UFO Reports Skyrocketed In 2022
There were reportedly more UFO sightings this year in the last 17 years combined.
Between the years 2004 and 2021, there was a total of 144 official UFO reports to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. According to Ripleys.com, since the Pentagon authorized the operation of a brand new All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in the summer of 2022, UFO reports have skyrocketed by the hundreds. While an official number won’t be released until after the new year, AARO has reported that “hundreds” of sightings have happened in the last six months alone.
While these UFO reports (or UAP, standing for “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” as the government calls them) show numbers of unidentified sightings that are extremely higher than any year previously recorded, it likely isn’t because more objects are flying about in the sky, but rather that UFOs are now being taken more seriously. Part of the reason AARO was set up was to help destigmatize sentiment around military members sending in UFO reports. Now, not only are military pilots and others encouraged to report any observations, but each military branch has developed a reporting system.
Whereas UFO reports previously mostly fell on the Air Force to document, now all branches, including those in space, have been trained to report their observations.
The term “UFO report” usually comes with an image of a silver flying disc in the sky, possibly with a little green martian waving a two-fingered hand inside. While the government has reported hundreds of UAP sightings, there is no reason to believe that any of these are proof of extraterrestrial life—at least not yet. Part of AARO’s responsibilities includes examining if any of these sightings are suggestive of extraterrestrial existence, and they have met with Congress to take a closer look at the origin of these flying objects.
Possibly scarier than the thought of aliens visiting us, it’s more likely that these sightings are a technology that the U.S. is unfamiliar with, coming from China, Russia, or other countries. It’s also possible that they are weather balloons. Knowing exactly what the UFOs in the reports are is vital to U.S. security and safety, so AARO is working closely with the Pentagon and U.S. Intelligence to determine whether these UFO reports are drones, stealth bombers, missiles, alien technology, or something less sinister.
While it’s common knowledge that the government works on a tell-as-needed basis with the public, Ronald Moultrie, undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, claims that AARO is committed to openly reporting the department’s findings to the American people. Stories of UFOs and extraterrestrials have been reported for hundreds of years, and many conspiracy theorists believe that the government knows more than they are letting on. As many government reports are kept confidential, citizens can only ever guess what the truth might be.
According to Moultrie, AARO is committed to the public interest and sees itself as accountable to American citizens. Moultrie has promised that when AARO publishes its 2022 UFO reports, it will share as much as possible with the American people.
