Current:Home > InvestWhistleblower tells Congress the US is concealing ‘multi-decade’ program that captures UFOs -Pinnacle Profit Strategies
Whistleblower tells Congress the US is concealing ‘multi-decade’ program that captures UFOs
View
Date:2025-04-11 17:19:03
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects, a former Air Force intelligence officer testified Wednesday to Congress. The Pentagon has denied his claims.
Retired Maj. David Grusch’s highly anticipated testimony before a House Oversight subcommittee was Congress’ latest foray into the world of UAPs — or “unidentified aerial phenomena,” which is the official term the U.S. government uses instead of UFOs. While the study of mysterious aircraft or objects often evokes talk of aliens and “little green men,” Democrats and Republicans in recent years have pushed for more research as a national security matter due to concerns that sightings observed by pilots may be tied to U.S. adversaries.
Grusch said he was asked in 2019 by the head of a government task force on UAPs to identify all highly classified programs relating to the task force’s mission. At the time, Grusch was detailed to the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency that operates U.S. spy satellites.
“I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access,” he said.
Asked whether the U.S. government had information about extraterrestrial life, Grusch said the U.S. likely has been aware of “non-human” activity since the 1930s.
The Pentagon has denied Grusch’s claims of a coverup. In a statement, Defense Department spokeswoman Sue Gough said investigators have not discovered “any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently.” The statement did not address UFOs that are not suspected of being extraterrestrial objects.
Grusch says he became a government whistleblower after his discovery and has faced retaliation for coming forward. He declined to be more specific about the retaliatory tactics, citing an ongoing investigation.
“It was very brutal and very unfortunate, some of the tactics they used to hurt me both professionally and personally,” he said.
Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., chaired the panel’s hearing and joked to a packed audience, “Welcome to the most exciting subcommittee in Congress this week.”
There was bipartisan interest in Grusch’s claims and a more sober tone than other recent hearings featuring whistleblowers celebrated by Republicans and criticized by Democrats. Lawmakers in both parties asked Grusch about his study of UFOs and the consequences he faced and how they could find out more about the government’s UAP programs.
“I take it that you’re arguing what we need is real transparency and reporting systems so we can get some clarity on what’s going on out there,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
Some lawmakers criticized the Pentagon for not providing more details in a classified briefing or releasing images that could be shown to the public. In previous hearings, Pentagon officials showed a video taken from an F-18 military plane that showed an image of one balloon-like shape.
Pentagon officials in December said they had received “several hundreds” of new reports since launching a renewed effort to investigate reports of UFOs.
At that point, “we have not seen anything, and we’re still very early on, that would lead us to believe that any of the objects that we have seen are of alien origin,” said Ronald Moultrie, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security. “Any unauthorized system in our airspace we deem as a threat to safety.”
veryGood! (38116)
Related
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Chris Evans and His Leading Lady Alba Baptista Match Styles at Pre-Oscars Party
- Walmart expands same-day delivery hours: You can get products as early as 6 a.m.
- Man charged in Wisconsin sports bar killings pleads not guilty
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- 2024 starting pitcher rankings: Spencer Strider, Gerrit Cole rule the mound
- Havertz scores late winner as Arsenal beats Brentford 2-1 to go top of Premier League overnight
- Virginia lawmakers approve budget, but governor warns that changes will be needed
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Tribes Meeting With Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Describe Harms Uranium Mining Has Had on Them, and the Threats New Mines Pose
Ranking
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- 2024 starting pitcher rankings: Spencer Strider, Gerrit Cole rule the mound
- Who's hosting the 2024 Oscars tonight and who hosted past Academy Awards ceremonies?
- Trump supporters hoping to oust Wisconsin leader say they have enough signatures to force recall
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- NBA fines Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert $100,000 for 'inappropriate gesture'
- Liverpool fans serenade team with 'You'll Never Walk Alone' rendition before Man City match
- Descendants of suffragists talk about the importance of women's voices in 2024
Recommendation
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Oscar predictions for 2024 Academy Awards from entertainment industry experts
LSU's Last-Tear Poa stretchered off, taken to local hospital after hard fall
Disney's 'Minnie Kitchen Sink Sundae' for Women's History Month sparks backlash: 'My jaw hit the floor'
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
See Olivia Wilde's Style Evolution Through the Years, From The O.C. to OMG
Oscars 2024 Winners: See the Complete List
Officer fired after man’s 2021 death following stun gun use ordered reinstated by arbitrator