Pentagon releases UFO videos captured by US Navy pilots
In a major development, the Pentagon has declassified three videos showing unidentified flying objects or UFOs. The clips were leaked all the way back in 2007 and 2017, and now, the US Department of Defense (DOD) is authorizing their public release to clear any "misconceptions" people may have around them. Here's all you need to know about it.
Footage captured by US Navy pilots in 2004 and 2015
According to a statement issued by the DOD, the grainy clips in question show three different encounters of US Navy pilots with "unidentified aerial phenomena". One of the sightings was recorded in November 2004, while the other two were captured in January 2015, the department said, adding that "the aerial phenomena observed in the videos [still] remain characterized as 'unidentified'."
Goal to clear up misconceptions around these videos
The Pentagon said these videos have been circulating in the public domain for years but it wanted to clear up misconceptions "on whether or not the footage... was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos." To recall, these three videos had triggered widespread theories of alien spaceships but none of them were proven - and the objects still remain unexplained.
Release doesn't disrupt investigations or reveal sensitive capabilities
"After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena," the DOD's statement added.
This will fan alien theories, again
The official confirmation from the Pentagon regarding the authenticity of these clips is sure to fan theories of alien incursion in the US air space. But, it must be noted that right now these videos do not confirm the existence of aliens; they only show unauthorized/unidentified aircraft/objects the US Military has not been able to identify yet.
Apparently, these videos only "scratch the surface"
After the Pentagon released the videos, former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid tweeted out that the footage only "scratches the surface of research and materials available" and "the US needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications" it may have. Meanwhile, officially, apart from these three clips, the Pentagon has not acknowledged any such unexplained sighting.