Report finds no evidence U.S. government hiding truth about UFOs

March 8 (UPI) -- An investigative body found no evidence that the U.S. government is aware of and concealing the truth about unidentified anomalous phenomena, formerly known as UFOs, according to a report released Friday.

The Department of Defense All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, in the first volume of a report delivered last week to Congress, said it found no evidence that the U.S. government has confirmed any UAP sighting represented "extraterrestrial technology."

"All investigative efforts, at all levels of classification, concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification," Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Although many of the UAP cases in the report were unresolved, AARO determined that those cases might also be found to be the result of ordinary phenomena if better quality data were available.

The investigation also determined there was no evidence the U.S. government or private companies "have access to or have been reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology."

The report followed a speculative buzz around Capitol Hill last year when former intelligence official David Grusch accused the federal government of covering up the truth about UAP incidents.

Grusch has offered no detailed evidence of the claims, saying he could not reveal the details to the public.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., also alleged that the Pentagon and intelligence officials are covering up information about the aerial encounters.

NASA later that same year said it appointed an unidentified official to direct the agency's probe into the nature of UAPs.

Pentagon officials have said reports of UAP sightings were becoming more frequent. While most have remained unexplained, some have been revealed to be classified experimental military technology, previously unknown technology from foreign governments and ordinary objects like commercial drones.

AARO said it reviewed all official government UAP investigations going back to 1945 in compiling the report. The office said it will publish a second volume pertaining to information acquired after Nov. 1, 2023, including interviews with current and former U.S. government personnel.

San Diego residents caught UFO fever in November when they saw mysterious lights hovering over the night sky. The lights, however, turned out to be flares from a U.S. Navy Parachute Team performing at Snapdragon Stadium to support San Diego Wave FC in the Women's Soccer League semifinal match.