Project Blue Book - USAF Investigates UFO SightingsProject Blue Book was a detailed study of UFO sightings by the US Air Force which ended in the late 1960s but there are calls to reopen it.
A group of former pilots and government officials has called on the US government to reopen Project Blue Book, an investigation into claims of UFO sightings, an investigation that was closed in the late 1960s. Project Blue Book, a detailed study of alleged UFO sightings run by the US Air Force, ended in the late 1960s. It had two main goals - to determine if UFOs were a threat to national security and to scientifically analyse UFO-related data.
Thousands of UFO reports were collected, analysed and filed. As the result of the Condon Report (1968) concluded, there was nothing strange about UFOs. Project Blue Book was shut down in December 1969, and the Air Force continues to provide the following summary of its investigations:
- No UFO reported, investigated and evaluated by the Air Force was ever an indication of a threat to our national security;
- There was no evidence submitted to or discovered by the Air Force that sightings categorised as "unidentified" represented technological developments or principles beyond the range of modern scientific knowledge;
- No evidence indicated that sightings categorised as "unidentified" were extraterrestrial vehicles.
By the time Project Blue Book concluded, it had amassed a staggering 12,618 UFO reports. This significant number underscores the scale of the data collected and the need for a thorough reevaluation. The project's findings suggested that most of these reports were misidentifications of natural phenomena (clouds, stars, etc.) or conventional aircraft.
The group calling for the files to be reopened, known as the International UFO Research Coalition, includes former military officers and government and aviation personnel from seven countries. All members of the coalition have either witnessed a UFO or have conducted extensive research into the phenomenon, bringing a wealth of experience and credibility to their cause. However, the Air Force says nothing has happened in the past four decades to justify resuming investigations. Thousands of people say they have seen UFOs in the United States every year, and their claims are usually met with scepticism.
We want the US government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms.Fife Symington, Ex-Governor of Arizona
The group has urged the US government to take UFO claims seriously, emphasising that the apparent sightings of hovering orbs, glowing lights, and high-speed spacecraft are not just curious phenomena, but potential national security threats. They argue that these sightings should no longer be dismissed, especially in the post-9/11 era. In a statement, they pointed out that it is no longer acceptable to ignore radar returns that cannot be attributed to existing helicopters and other aircraft.
The group has called on the US military to reopen an investigation dormant since 1969, called Project Blue Book, in which more than 12,500 UFO claims were investigated by the Air Force. Currently, the US government and military maintain that there is no evidence to suggest that UFO sightings pose a threat to national security or are of extraterrestrial origin. For now, their pleas have been ignored - the US Air Force says nothing that would support a resumption of the investigation has changed.
However, those who believe they have seen UFOs know they have influential supporters.
