What did the Robertson Panel conclude about national security risks from UFOs?

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Declassified U.S. military video of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) — unidentified flying object Learn about an unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sighting from this video (known as the Gimbal video) captured by fighter pilots associated with the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group. The video shows instrument detections of unknown aerial objects, which the pilots were unable to identify, off the East Coast of the United States, 2014–15.

The Robertson Panel, convened by the Central Intelligence Agency in 1953, concluded that there was no obvious national security threat posed by unidentified flying objects.1

After reviewing various reports, films, and photographs, the panel determined that the vast majority of sightings—approximately 90 percent—could be attributed to common astronomical or meteorological phenomena, such as planets, meteors, and auroras, or to mundane objects like aircraft, balloons, and birds. Furthermore, the panel found no evidence to support the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH).1

While the panel's findings were intended to provide clarity, the fact that portions of their report remained classified until 1979 contributed to public suspicion regarding government transparency.1