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posted by hubie on Saturday September 09 2023, @08:36PM   Printer-friendly
from the hic-sunt-dracones dept.

AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) have released a report on the most common UFO observation spots going back 27 years. So what happened 28 years ago?

Also there seems to be a band around the earth where they appear to like to visit. Japan, Saudi Arabia, northern Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada.

The most common shape are various forms of round shapes such as orbs, spheres and circles.

No info on which alien type, what they are doing here or what they like for dinner and entertainment -- but from previous news/stories/eyewitnesses I guess they are into probing and BBQ.

https://www.aaro.mil/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/09/04/japan-hotspot-ufos-pentagon-website/


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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Saturday September 09 2023, @08:38PM (9 children)

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Saturday September 09 2023, @08:38PM (#1323907) Journal

    First of all, there is at least one different version [aaro.mil] of the map than the one in the Telegraph article, showing hotspots over the ocean. Also note the hotspot over Poland.

    There are a few ways you can interpret the idea of "UFO hotspots". RAND recently released a report [rand.org] showing that areas of increased military activity tend to have more reports of UFO sightings. The easy explanation for skeptics is that civilians are seeing greater activity of typical military planes, or even more exotic ones using VTOL or hovering in place (drones), and reporting those as UFOs.

    There are also rocket launches in some of these areas that could lead to increased UFO sightings. Falcon 9 night launches routinely lead to news coverage [space.com] about the strange light patterns caused by propellant from the engines or cold gas thrusters. SpaceX launches rockets out of Florida and California.

    Over on the correct side of history, one explanation is that aliens UAPs are curious about human use of nuclear energy. That could explain why they would show up over certain military bases [archive.ph], or appear to be stalking the U.S. Navy (some ships use nuclear reactors) daily for years on end, as Ryan Graves has testified.

    More likely, if the U.S. military is operating somewhere, they are bringing some of the world's best sensors, which would presumably be more capable of detecting alien UAP activity. Sightings appear to have gone up after radar systems were upgraded. So it's no surprise that we would see hotspots over places like the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and the Middle East.

    https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Ryan-HOC-Testimony.pdf [house.gov]


    I joined the U.S. Navy in 2009. As a pilot, I was trained to be an expert observer, tasked with identifying any aircraft within our operating area. In 2014, I was near Virginia Beach as part of VFA-11, a Navy Fighter/Attack Squadron made up of F/A-18F Super Hornets. Upon an upgrade to our radar system, we began to detect unknown objects in our airspace. Initially dismissed as software glitches, we soon corroborated these radar tracks with infrared sensors, confirming their physical presence.

    Over time, UAP sightings became an open secret among our aircrew. They were a common occurrence, seen by most of my colleagues on radar and occasionally up close. The sightings were so frequent that they became part of daily briefs.

    A pivotal incident occurred during an air combat training mission in Warning Area W-72, an exclusive block of airspace ten miles east of Virginia Beach. All traffic into the training area goes through a single GPS point at a set altitude. Just at the moment the two jets crossed the threshold, one of the pilots saw a dark gray cube inside of a clear sphere — motionless against the wind, fixed directly at the entry point. The jets, only 100 feet apart, were forced to take evasive action. They terminated the mission immediately and returned to base. Our squadron submitted a safety report, but there was no official acknowledgement of the incident and no further mechanism to report the sightings.

    Speaking of the Middle East, one of the videos [youtube.com] that AARO Director Sean Kirkpatrick showed off this year includes a metallic orb, which is apparently the most commonly seen type of UFO, perhaps going back to the 1940s [thehill.com], rather than the "flying saucers" that pervade pop culture.

    Sean Kirkpatrick has been interpreted as hostile [politico.com] towards the UFO whistleblower David Grusch, but Kirkpatrick is also co-authoring papers [harvard.edu] with the hated Avi Loeb, musing about alien motherships releasing smaller craft, such as the metallic orbs.

