New York, Apr 28 (IANS): The US Department of Defense has released three short videos showing what appears to be unidentified flying objects.
The videos showing "unidentified aerial phenomena", the term used by the Pentagon, were taken by US Navy pilots, one in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015.
Even before the US Department of Defense decided to authorise the release of the videos, they were circulating in the public domain after unauthorised releases in 2007 and 2017.
The US Navy previously admitted that these videos circulating in the public domain were not fakes.
"After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorised release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena," the US Department of Defense said in a statement on Monday.
"DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos," said the statement, adding that the aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterised as "unidentified."
Two airmen documented the 2004 incident in the New York Times three years ago. They estimated the unidentified object to be 12.19-metre long and oval in shape.
To take a look at the object, two fighter jets were sent out.
Commander David Fravor, who was flying one of the jets, told The New York Times that when he got close to the object "it accelerated like nothing I've ever seen".
"I have no idea what I saw — it had no plumes, wings or rotors, and outran our F-18s," he was quoted as saying.
The other two videos, from 2015, are more clearer and also contain audio.
"My gosh! They're all going against the wind," a pilot is heard saying to his colleague in one of the clips.
"Look at that thing, dude!"
The other video shows a small white object hurtling fast through the air.