MYSTERY WIRE — Pentagon Spokesman John F. Kirby told reporters Friday that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been briefed about intelligence findings that will be reported to Congress later this month on the government’s knowledge of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs – better known to the public as unidentified flying objects or UFOs.
As Mystery Wire reported last week, investigators have found no evidence the sightings are linked to aliens – but can’t deny a link either.
Two officials briefed on the report say the U.S. government cannot give a definitive explanation of aerial phenomena spotted by military pilots. “We take all incursions into our operating spaces seriously,” Kirby said.
Below is the transcript of the exchange between Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby and reporters:
John F. Kirby – Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
Pentagon news briefing – 06/04/2021
And with that, we’ll take some questions. Bob.
Reporter
John, I’ll start you off with a UFO question, how about that.
John F. Kirby
Go for it. I’m shocked (laughter).
Reporter
Has Secretary Austin been briefed on this report, as required by Congress, and also just more broadly to the Secretary Austin see, this, what apparently is an increasing number of reported incidents as a safety report for the military in terms of pilot training, and so forth, as well as the national security threat?
John F. Kirby
He has received a briefing on the work that the task force has, has thus far conducted. The report, as you know, is being crafted and will be delivered by the Director of National Intelligence, but he has received a briefing on the work thus far. And as we said, before we take all incursions into our operating spaces seriously. So I mean, like everybody else here at the Defense Department, certainly, we are taking the entire matter seriously as it, for that, regarding the potential for, for safety, for safety concerns.
Reporter
In other words, regardless of what the explanation may be, or if there is none of what they are, they’re incidents in which pilots are seeing things that are close enough that it could be a safety or it is a safety problem.
John F. Kirby
It could potentially involve safety and or national security concerns. Absolutely.
Reporter
Thanks.
