The Department of Defense (DoD) has confirmed that it possesses footage of three unidentified flying objects (UFOs) that were shot down by US fighter jets over North America in March 2023. However, the Pentagon has declined to release the footage, citing its classified nature and the lack of a timeline for declassification.
A DoD spokesperson confirmed that the footage of the “high altitude objects and the takedown of those objects exists,” but went on to explain that the imagery of the flying objects “remains classified, and I have not received any information as to the potential timeline on a change in classification.” The spokesperson further elaborated that the footage of the UFOs “poses a potential risk to national security.”
The three UFOs were intercepted and destroyed by F-16 and F-22 jets using sidewinder missiles over Alaska, Lake Huron in Michigan, and Canada’s Yukon territory, amid concerns that they posed a threat to civilian aviation or national security. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed that one missile fired by a U.S. fighter jet missed the UFO over Lake Huron, and the missile landed “harmlessly” in the lake. A second missile from an F-16 brought down the flying object.
The origin and nature of the objects remain unknown, although some sources have suggested that they could have been harmless balloons launched by hobbyists or researchers. U.S. and Canadian officials conducted searches for debris from the flying objects, but these expeditions were eventually called off due to complications such as winter weather and wild terrain, raising the prospect that the UFOs would never be found and identified.
The Pentagon’s decision not to share the footage of the UFOs has drawn criticism from some quarters, with many arguing that the public has a right to know what happened. However, the DoD has defended its stance, stating that it is bound by strict regulations governing the classification and declassification of sensitive information.
This is not the first time that the Pentagon has been accused of withholding information about UFOs. In 2021, the US government released a report on UFO sightings but failed to provide any conclusive evidence that they were extraterrestrial in origin.
The Pentagon’s refusal to share the imagery of the UFOs contrasts with its prompt disclosure of a photo and a video of other aerial incidents that occurred around the same time, involving an alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down near South Carolina and a Russian jet colliding with a US drone over the Black Sea.
In conclusion, the DoD’s decision not to release the footage of the downed UFOs has generated speculation and controversy, with many wondering what the government is trying to hide. While the public may never know the true nature of the objects, the incident has once again highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in government.