    AARO's website is less than 2 weeks old. Why all the fuss? Well, they were criticized for being nearly impossible to contact [politico.com] with no easily accessible email address, phone number, etc. The site is still under construction; they are working on a secure reporting mechanism [thedebrief.org] for military personnel, and eventually the general public. The website and the reporting mechanism were actually mandated by Congress in the 2023 NDAA:


    In 2022, language [thedebrief.org] that was eventually included in the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) mandated the establishment of an official system for reporting UAP-related information, regardless of classification level, to the Office that later officially became AARO.

    The bill also contained language calling for the protection of witnesses who approached AARO with information related to UAP and any government programs related to it, as well as release from stipulations in nondisclosure orders and written agreements that may prohibit the release of such information to AARO.

    Elements of AARO’s forthcoming reporting system, which have reportedly already been developed, are still undergoing security review to ensure the secure transmission of any UAP information sent to AARO, along with protecting the identities of government personnel who provide it.

    “The department is conducting its final reviews to ensure the reporting mechanism complies with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Whistleblower Protections Enhancement Act of 2012, the Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act), and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,” a Pentagon release issued on Thursday afternoon stated.

    “In the interim, current U.S. service members, U.S. government employees, and civil aviators are encouraged to continue to use the existing reporting mechanisms available to them through their organizations.”

    The reporting system will likely be launched sometime in late October, at which time it will begin operation by initially collecting UAP information only from U.S. government personnel.

    “AARO will be accepting reports from current or former U.S. Government employees, service members, or contractors with direct knowledge of U.S. Government programs or activities related to UAP dating back to 1945,” reads a statement currently featured on the new AARO website.

    Rumor has it that whistleblowers beyond/behind Grusch have been suspicious of AARO, preferring to go to the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) or Congress. But AARO is now being overseen directly by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks [defensescoop.com], and is seemingly trying to clean up its act. Maybe Kirkpatrick will be let in on the secret if he hasn't been already.

    Finally, regardless of your level of skepticism, everyone should take notice of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosure Act of 2023 [senate.gov], which is a bipartisan amendment to the 2024 NDAA spearheaded by no less than Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer:

    After the UAP Records Collection is created, the legislation will create a UAP Records Review Board, an independent agency, which would consider if a UAP record would qualify for postponement of disclosure. Additionally, the federal government shall have eminent domain over any and all recovered technologies of unknown origin (TUO) and biological evidence of non-human intelligence (NHI) that may be controlled by private persons or entities in the interests of the public good.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 4, Funny) by darkfeline on Saturday September 09 2023, @10:42PM (4 children)

      by darkfeline (1030) on Saturday September 09 2023, @10:42PM (#1323915) Homepage

      Skeptics say there are too many UFO sightings near air bases.
      Believers say there are too many air bases near UFO sightings.

      --
      Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
    • (Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday September 10 2023, @09:22AM

      by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 10 2023, @09:22AM (#1323945) Journal

      The aliens seem very interested in this particular USAF plane [wikimedia.org].

    • (Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday September 10 2023, @10:35AM (2 children)

      by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 10 2023, @10:35AM (#1323953) Journal

      It's pretty clear that the West is presently scared of the level of technological advancement of certain terrestrial adversaries, China in particular, and their posturing regarding various territories and world events. We know that China is friendly with Russia. India is also reluctant to criticise Russia and depends heavily on Russian oil.

      I believe that this is probably an effort to encourage the public not to be embarrassed about reporting UFO sightings, and to collect data so that they can figure out what's going on.

      Therefore, I think it's actually our duty to report UFO sightings. They won't tell us what the UFOs are, but they'll surely be investigating in secret and collecting as much hard evidence as they can.

      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Sunday September 10 2023, @12:18PM (1 child)

        by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Sunday September 10 2023, @12:18PM (#1323961) Journal

        China is the only viable superpower that can oppose the U.S. in the near term. But its capabilities are greatly exaggerated, from its economy, to military, to technological progress. They might have pushed past the U.S. in some areas such as a "quantum internet" or hypersonic missiles. They probably don't have unknown air/space capabilities that look like magic to the U.S. government. Although they are alleged to have their own crash retrieval program, so they could at least be banging them open.

