For a long time now, UFOs (unidentified flying objects) have firmly remained in the realm of conspiracies. There are, of course, those who propose theories of alien origins and 'proof' of ancient humans being visited by otherworldly beings. For most people though, the idea of UFOs and extraterrestrials is a bit out there to have any serious opinion on. But all this may be about to change. Next month, the US Department of Defense and the intelligence community is set to appear before the Congress Intelligence and Armed Services committees. What Congress expects is an unclassified report on UFOs and UFO sightings by the US military. To be precise, the technical term at play is not UFOs but rather UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). This distinction indicates that the US is not, in fact, investigating alien theories but rather the supposedly very real sightings of UAPs by military personnel across the branches. The report that will be presented is, in theory, supposed to be a reflection of everything the Pentagon and the US intelligence services know about UAPs. The pre-reviews for the June hearing and the report are already predicting explosive outcomes. Consider the fact that the US is formally taking up a subject that has otherwise been relegated to conspiracies and science fiction on the highest level before a Congressional Committee. The process that has led to this extraordinary moment started last year. In the USD 2.3 trillion Coronavirus relief bill that then-President Donald Trump signed into action, there was a less reported-on part that gave US defence and intelligence services 180 days to give a report to Congress on UAPs. Since that time, not only has the Pentagon set up the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force, it has also released footage and confirmed others that already existed showing these UAPs. Most of the sightings confirmed were witnessed in and around the US military personnel out at sea or at bases. At least a few former and presently serving members of the US Navy and Airforce, in particular, claimed to have seen these objects. The descriptions always involve unidentifiable balls of light that move and track in ways that no existing technology can. The objects were described to appear mass-less, moving in patterns that no propulsion systems allow. Aside from having no visible propulsion systems, some of the footage even shows these reportedly going supersonic without creating a sonic boom. It should be noted that while this newfound interest in exploring UAPs may feel sudden, the US has actually been investigating such a phenomenon for some time. In 2007, long before the Pentagon ever acknowledged the existence of UAPs, the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Programme was secretly brought into existence at the behest of Nevada Democratic Congressman Harry Reid. Until the programme was 'officially' terminated in 2012, it investigated several different incidents of this nature with some private sector involvement. But the Pentagon officially first started investigating UAP sightings all the way back in 1947 under Project Blue Book but the programme was later shut down. That said, the upcoming report to Congress will include everything the Pentagon knows about the matter since 1947. What can be expected from this report and the hearing? While the content of what is discussed may indeed turn out to be shocking, it seems unlikely that aliens will be involved. Stephen Hawking once famously said that "If the government is covering up knowledge of aliens, they are doing a better job of it than they do at anything else." This, by no means, denotes that aliens couldn't be involved or that the Pentagon is not lying about how much it knows about their existence. But the chances are remote. What seems a little more likely and quite a bit more terrifying is the idea that there is a technological phenomenon that the US military and intelligence services don't understand. This isn't on the level of saying advanced technology, it is literally technology that the Pentagon claims it does not understand or have any explanation for. Of course, it could be neither of these two possibilities and something entirely different at play here. The important thing is that there simply isn't enough that is known about the matter. Depending on what the committee meetings and the report establishes, there could be a significant outcome from the whole process. The idea of carrying out this review is to not just unearth information but to also develop an action plan. If indeed there are unidentified objects hanging around US military bases and ships, then it is a critical matter of national security to identify them. What could also be a likely outcome from this is other countries also getting some impetus to take their own alleged sightings of such a phenomenon a little more seriously. What a time to be alive.