Leslie Kean, a veteran investigative reporter, has spent more than 20 years researching the controversial topic of unidentified flying object (UFOs). She says that UFOs have been proven to be real. We don't know what they are, nor where they came from, despite advanced technology being used in observations.
Kean has not seen a UFO but her close encounters with hundreds upon hundreds of government documents and radar data, along with interviews with dozens of aviation witnesses and high-ranking officials from all over the globe, have strengthened her belief that UFOs merit scientific investigation. Kean stated that she believes we have reached the threshold of a new paradigm.
Kean is the author of "UFOs": Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on Record (Harmony Books/The Crown Publishing Group 2010). She co-authored eye-opening articles for The New York Times about UFO sightings. These UFOs were recently rebranded by the U.S. Military as unidentified air phenomena (UAPs) and the government programs to investigate them. She also wrote "UFOs: Shifting narrative from threat to Science," an article that was published earlier in the month on The Debrief.
Space.com caught up with Kean recently to talk about her thoughts on UFOs and what is standing in the way for the scientific community in taking on the challenge of determining if UFOs exist that are extraterrestrial.
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Leslie Kean is a journalist and author. (Image credit: Tatiana Daubek)
Space.com: What is the best way to describe where we are now, given that you co-authored a NY Times piece that launched things into public view.
Kean: Since our December 2017 New York Times article that featured two Navy videos, we have witnessed a significant sea change. The government has accepted the existence of UFOs as well as the fact that they have a negative impact on national security. This alone is a significant shift. There are more Navy videos of unexplained objects, an UAP Task Force and, most recently, a government report on UAP that was requested by Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
According to the report, there is no evidence UAP are Russian, Chinese or ours. This report forced many stovepiped agencies to share information for the first-time and attracted more attention from policymakers for UAP, some of whom calling for open congressional hearings. High-ranking officials made statements about the need to continue investigating these mysterious objects that exhibit technology beyond our current knowledge even before the UAP report in June 2021. Scientists are advocating for UAP studies in Scientific American, as the taboo surrounding the subject is eroding. These are extraordinary events. UFOs are a hot topic in the media. UFOs were recently covered by CBS' "60 Minutes" and The New Yorker.
Space.com: Do You believe that the UAP focus is the same as the decades of UFO reports? Do you think they are one and the exact same?
Kean: I don’t believe there’s any difference in the way the reports describe this phenomenon. Documents such as the 1947 Twining Memo, which describes the object's behavior in the same manner as earlier documents, are still used today. Today's technology is more advanced than decades ago. We have better radar, satellite, and camera technology, which allows us to collect more precise data about UAP (which still remains classified).
Because it covers a wider range of phenomena than "UFO", "UAP" is gradually becoming the preferred term for the military and government. However, "UAP" was created primarily to avoid the baggage and stigma associated with "UFO." There is little difference between them other than the impression that the acronym creates. The one seems more cultural and the other more formal. "UAP" is free from any association with conspiracy theories or shows such as "The X-Files" or other fringe elements. The term "UFO", though, has had a long history and is still popular. Depending on the context, I use both terms interchangeably in my reporting.
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Leslie Kean and Harry Reid, former U.S. Senator (D-Nev.), met recently at his Nevada home. (Image credit: Leslie Kean)
Space.com: What has been your most surprising discovery in the UFO debate? What has been your biggest disappointment?
Kean: I was surprised at the lack of interest among scientists and policymakers in UFOs, especially during the early years. It was surprising to me how strong and ingrained the stigma was in both the media and the culture as a whole. It was a mystery to me why almost everyone wasn't affected by the possible implications of this phenomenon. I realized quickly that the majority of people who could make a difference were not well-informed and had other priorities. This fascination and the implications of one UFO being extraterrestrial made me disinterested.
It was often a surprise to me that experienced investigative journalists didn't jump on board and dive deep into the subject. My freelance status didn't allow me to open the same doors that The Washington Post, The New York Times, or The New Yorker. They were, however, essentially silent. This was very frustrating for me. It has since changed.
