WSJ: Pentagon Spread UFO Disinformation to Hide Military Programs

According to the publication, in the 1980s, a US Air Force employee deliberately planted fabricated photographs of flying saucers on the owner of a bar near the classified Area 51 facility in Nevada. This was part of an operation to cover up the testing of stealth aircraft, including the F-117, the shape of which resembled images of alien ships typical of popular culture. Such manipulations, according to sources, were systematic and not limited to just one incident.

The investigation was conducted by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), an office created by the US Congress , whose task was to verify long-standing persistent rumors about allegedly hidden government programs to study alien technology. In the course of its work, AARO revealed cases of dissemination of false documents, "initiation" of new officers into non-existent secret projects related to UFOs, and manipulation of public opinion.

Particular attention was paid to incidents in the 1960s and 70s, when Air Force personnel recorded shutdowns of nuclear missiles, allegedly caused by "floating objects." However, according to AARO's findings, the cause of such shutdowns was testing electromagnetic generators simulating the effects of a nuclear strike.

At the same time, many participants in such events are still convinced of the extraterrestrial origin of what happened. The AARO investigation revealed that hundreds of military personnel could have believed in the extraterrestrial origin of the information they received for decades, having signed non-disclosure agreements.

According to the WSJ, the US Department of Defense excluded some of the findings from the 2024 public report at the request of the Air Force, which was concerned about publicity and reputational damage. However, the second part of the report containing these findings is expected to be published later this year.