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A spike in UFO sightings in the 1960s was likely caused by secret tests carried out by the US military of advanced spy planes and space technology, according to a Pentagon report.
The report, which was presented to Congress on Friday, also found that there is “no evidence” that the US government had interactions with aliens, adding that most sightings of UFOs or “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP) were ordinary objects.
“The proliferation of television programmes, books, movies, and the vast amount of internet and social media content centred on UAP-related topics most likely has influenced the public conversation on this topic, and reinforced these beliefs within some sections of the population,” the report said.
A Pentagon spokesperson said that officials had approached the report in an open-minded way, but had simply found no evidence of extra-terrestrial visitors.
“All investigative efforts, at all levels of classification, concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification,” Maj Gen Pat Ryder said.
Reported UFO sightings in the US surged in 1960s — the same decade that saw the first man walk on the moon and Yuri Gagarin orbit the planet.
Since then, UFO sightings have continued to grow, with the Pentagon receiving 800 reports of unidentified objects as of April 2023, up from 650 reports in August 2022.
Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon office established to investigate potential UFO sightings, told CNN at the time that about half of the objects sighted are determined to be “mundane things” such as balloons or drones.
He added that between two and four per cent of reports are truly anomalous and require further investigation. Meanwhile, “a very small percentage” of reports have “interesting” signatures, such as high-speed travel or “unknown morphologie,” he said.