talkpolitics | What's with all the UFOs?

You know, UFO doesn't necessarily mean ETs, right?

If the truth is really "out there", it certainly ain't yet apparent. See, the US and Canada are investigating three unidentified flying objects that were shot down over North America in the past three days. It's a bit much, isn't it?

Both the Pentagon and a whole bucket of intelligence agencies are trying to figure out what happened after these UFOs flew over Alaska and Michigan, as well as over Canada. They were eventually shot down by missiles from fighter jets. The latest events unfolding in the skies over North America are taking place in an environment marked by confusion, in which at times it looked as if an extra-terrestrial invasion was taking place.

These episodes raise two questions: firstly, what were these objects really; and secondly, why does the US seem to be suddenly noticing more objects of this sort and shooting them down? Why now? There's been no answer to the first question so far – the US authorities have no idea what these objects were, nor what their purpose was or who sent them. As for the second question, it's not clear whether more objects have suddenly started appearing. Certainly, however, since the recent raid by a Chinese spy balloon, the US and Canadian militaries have become hypervigilant about some pieces of surveillance equipment that previously might have been allowed to pass. Not any more.

The explanation for this influx might be more trivial than some conspiracy theorists are hoping. After the spy balloon flew by earlier this month, the NORAD adjusted its radar system to be more sensitive. As a result, the number of detected objects increased sharply. In other words, NORAD is detecting more objects because it's looking for them, following the public uproar over the spy balloon that flew over the continental US for a week before being shot down on February 4.

US officials are not completely dismissing theories that there could be more of these objects. Some believe they may be from China or another foreign power, and that they may be intended to test detection capabilities after the spy balloon incident.

Here's the good news for conspiracy theorists, though. When asked at a press conference if he's ruling out the possibility of an extraterrestrial origin for the objects, US General Glenn VanHurk replied that he "doesn't rule anything out at this stage". But then in interviews the other day, national security officials were skeptical of any suggestion that the objects shot down by the Air Force were some kind of alien visitors. A senior official said no one thinks these objects are anything other than devices created on Earth.

The downing of a Chinese balloon over US territory, followed by the downing of two more objects over Alaska and Canada and another over Michigan, has heightened concerns about the security of North America and further strained relations with China.

In response to the Chinese spy balloon incident, the US Commerce Department on Friday added six Chinese entities it says were involved in the balloon program to a list of individuals to whom US companies are prohibited from supplying deliveries. This is another step by the US government to limit the export of Western technology that China can use to strengthen its military potential.

The UK is planning to follow suit, planning to begin a security review in connection with these Chinese spy balloons. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has said the UK would work with the US and other partners to analyze intelligence and assess the dangers of the balloons. The review will be used to assess whether changes are needed to the surveillance of British airspace. MPs have warned that tgese balloons may have flown over Britain, and the ministry has so far refused to rule out the possibility. The spy balloons are the latest development in UK's increasingly strained relationship with China.

What's with all the UFOs?

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