It was frustrating that no government agency was available to receive reports from commercial pilots or police officers and conduct investigations when necessary. Imagine my surprise when I discovered about the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, (AATIP), in 2017. It was limited to military cases only and secret so it wasn't exactly what I expected.
Space.com: What's the next step?
Kean: We have made great progress over the past three and a quarter years. The momentum built up before the publication of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence UAP report (June 25). We need to maintain that momentum. Even when things seem quiet, I know that there are still many people working behind the scenes. We need a well-funded taskforce with expanded staff who can access all government agencies' information and consolidate it. This data must be analyzed by the best experts in many fields. It is necessary to identify the root cause of the intelligence failure that has prevented a government investigation into UAP. Publication of task force reports and Senate committee reports on UAP must continue to occur regularly. Of course, I believe that more information should be made available to the public.
DoD [Department of Defense] files contain videos and photos that are far superior to those we have seen. The public should have access to these and other data as stated by Harry Reid, [former U.S. Senator]. This is excessive secrecy, despite the fact that some classifications are necessary for national security reasons.
Vielleicht, we'll be able to witness open congressional hearings about UAP. We may eventually be given a definitive statement stating that the objects are not Russians or Chinese. Although it has been proven that these objects are not ours the possibility of UAP being technology stolen from an adversary is still open. Some people in the know have said that these objects were not made by Russia or China. This should be confirmed in the written reports. This reality may be acknowledged by these two countries and the United States one day. We will then have crossed the threshold into a new world.
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Space.com: I believe the public is now experiencing a new UFO frenzy, something I witnessed in the 1950s. This industry is full of charlatans who are trying to make a buck. This mystery is being investigated by dedicated investigators. Are you unsure of how to make the public aware, but remain open to finding the truth about the UFO story?
Kean: I advise the public not to listen to anyone. Focus on the official information provided by government officials, former officials, and other people with knowledge. Because they are often limited in their ability to speak publicly, they tend to speak in generalities. Their words are very important and should be considered seriously. I recommend that you pay attention to more in-depth investigations such as those by The Debrief or The Drive.
This subject transcends politics and, as such, we must keep it that way. People with extreme conspiratorial views must be avoided as they may try to influence the public's opinion for their own benefit. Or they will be worthless. This is something I urge people to remember when they encounter "charlatans".
Space.com: Are you expecting "full disclosure" about UFOs in near future? Is the public ready to receive this information and possibly have faith in the government?
Kean: It all depends on what you mean when you say "full disclosure." This could mean that government officials will announce that we were visited by extraterrestrial crafts for more than 70 years, and that we knew it all along. This is not something I believe will ever happen.
If we reach a point when it is a universally acknowledged fact that these objects are not ours or Russians or Chinese, then disclosure of at most some UFOs from this planet would occur. However, I think that any admission along these lines would include the caveat that we do not know the origins, location, or purpose of the objects. This clarity won't necessarily be achieved in the short term.
It takes time and steps. The process will be continued to be gradual disclosure. This will reduce distrust in government. This gives us all time to take in, explore, and challenge every step. We are closer than ever to a new level in confirmation. I'm sure that there will be resistance to this paradigm shift.
Space.com: Is there a need for "internationalization" of this UAP/UFO dialog?
Kean: Yes. Sources tell me that since the June UAP report was published, other countries have reached us. China has its own UAP taskforce. South America is actively involved in UAP investigations. Moving forward requires international cooperation between scientists and government officials. Scientists should follow Avi Loeb's lead and get involved in their own independent explorations of this phenomenon. Because they have the ability to make their results public, they might be able tell us more than our government.
Leonard David is the author of "Moon Rush, The New Space Race", published by National Geographic in May 2019. David is a long-time Space.com writer. He has been covering the space industry for over five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom on Facebook.
