UFO sightings: Pentagon reveals cause of 1960s uptick in ‘extraterrestrial’ activity

A spike in UFO sightings since the 1960s was caused by the US military testing spy planes and space technology , according to a Pentagon report.

The report, which was presented to Congress on Friday, also found that there is “no evidence” that the US government had interactions with aliens, adding that most sightings of UFOs or “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP) were ordinary objects.

It added that public opinion surrounding UFOs has been influenced by pop culture.

“The proliferation of television programmes, books, movies, and the vast amount of internet and social media content centred on UAP-related topics most likely has influenced the public conversation on this topic, and reinforced these beliefs within some sections of the population,” the report said.

The report lists classified government programmes including the Manhattan Project and the secret development of the Air Force’s stealth drone, the RQ-170 Sentinel, that may have contributed to increased reports of unidentified objects or phenomena.

It also found that an alleged 1961 leaked memo about UFOs was inauthentic, and that an “alien spacecraft” sample collected by a UAP investigating organisation was not made of an other-worldly material but instead was made mostly of magnesium, zinc and bismuth.