 "Congressional bombshells: UFO encounters, secret UAP program revealed")
In a Congressional hearing, three witnesses took the stand to testify about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) or unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The witnesses disclosed their own encounters and raised national security concerns as well as revealed damning allegations against the United States government's secrecy during the hearing that was aired live by many media channels.
UAP is the official term used by the US government instead of the more popular term, UFO.
The witnesses included former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch, former Navy pilot Ryan Graves and retired Navy commander David Fravor.
While claims such as the ones made by the three witnesses always lead to conspiracy theories around aliens, US politicians in more recent years have pushed to investigate these claims more closely as they concern national security, stated a report by PBS.
Whistleblower account from David Grusch
Retired Major David Grusch, a former air force intelligence officer, stunned the house oversight committee with revelations about a multi-decade effort to retrieve and reverse-engineer UFOs that had crashed into the US.
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Grusch firmly believes that the government possesses UAPs and the remains of their non-human operators. He also accused executive branch agencies of concealing information about these mysterious objects.
In 2019, Grusch was detailed to the National Reconnaissance Office, an agency that operates US spy satellites, he was allegedly asked by the head of a government task force on UAPS to identify all highly classified programmes in relation to the UAP task force's mission. At the same time, he was denied access to the programme itself.
Grusch further disclosed details about a UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering programme, claiming that the US government had "intact and partially intact" alien vehicles. He went on to state that non-human intelligent life was discovered as early as the 1930s and the Department of Defense possesses not only extraterrestrial craft from crash sites but also non-human biological material.
Grusch accused the military of misusing funds to keep their UAP-related operations hidden from congressional oversight. He even made damning claims of threats and physical harm to individuals involved in the alleged cover-up.
Pilot encounters with unexplained phenomenons
Former Navy pilots Ryan Graves and David Fravor shared their personal experiences with UAP during their military service, as reported by India Today. Graves described encountering dark grey or black cubes inside a clear sphere, while Fravor recounted his famous "Tic Tac" video from 2004, capturing a large object exhibiting extraordinary capabilities beyond known technology.
Inadequate reporting systems
All three witnesses emphasised that the current reporting systems for UAP encounters are inadequate. They highlighted the stigma faced by pilots and officials seeking transparency about their experiences.
Graves urged a change in the national conversation surrounding UAP encounters, stressing the need to address security implications, as unidentified objects in the skies could pose potential national security problems if they are foreign drones.
Pentagon denied claims
The Pentagon refuted Grusch's claims of a cover-up, stating that investigators had not found verifiable information to support the existence of programs regarding extraterrestrial materials.
Sue Gough, the Defense Department spokesperson stated that there was no "verifiable information to substantiate claims" regarding the programme Grusch referred to.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby admitted they lack definitive answers on the existence of life beyond Earth. However, he acknowledged the unexplained aerial phenomena reported by Navy and Air Force pilots.
Push for transparency
In response to these testimonies, a bipartisan group of senators proposed an amendment to the defense spending bill, seeking to reveal government records on UAP through a review board with a presumption of immediate disclosure.
The congressional hearing shed light on the pressing need for transparency, improved reporting systems, and addressing potential national security concerns related to UAPs. The revelations have ignited calls for further investigations into claims of similar encounters with Glenn Grothman, a panel chair at the hearing even stating, “Welcome to the most exciting subcommittee in Congress this week" to the audience present at the hearing.