In a recent report released by the Department of Defense, it has been revealed that there have been over 270 reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, commonly known as UAPs or UFOs, submitted to the U.S. government in the past eight months. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, responsible for documenting and analyzing reports of UFOs/UAPs, received a total of 274 new reports between August 31, 2022, and April 30, 2023. Additionally, the agency has started investigating 17 sightings that occurred between 2019 and 2022, which had not been previously included in earlier reports. The total number of UFO reports received by this office now stands at 801 as of April 30.

Although the report acknowledges that UFOs/UAPs in airspace pose a potential hazard, it emphasizes that none of the reported cases were in the direct path of a plane or in an "unsafe proximity" to military aircraft. Furthermore, the report states that none of the UFO reports have been confirmed as being of foreign origin, but the possibility is being thoroughly investigated. The Department of Defense sends this report from the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office to Congress annually.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder highlighted the importance of service personnel's safety during investigations into UFOs. Ryder stated, "The safety of our service personnel, our bases and installations, and the protection of U.S. operations security on land, in the skies, seas, and space are paramount. We take reports of incursions into our designated space, land, sea, or airspaces seriously and examine each one."

The report also addresses concerns regarding the safety of flight. While many of the reports by military witnesses present potential safety concerns, including high-speed travel or unusual maneuverability, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the UAPs reported between August 2022 and April 2023 originated from outer space. The report concludes that the majority of the UFO sightings will likely be explained by "ordinary phenomena."

Officials believe that several factors contribute to the reports, including equipment error, misidentification, or misperception. Most of the reports came from restricted military airspace, although there were some reports from commercial pilots as well. This report follows a congressional hearing on UFOs held in July, and NASA's group of experts, convened in 2022 to review data collection methods regarding UAPs, concluded in September that there is no evidence to suggest that UAPs are of extraterrestrial origin.

Overall, the Department of Defense's report sheds light on the increasing number of UFO reports received by the government, emphasizing the need to ensure the safety of military personnel and national security while thoroughly investigating these anomalous sightings.