Three former military officials - whistleblower David Grusch, Ryan Graves and David Fravor - testified before the Congress on 26th of July 2023. They provided evidence the government possesses more information about UAPs than disclosed to the public. The House Committee has called a hearing and the politicians who pushed for the hearing call on the Pentagon to take a more open approach to unidentified anomalous phenomena. There are also accusations of misappropriation of public funds which go to secret programs (called Legacy Programs) without any accountability.
The House Oversight subcommittee held a hearing on UFOs (UAPs) and heard controversial testimonies about unexplained object sightings and "nonhuman" biological matter which is claimed to be in government possession. Lawmakers emphasized bipartisan concern and national security questions related to UAP sightings. Some accused the government of concealing UFO-related information from the public.
UFO journalists: George Knapp (left), Jeremy Corbell (right), whistleblower David Grusch (center)
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
It is a Democratic representative Robert Garcia who stated that the volume of reports and witnesses should prompt investigation and oversight, as UAPs could pose a threat to aircrafts. Experts suggested that UAP sightings might be attributed to various phenomena like balloons, drones, optical illusions, or commercial airliner lights. The Pentagon denied evidence of UAPs being linked to alien activity but did not rule it out completely.
UAPs, whatever they may be, may pose a serious threat to our military or civilian aircraft. And that must be understood. The more we understand, the safer we will be.
Representative Robert Garcia
Ryan Graves, David Grusch, David Fravor taking the oath
UFO Pentagon program
Whistleblower David Grusch, who is a former U.S. intelligence official, said that more than 40 people, who he interviewed in person, have some knowledge that the government possesses lots of data on UAPs. According to Grusch, there is also evidence about funding that scientific program. Because those information are classified, it is yet unknown where the project budget comes from. Grusch also told the committee he could provide a list of "cooperative and hostile witnesses" who could provide Congress with more information on UAP-related programs.
Another interesting point to be considered is what was told in April 2023 by Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) at the United States Department of Defense. According to Kirkpatrick, the USA government investigates over 650 potentially unidentified aerial phenomena. However he claims that even though there is no reliable evidence confirming that objects, which behave against physics law, could exist.
I urge us to put aside stigma and address the security and safety issue this topic represents. If UAP are foreign drones, it is an urgent national security problem. If it is something else, it is an issue for science. In either case, unidentified objects are a concern for flight safety. The American people deserve to know what is happening in our skies. It is long overdue.
Ryan Graves, ex-F-18 pilot
Biological non-human material
The current testimonies can be considered from different points of view - unknown super technology, global safety but also unrevealed "biologics" recovered from some crafts. Another sensation coming from Grusch is that the USA government hides remains of “inhuman” pilots. Although haven’t seen that on his own, that information comes from operational knowledge. He had interviewed officials who had direct knowledge of aircraft with "nonhuman" origins. Whistleblower David Grusch also mentioned that the United States has probably been aware of “non-human” activity since the 1930s.
Pentagon’s response
The Pentagon has refused the allegations of a coverup. In an official statement, Sue Gough, the Defense Department spokesperson, asserted that investigators have not found any verifiable evidence to support claims of past or current programs related to the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials. Moreover, according to Gough, the Department of Defense is committed to timely and thorough reporting to Congress about UFOs.
Grusch explained why he decided to act as a government whistleblower. He faced retaliation for thoroughly performing the job investigating UFOs he was assigned to by the Pentagon. His curiosity and duly exploration of the topic was not well received. Because of the ongoing investigation, he declined to provide further details about the specific retaliatory actions. He mentioned that the tactics used against him were severe and unfortunate, causing both professional and personal harm.
Previous revelations about UFO
It is worth noting that the last testimonies are not the only efforts to reveal the UFO issue. In 2022 another public hearing took place in the American Congress. Then, declassified images and recordings of unexplained flying objects were shown by Pentagon officials. According to reports from the American media, one of the short recordings displayed a small object swiftly passing by a military pilot, while other footage depicted glowing triangular objects.
The materials were presented during a speech by Scott Bray, the Deputy Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence, and Ronald Moultrie, the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. During their presentation, Bray clarified that the "glowing triangles" were ultimately identified as unmanned aerial vehicles. However, the object captured in the initial recording remains unknown, as per the statements of the deputy director.
Furthermore, Bray revealed that there have been at least 11 incidents involving near collisions between U.S. military aircraft and UAP. Interestingly, the U.S. military did not attempt to establish communication with these objects.
Claims from the testimonies
At the hearing, five main claims from witnesses were presented:
- Whistleblower David Grusch asserted that the government is "absolutely" in possession of UAPs and mentioned a Pentagon program that collected crashed UAPs, allegedly funded through misappropriation of funds.
- Grusch testified that some humans were allegedly harmed by UAPs and claimed to have interviewed individuals who recovered "nonhuman biologics" from crashed UAPs, avoiding the term "alien" or "extraterrestrial."
- Witnesses and lawmakers called for a safe and transparent reporting process for UAP information, suggesting that pilots need better briefing and preparation for UAP encounters.
- Witnesses pointed out that the stigma associated with reporting UFO sightings and harassment of investigators might hinder efforts to determine UAP origins.
- David Fravor, a former Navy commander, recounted a sighting of a Tic-Tac-shaped object that defied logical explanation, accelerating to "supersonic speeds."
The hearing aimed to encourage more reporting and study of UAPs to enhance understanding and safety. Ryan Graves said that military pilots as well as pilots working for private airlines cannot feel comfortable while reporting UAP incidents. A whistleblowing system could be a kind of solution for such pilots. Then, they would be able to sincerely report what they have seen with no fear of potential discrimination in the work environment.
