The quest to discover the mysteries of this life, the Earth, and the galaxies above has been with man since the dawn of time. We may never know all the true answers. What we do know, however, is that the government is willing to admit that UAPs and other freaky things have been happening. Thanks to an inquiry from The Black Vault, we’ve also learned that the government may be willing to talk, but with stipulations. For now, the latest round of UAP footage remains classified. Read next:Florida Man Warns Patrick SFB on Upcoming Aliens vs. Dragons Conflict

What Is a UAP?

The literal meaning of UAP is "unidentified aerial phenomenon," but they're also known as unidentified flying objects (UFOs). It’s likely that most reading this know what a UFO is, but aside from the common depiction of a floating disc with little green men inside, there are a lot of things that can be classified as a UFO or UAP. A UAP doesn’t have to involve aliens. All atmospheric phenomena that can’t be explained may fall into this category.

Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group

A prime example of UAPs being taken seriously by the government came when the DoD announced the establishment of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG). The announcement came a year after the Pentagon finally admitted that UFOs existed. In 2022, the Pentagon reported that they had 400 UFO sightings and encounters. While AOIMSG will help in all aspects of UAPs, the intelligence agency will have a specific focus on investigating objects that aren’t defined yet hinder American interests in aerospace. Considering the push in both private and government-backed ventures into space, groups such as the AOIMSG are growing in importance. Space debris, threats from foreign governments, potential contact with aliens, and more are all important bits of information for the U.S. government in the increasingly congested space arena.

The Black Vault Is Seeking Answers

A requester can obtain access to all records, or at least portions of those records, belonging to a federal agency under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), except those that are protected by one of nine exemptions or three exclusions. This was the route taken by The Black Vault, an online document archive, to seek the truth about UAPs from the government. The move came after the Naval Air Systems Command released videos of UFOs the day before, but rather than simply deny having any more footage, the Navy took things to a weird place: they admitted to having the footage but refused to release it. The deputy director for the Department of the Navy’s FOIA/PA Program Office, Gary Cason, would cite national security threats as the reason for withholding the footage. “The release of this information will harm national security as it may provide adversaries valuable information regarding Department of Defense/Navy operations, vulnerabilities, and/or capabilities. No portions of the videos can be segregated for release,” wrote Cason in response. A noted reason as to why the other videos were released and the requested footage was not comes down to access. The Navy pointed out that the other three videos were leaked and could, therefore, be shared. It’s wild to think that although the Navy wouldn’t specify, pop punk icon Tom DeLonge might have leaked the footage. Of course, this makes more sense when you remember that DeLonge is also one of the leading experts in UFOs. The Black Vault is planning to appeal the Navy’s decision in hopes that more footage will be released to the public.

UAPs Have Been Around Since Ancient Times

People have long suspected the existence of UAPs. While an uptick in popularity on the subject would come during and following World War II, this is nothing new. Take a look around you, and you’ll find historical accounts of unexplained movement in the sky, such as Haley’s Comet. You’ll also find religious texts and accounts of beings visiting Earth that were not from here. More recently, foo fighters were spotted by the 415th Night Fighter Squadron in WWII, and of course, the modern ideas of UFOs and aliens we all know and love. No matter what, experiencing a UAP isn’t a new idea or event. Soon enough, even the government may be answering uncomfortable questions about these mysterious phenomena. Suggested read:Meet the HEXA Drone: We Officially Have a Flying Car

Image: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE VIA AP