A Pentagon report released in 2024 found no evidence of a cover-up regarding extraterrestrial life but omitted how the government had perpetuated UFO myths through deliberate disinformation. This omission led to accusations that the report itself was an attempt at a cover-up.

An investigation conducted by a unit of the United States Department of Defense uncovered that the "UFO mythology" in the US was fueled by the Pentagon's own disinformation. The inquiry revealed that these disinformation campaigns were aimed at hiding the testing of military technology, including stealth fighter jets. Investigators are still determining whether these campaigns were local initiatives or centralized programs within the military hierarchy.

Central to the investigation was the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), established under the US Department of Defense in July 2022 based on legislation passed by Congress. The main mission of AARO was to investigate so-called Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) observed in all domains, including land, sea, air, and space. AARO investigators reviewed government documents dating back to 1945 and interrogated current and former military officers.

Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, a former chief scientist at the Missile and Space Intelligence Center, was recruited in 2022 to lead the investigation at the direction of Congress through AARO. He identified issues regarding the dissemination of disinformation and reported them to Department of Defense leadership. He resigned from his position as AARO director in December 2023. Four months after his resignation, a report was released that omitted these critical issues, leading to controversy over concealment.

"The craft was described as an antigravity maneuvering vehicle," stated the Wall Street Journal, noting the sensational nature of some of the misinformation disseminated. According to its investigations, military officials had disseminated misleading documents to create a "smokescreen" regarding real secret weapon programs, as in the case of Area 51.

Area 51, long a subject of conspiracy theories and associated with claims of extraterrestrial life, turned out to be a cover for secret military projects developed during the Cold War. These projects included the testing of classified stealth fighter jets and electromagnetic pulse generators. In a case from the 1980s, a US Air Force colonel visited a bar near Area 51 and gave the bar owner photographs allegedly showing flying saucers. These tampered photographs later adorned the walls of the bar, becoming one of the most talked-about topics of that period.

When these aircraft were seen by the public, there was concern about the military program being exposed. To prevent exposure, the Air Force allowed the local population to believe in UFO sightings rather than acknowledge the existence of their aircraft. In some cases, U.S. officials had allowed the spread of myths related to UFOs in line with "national security interests." One of the purposes of these efforts was to deter the Soviet Union from identifying weaknesses in nuclear facilities and equipment.

"For decades, certain new commanders of the Air Force's most classified programs, as part of their induction briefings, would be handed a piece of paper with a photo of what looked like a flying saucer," detailed the Wall Street Journal. Many of these commanders were informed they were joining "Yankee Blue," a program aimed at reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology. This practice affected hundreds of officers who believed in its authenticity, signed non-disclosure agreements, and never told their spouses.

In the spring of 2023, an order was given to discontinue the briefings regarding the false UFO photographs. The Wall Street Journal reported that the defense secretary's office sent a memo ordering the practice to stop immediately, but the damage was already done. The unclear Pentagon bureaucracy regarding secret programs nested within other secret programs created fertile ground for the spread of myths.

The deliberate spread of UFO myths has led to a wide-ranging investigation at the Pentagon, tracing examinations back to the 1980s.

Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.