        The audience for the recent UFO/UAP transparency push is as much or more so targeted at military personnel as it is the general public. AARO's secure reporting mechanism is intended for military personnel and insider whistleblowers.

        https://www.aaro.mil/ [aaro.mil]

        COMING SOON
        US Government UAP-Related Program/Activity Reporting

        AARO will be accepting reports from current or former U.S. Government employees, service members, or contractors with direct knowledge of U.S. Government programs or activities related to UAP dating back to 1945*. These reports will be used to inform AARO’s congressionally directed Historical Record Report. We will announce when a reporting mechanism is available for others to use.

        This form is intended as an initial point of contact with AARO; it is not intended for conveying potentially sensitive or classified information. Following the submission of your report, AARO staff may reach out to request additional detail or arrange for an informational interview.

        Watch the UAP hearing. There have been potentially years of daily sightings that are resulting in only a handful of reports, as well as pilots deleting video/sensor evidence to avoid harassment and career death. There may be similar problems faced by civilian airline pilots, like you make a UFO report and get fired, but they aren't deliberating flying towards the objects with state-of-the-art equipment.

        The alleged crash retrieval program can't be ignored forever. It has clearly influenced the Senate's bipartisan UAP Disclosure Act. Supposedly, multiple whistleblowers have already shared the details behind closed doors, names have been named, locations have been located, and the Executive Office of the POTUS appears supportive [thehill.com]. You might wake up one day, turn on the morning news, and have the "oh, shit, everything just changed" moment.

        --
        [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
        • (Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday September 10 2023, @01:11PM

          by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 10 2023, @01:11PM (#1323964) Journal

          I would love there to be extraterrestrial life discovered in my lifetime, particularly intelligent extraterrestrial life with advanced technology.

          However, for now my money's on clever foreign terrestrial technology.

          Remember, an unmanned aerial vehicle is not constrained by the limits of the human body in terms of things like acceleration. They can also be made arbitrarily small or even very large if they are less dense than air.

          I really do hope we'll meet friendly aliens. I just don't think it's likely.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by maxwell demon on Saturday September 09 2023, @08:50PM (8 children)

    by maxwell demon (1608) on Saturday September 09 2023, @08:50PM (#1323909) Journal

    Japan, Saudi Arabia, northern Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada.

    From the list, it seems the aliens prefer hot and dry places.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by istartedi on Saturday September 09 2023, @10:21PM (2 children)

      by istartedi (123) on Saturday September 09 2023, @10:21PM (#1323913) Journal

      Well, not so much Japan and Florida; but if there are more sightings in dry places it could be due to the long lines of sight frequently available through dry air. It can happen anywhere. I witnessed it one time in Northern Virginia--lightning and cloud tops visible on the horizon, and the storms were down near Norfolk! It was caused by a rare combination of a cold front with very clear air pushing slowly in to warmer, humid air, creating those long lines of sight. I'll never forget that silent lightning. The local news even mentioned it. It looked like you could reach out and touch it, but it was like 200 miles away.

      These long lines of sight through dry air, aside from increasing your odds of seeing things, may also be conducive to some odd natural phenomenon too like ball lightning floating around, or even light from more distant objects being refracted over the horizon.

      --
      Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
      • (Score: 2) by turgid on Sunday September 10 2023, @10:00AM (1 child)

        by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 10 2023, @10:00AM (#1323949) Journal

        Every summer at least once or twice I see an optical illusion when I look out to sea and there are apparently large container ships in the sky!

        • (Score: 3, Interesting) by istartedi on Sunday September 10 2023, @05:58PM

          by istartedi (123) on Sunday September 10 2023, @05:58PM (#1323991) Journal

          That's a treat! I've heard of those. I don't live by the ocean though so I don't get enough chances. The most interesting thing I've seen along those lines is the Santa Lucia Mountains looking like mesas when they really aren't. Their images were being refracted over Monterey Bay.

