UFO or UAP? Here's why the US Pentagon declassified the '40 miles/min object' footage now

The Pentagon on Monday, April 27, released three declassified videos in Washington, that showed US Navy pilots encountering what appears to be UFOs (unidentified flying objects). Although grainy, the videos depict what the Pentagon has termed 'UAP' (unidentified aerial phenomena). 

The videos were originally recorded at different points of time. One of the videos reportedly taped an incident dating all the way back to 2004, while the remaining two were captured in 2015, according to Sue Gough, a spokesperson with the Defence Department in the US.

Pentagon released three UFO videos taken by its Navy pilots

Notably, this is not the first time the videos have appeared in the public domain, as in 2007 and 2017 the videos in question fell prey to unauthorised leaks and were published by a leading US daily; they were also later verified for their authenticity by a Navy personnel. However, April 27, 2020, was the first time the Pentagon formally acknowledged the existence of these videos and released them in public.

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The spokesperson, while releasing the videos stated that a thorough review was conducted by the Defence department to determine whether an authorised release of these videos will cause any upheaval or further 'reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems'. Gough added that in light of the fact that releasing these videos will not ' impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions'and hence was allowed to be released. 

After hailing the official release, former Senator from Nevada, Harry Raid, cautioned Pentagon to take a closer look at the materials available to understand 'potential national security implications'.

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A rendezvous like no other

On the day the video was captured, two Navy pilots who were on a routine training mission were apparently dispatched to investigate an unidentified aircraft that a Navy cruiser had been tracking for some weeks. They later reported along with the footage as evidence that they spotted an object about 40 feet long, hovering about 50 feet above the water before it rapidly ascended as the pilots approached closer to the spot. One of the pilots reportedly commented later, that it sped away fast, too soon to be able to observe it better, 'it accelerated like nothing I've ever seen', he said.

The pilots also claimed the UFO traversed a distance of roughly 65 kms in less than a minute. The videos include footage of objects moving at great speed through the air, and are seen racing through the sky and begins rotating in midair.

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