about military technology and mystery. This conversation has been edited for clarity.AdvertisementAdvertisementLizzie OLeary : It might have seemed surprising that the intelligence community would publish a report such as this not too long ago. This information was only revealed to the public by the New York Times in 2017. What has caused such a shift in how the government speaks about UAPsAdvertisementShane Harris: One thing that drives it is the sheer number of sightings and encounters. The fact that so many of these encounters and sightings are being documented on film, and in the case of the Times report made public. This is the moment when these pilots are seemingly quite sane and highly credible. We can now see their reactions to the anomalous object. This is a far cry from black and white photos, or strange grainy footage taken with a camera of lights in the sky. This is a professional-flying fighter jet that has a camera. It is impossible to ignore.What were pilots able to see in these incidents?AdvertisementIn 2004, the most well-known incident involved pilots attached to the USS carrier Nimitz. They look down to see what they describe as a capsule-shaped object. This is the origin of the flying Tic tac analogy. It moved very erratically and seemed to be moving quite randomly across the water. This was something a plane cannot do. It does not appear to have wings. It does not appear to be equipped with a propulsion system, such as a jet engine or propeller. Then it disappears. Some reports have indicated that the radar systems aboard the carrier picked it up seconds later and repositioned it many miles away. These people describe and the sensors back them up some kind of physical object, which appears to be moving at speeds and showing aerodynamic characteristics and characteristics not compatible with what we know as human technology.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe report's flight characteristics was a particular highlight. These objects are not stationary in wind; they move against the wind. They move very fast. It's amazing to me that it just flopped into my report. It doesn't matter why. It's only the what.This is the most interesting part of the report. It's almost like they have seen something that few people have seen before. They can't explain it but it seems they don't try. According to the report, they appear to be stationary in winds aloft or maneuver against winds, move at a significant speed without any discernible means of propulsion, or remain still in windy conditions.AdvertisementPeople seeing something unusual in the sky is not a new phenomenon. Since the end of World War II, the U.S. government has been studying UAPs and manipulating public perceptions of them.In 1969, an article, known as The Condon Committee, was published. This was an Air Force-funded effort from the University of Colorado to try to apply more scientific research to unidentified flying objects. The study concluded that this area is not worthy of scientific investigation. It isn't as though there aren't other sightings over the years, but it doesnt seem that any effort or formal effort has been made to categorize them.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt is almost folklore within the military. Pilots who have shared their experiences out there discuss the reluctance of sharing those stories with others, even though they've all had them. You might be called crazy, foolish, fool or reckless if you reach a conclusion that is not supported by evidence. This is not the kind of behavior we want to see. Not only from scientists but also from those who have been trained to fly expensive aircraft.The government didn't do much to stop fanciful stories of aliens during the Cold War. They were used as cover for civilians who accidentally discovered secret technology, most notably near Roswell, New Mexico, and Nevadas Area 51. These sightings fueled the public's fascination with spooky things, and kept secrets secret.AdvertisementIn a way, it is a motivation for the government to make you believe this is just spooky ghost stories. It keeps you from asking any questions about the supersonic jet or stealth aircraft the military is currently developing. The stigma worked in part for the military as well as the intelligence community. Experts now say that the stigma is working against them. There are many sightings that aren't U.S. government technology. If military personnel are reluctant to report them, they won't have any information to identify what they are.AdvertisementMany people think of unknown phenomena in the skies as aliens or crazy movie plots. But our national security apparatus thinks more in terms defense.AdvertisementThese objects are considered threats by them. These objects are in our airspace next to our warships and next to our aircrafts. We don't know what they might be. They could be hostile. They may be gathering information. They could be spying on us if they are a foreign government.Were these Chinese or Russian hypersonic drones? Would we be able to see the details?It is a great question. It is a great question. For argument's sake, let us assume that either the Russians nor the Chinese have created highly advanced craft that don't look like ordinary planes and that can move at amazing speeds. We have not yet seen this. They have managed to keep it a secret. It would be an enormous deal if we had all the money we spent on advanced weapons and advanced detection systems and our adversaries managed to create something far more advanced than we do. That would indicate a major weakness or gap in our national security architecture.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYou are responsible for intelligence and national security. What was the reaction of your sources to this?I find it difficult to believe that these systems are not designed by the U.S. government. This was not our invention. The U.S government doesn't have the technology or the ability to create systems that can accelerate to thousands of mph, or hover in the wind without propulsion.Raytheon, or is it? Or do they claim that this belongs to another country, or to a different technological alignment?People I have spoken to believe it to be man-made technology. However, they also suggest that it may be a Russian or Chinese system that is very advanced. However, they don't get it. The 18 incidents that were observed and which defy any understanding of aerodynamics show that the Russians or Chinese could have created something more advanced than what we have. Maybe this is a reflection of America's bias to believe we have the best technology. But, based on all we see, we do. Is it possible that the Chinese have created a hypersonic Tic Tac? Sources I have spoken to are skeptical about that.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe report is just nine pages in length and it's unclassified. Another version is classified. The government only tells us a small amount. What do you think of all that?It doesn't appear that the classified version draws any conclusions. I have spoken to people who have seen the report classified and read other reports on it. You will find more information about individual incidents but not a specific answer. This is what I said. I believe that the intelligence community and the military are being careful not to get ahead on this topic, as that would undermine and possibly discredit the entire inquiry.AdvertisementThis amazing quote was from Bill NelsonNASA administrator and former senator, former astronaut. He saw the classified version of your story and said, "The hair stood up on my neck." What should we know?It seems reasonable to me that Americans should be able to learn more about this technology. It doesn't matter if it is an adversary technology. If it's Russian or Chinese, there may be a legitimate national security reason for keeping it secret. Why shouldn't the public have access to these unidentified objects, which are doing extraordinary things and are being recorded by tax-paying citizens?AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat will it take to identify these objects?The answer to this question depends on how much money the government is willing and able to invest in further research. I don't believe there are five government officials who know the answer. Public pressure will determine whether they are willing to make an honest effort to find out or just happy to ponder the mystery.Future Tense is a collaboration between Slate, New America and Arizona State University. It examines emerging technologies and public policy.
