On Wednesday, a former Air Force intelligence officer, Retired Major David Grusch, testified to Congress that the U.S. has been maintaining a secret program dedicated to recovering and reverse-engineering unidentified flying objects (UFOs). His claims were swiftly rejected by the Pentagon.
Grusch’s eagerly awaited statement in front of a House Oversight subcommittee represented Congress’ recent exploration into the realm of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) – the formal terminology employed by the U.S. government in lieu of UFOs. Despite UFO studies often being associated with extraterrestrial life and “little green men,” legislators from both major political parties have advocated for increased investigation into these phenomena in recent times due to potential national security implications, arising from the possibility that such sightings could be linked to foreign adversaries.
In 2019, Grusch was tasked by the leader of a government task force on UAPs to identify all top-secret initiatives associated with their mission, during his tenure at the National Reconnaissance Office, the body responsible for U.S. spy satellites.
Grusch stated, “I was made aware of a prolonged UAP recovery and reverse-engineering effort spanning several decades to which I was not given access, in the course of my official responsibilities.”
When queried about the U.S. government’s knowledge of extraterrestrial existence, Grusch responded that the U.S. likely has had awareness of “non-human” activity since the 1930s.
The Pentagon rebuffed Grusch’s allegations of secrecy. Defense Department spokesperson Sue Gough issued a statement claiming that no concrete evidence supporting the existence of past or present programs dealing with the acquisition or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials had been found. The statement did not mention UFOs not thought to be extraterrestrial objects.
Following his revelations, Grusch became a government whistleblower and reported facing reprisals for his actions, though he refrained from revealing more about the backlash, citing an ongoing inquiry.
Commenting on the severity of the reprisal, he noted, “It was incredibly harsh and regrettable, some of the strategies they used to harm me both professionally and personally.”
The hearing was presided over by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., who humorously welcomed a full audience to “the most exciting subcommittee in Congress this week.” Grusch was asked by representatives from both parties about his UFO research and the repercussions he endured.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md, addressed Grusch stating, “It appears that you’re advocating for genuine transparency and reporting structures so we can gain some insight into what’s happening out there.”
Several legislators expressed dissatisfaction with the Pentagon’s lack of detail in classified briefings and its failure to release images that could be publicized. In past sessions, Pentagon representatives displayed a video taken from an F-18 military aircraft showcasing a balloon-like object.
Pentagon officials revealed in December that they had received “several hundreds” of new reports since the initiation of a fresh effort to examine UFO reports.
Ronald Moultrie, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, stated, “Up to this point, we haven’t seen anything that would lead us to believe any of the objects we have observed are of extraterrestrial origin. Any unauthorized system in our airspace is deemed a threat to safety.”
