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Pentagon forms new task force to investigate UFO sightings

Don't worry, the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group is on the job.

Jim Urquhart / reuters

The Pentagon has established a new group to investigate UFO sightings. The Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) will succeed the US Navy’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. According to the Defense Department, “AOIMSG will synchronize efforts across the Department and the broader US government to detect, identify and attribute objects of interest in Special Use Airspace (SUA), and to assess and mitigate any associated threats to safety of flight and national security.”

The formation of the task force follows the release of a report in June in which the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) examined 144 sightings of “unidentified aerial phenomenon.” Only in one instance were officials able to determine what caused a sighting. For every other incident detailed in that report, ODNI said there was too little data for it to conclude what happened. If the US government were to have any chance at better understanding UFOs, ODNI said it would need to deploy more resources and a standardized approach across various agencies. It would appear the Defense Department has taken that recommendation to heart.