WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – This week, lawmakers heard from the head of the Pentagon office tasked with investigating UFO sightings, which the government now calls UAPS — or unidentified aerial phenomenon.
Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick runs the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, known as AARO, a unit within the Pentagon tasked with investigating unidentified aerial phenomenon.
This week, Kirkpatrick shared newly released video with a Senate committee, saying an object spotted over the Middle East in 2022 remains unidentified.
“If you squint it looks like an aircraft, because it actually turns out to be an aircraft,” Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick said most unidentified objects are eventually identified as drones or other known objects, but a small percentage aren’t resolved.
Kirkpatrick told lawmakers his office can’t answer decades-worth of questions all at once, so it’s focusing specifically on objects that may pose a risk to U.S. military pilots.
Senator Joni Ernst is concerned about where those threats come from.
“Have you become aware of any Chinese or Russia technical advancements to surveil or attack U.S. interests?” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) asked.
Kirkpatrick responded, “they are just willing to try things and see if it works.”
Kirkpatrick said he hasn’t found evidence of extraterrestrial activity, but does have indications that some objects could be foreign technology.
Kirkpatrick furthered, “are there capabilities that could be employed against us in both ISR and a weapons fashion? Absolutely.”