For decades, UFO sightings and alien conspiracy theories have fascinated millions—especially in the United States, where mysterious lights over Nevada’s infamous Area 51 sparked global curiosity. But a new Pentagon-backed report has shaken the foundation of those beliefs: many of those sightings were intentionally fabricated by the U.S. military to mask secret Cold War weapons programs.
In July 2022, the Pentagon formed the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to investigate unexplained aerial, maritime, and space phenomena, known collectively as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). Led by Sean Kirkpatrick, AARO combed through military documents dating back to 1945 and interviewed numerous active and retired military officers.
Their findings, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, are startling.
UFOs as Smoke Screens
According to AARO, during the Cold War, the U.S. military deliberately seeded and amplified UFO conspiracy theories to protect classified defense projects from public and foreign scrutiny—especially Soviet espionage. Fake stories, forged photographs, and even staged barroom conversations were all part of a coordinated effort to create a “smokescreen” around programs like the development of the stealth F-117 Nighthawk fighter.
In one bizarre example, an Air Force colonel was ordered to deliver doctored photos of flying saucers to a bar near Area 51 to stir public interest and steer attention away from actual stealth aircraft testing nearby. The plan worked—interest in Area 51 exploded, and UFO lore became deeply entrenched in American culture.
That same colonel, now retired, later admitted to Pentagon investigators that he was following official orders to distract attention from sensitive technology. “The best way to hide something,” the thinking went, “is in plain sight, surrounded by noise.”
Area 51: The Epicenter of Distraction
The report confirms what many skeptics long suspected: that Area 51’s reputation as a UFO hotspot was, at least in part, manufactured. With 820.9 reported UFO sightings per 100,000 residents, Nevada has the highest per-capita sighting rate in the U.S. But behind many of these events were experimental flights of aircraft like the U-2 spy plane and SR-71 Blackbird—projects now known to have been conducted at the secretive base.
Misled From Within
The deception ran deep. The report describes how even military officers were misled into thinking they were part of extraterrestrial-related missions. New commanders assigned to highly classified programs were shown photos of “flying saucers” and told they were participating in “Yankee Blue,” a secret effort to reverse-engineer alien technology. They signed non-disclosure agreements and operated under the belief they were dealing with off-world materials—when in fact, it was all a calculated ruse.
This practice reportedly continued until 2023, when a memo from the Office of the Secretary of Defense ordered it to stop.
Real Events, Misleading Explanations
The AARO report also revisits historical incidents previously held up as evidence of alien encounters. One example is the 1967 incident at a Montana missile site, where retired Air Force Captain Robert Salas reported seeing a UFO before multiple nuclear missiles were mysteriously disabled. At the time, Salas was told never to speak of it. Now, investigators have determined he was likely witnessing an early test of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon meant to simulate Soviet nuclear attacks.
Salas was never informed of the real experiment, and like many others, remained convinced for decades that he had encountered alien technology.
No Evidence of Aliens—But Belief Persists
In March 2024, AARO released a landmark report asserting there is no evidence that the U.S. government has encountered extraterrestrial life or technology. Most sightings, it concluded, were either misidentified objects or tied to classified human activities.
The report acknowledges the strong cultural impact of UFO lore, fueled by decades of movies, books, internet speculation, and disinformation. It also addresses claims made by former intelligence official David Grusch, who alleged the U.S. had operated a secret alien retrieval program—claims the AARO could not substantiate.
Despite the findings, the U.S. still receives between 50 and 100 UAP sighting reports each month, and public interest remains high.
What Comes Next?
The Department of Defense has pledged greater transparency going forward. A second volume of the Historical Record Report is expected later this year, which will include information on suspected pranks and fake materials.
While the truth about extraterrestrial visitors remains elusive, the new revelations show that the greatest alien deception might not have come from the stars—but from within the Pentagon itself.
By EurAsian
