A highly-anticipated government report is reportedly expected to say there is no evidence that aerial phenomena encountered by U.S. Navy pilots in recent years are extraterrestrials. But it also cannot rule out the possibility that they are alien spacecraft.
The New York Times reported the expected findings, citing senior administration officials who were briefed. An unclassified version of the report is expected to be presented to Congress by June 25.
American intelligence officials reportedly have determined that nearly all of the incidents over the past two years -- more than 120 -- did not come from the U.S. military or any other advanced U.S. technology. But, as the Times reports, that's expected to be the only conclusive finding.
Because of that, the officials reportedly said they could not rule out the possibility that the phenomena did not originate on our planet.
The Times reports that one of the briefed officials said there was concern in the intelligence and military communities that China or Russia may be experimenting with hypersonic technology.
Two things make hypersonic weapons special are speed and maneuverability. Speed brings surprise, and maneuverability creates elusiveness. Together, those qualities could mean trouble for missile defenses.
By generally agreed definition, a hypersonic weapon is one that flies at speeds in excess of Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. Most American missiles, such as those launched from aircraft to hit other aircraft or ground targets, travel between Mach 1 and Mach 5.
Former President Donald Trump referred to them in May 2020 as a "super-duper missile."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.