          Also, there was one magical day in Montara (a bit south of San Francisco) where our view out over the water looked strangely unfamiliar. It was because the air was clear and we could see all the way to Pt. Reyes. From the Montara Beach parking lot, it looked like a large, strange new island. As we climbed the mountain, it became apparent it was connected, and we realized what it was. We could also see ALL the Farallones--including the little rocky points associated with them that most people don't think about unless they're navigating ships. A cruise ship also went out of the Golden Gate that day, and we were just mesmerized by the whole scene. I don't know how often the fog and hazy air clear out like that; but I wouldn't be surprised if that day was one in a thousand or more. We still talk about it.

          --
          Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Sunday September 10 2023, @12:22AM

      by Rosco P. Coltrane (4757) on Sunday September 10 2023, @12:22AM (#1323921)

      From the list, it seems the aliens prefer hot and dry places.

      It seems aliens prefer places full of gullible people, rather.

    • (Score: 3, Touché) by Reziac on Sunday September 10 2023, @02:59AM

      by Reziac (2489) on Sunday September 10 2023, @02:59AM (#1323929) Homepage

      Or where people spend too much time in the hot sun without wearing a hat.

      --
      And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
    • (Score: 3, Funny) by krishnoid on Sunday September 10 2023, @05:15AM

      by krishnoid (1156) on Sunday September 10 2023, @05:15AM (#1323933)

      Yup, that checks out [youtu.be]. Let's see where they land in any sequel, though.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by turgid on Sunday September 10 2023, @08:55AM (1 child)

      by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 10 2023, @08:55AM (#1323943) Journal

      Arizona and Nevada are where places like Area 51 are located. You'd expect secret and experimental aircraft to be round about there quite frequently. I believe there's a new stealth bomber [wikipedia.org] under development. If you look at one of those directly from the front, or the previous B-2 [wikipedia.org], it looks surprisingly like a "flying saucer."

      I'd love to think that there are things flying that are far in advance of the amazing SR-71, designed in the 1950s.

      Uncrewed drones are very common nowadays. Everyone has them. I've even seen some military ones tracked on the flight radar website operating over the Black Sea. It's not much of a stretch of the imagination to think that there are much more advanced ones secretly in use by various militaries around the world capable of fantastic aerobatics.

      I was brought up on Star Trek and I would absolutely love it if we were visited by friendly aliens with far superior technology. However, what I know about Physics (you could write on the back of a postage stamp) and what the world knows about Physics is that interstellar travel on our timescales is prohibitively expensive. There's no simpler way of putting it.

      Yes, there are flying things that are unidentified by certain observers. No, they're not of extraterrestrial origin. They are very interesting. I've seen a "UFO." It was the star Sirius. I've seen they flying-saucer shaped clouds. I've seen commercial aircraft at strange angles. I've also seen various military aircraft flying low on exercises that are not on the public radar. It's great fun trying to identify them. I've seen some American F15s flying low in formation. I've seen V-22 Ospreys hovering. I've seen Eurofighter Typhoons, Hercules and all sorts of other things. When I was a kid I used to see Tornadoes, Buccaneers and Fantoms, maybe even a Jaguar.

      Hot air balloons are surprisingly common in some places. Many years ago I used to be able to see an experimental airship flying about from my office window.

      The skies are very busy. There are coastguard helicopters and air ambulances, gliders, autogyros, private helicopters and all sorts.

  • (Score: 4, Funny) by ElizabethGreene on Monday September 11 2023, @12:51PM

    by ElizabethGreene (6748) on Monday September 11 2023, @12:51PM (#1324065) Journal

    When we finally meet and break the communication barrier ...

    Alien: "Are you sure?"
    Human: "Yes. I'm absolutely sure. The vast majority of human beings do NOT appreciate anal probing."
    Alien: "Oh, our bad. Sorry about that. The first guy was super into it, so we just assumed..."

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