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The Pentagon released three videos of unidentified flying objects captured by U.S. Navy pilots on Monday.
- The videos — which are grainy but show “unexplained aerial phenomena,” according to the Pentagon — had been leaked previously with some viewers wondering if they showed UFOs, The Guardian reports.
What happened:
- The DOD said: “After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena.”
- The Pentagon released the three videos “to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether the footage that has been circulating was real or whether there is more to the videos,” according to the Department of Defense.
What the videos show:
- According to CBS News, one of the videos showed an incident from 2004. The others were recorded in 2015.
- The 2004 scenario happened above the Pacific Ocean. “Two fighter pilots on a routine training mission were dispatched to investigate unidentified aircraft that a Navy cruiser had been tracking for weeks,” CBS News reports.
- The two videos from 2015 showed “footage of objects moving rapidly through the air. In one, an object is seen racing through the sky and begins rotating in midair,” according to CBS News.
What’s the reaction?
- Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, had one of the most notable reactions to the news.
- Reid said: “I’m glad the Pentagon is finally releasing this footage, but it only scratches the surface of research and materials available. The U.S. needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications. The American people deserve to be informed. “
We’ve seen these before
- These videos have circulated online after leaked releases in 2007 and 2017. In fact, The New York Times reported on a pair of the videos back in 2017.