US govt's UFO report can’t explain sightings, does not rule out extra-terrestrial origin

The report marked a turning point for the US government after the military spent decades debunking and discrediting observations of UFOs and "flying saucers" dating back to the 1940s.

A US government report on UFOs issued on Friday said defence and intelligence analysts lack sufficient data to determine the nature of mysterious flying objects observed by American military pilots including whether they are advanced earthly technologies, atmospherics or of an extra-terrestrial origin. The unclassified nine-page report, released to Congress and the public, encompasses 144 observations -- mostly from US Navy personnel -- of what the government officially calls "unidentified aerial phenomenon," or UAP, dating back to 2004.