- Former US defense official Christopher Mellon says government has extensive UFO evidence
- Satellite images show unidentified craft with unexplained movements above Earth
- Trump ordered release of files on aliens, UFOs, and related government documents
A former US defense intelligence official has claimed that the federal government possesses extensive evidence related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs), including satellite images of mysterious craft that appear unlike anything built by humans.
Christopher Mellon, who served during the administrations of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, said the government holds a large collection of documents, photos, and videos related to the phenomenon. According to him, some of the most striking evidence includes clear satellite images showing unidentified craft in space above Earth displaying movements that are difficult to explain.
"We have satellite imagery of craft that sure don't look like anything that we have built or constructed," Mellon said.
The comments come after Donald Trump ordered the release of files related to aliens, UFOs, and other information connected to the subject. The announcement reportedly prompted agencies such as the Pentagon and the White House to begin preparing documents, though officials have not yet confirmed what will be released or when.
"Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War and other relevant departments and agencies to begin the process of identifying and releasing government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mellon said the government now prefers using the term "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" (UAP) instead of UFO. He previously helped facilitate the release of three well-known US military videos showing unidentified objects -- Tic Tac, GOFAST and Gimbal, and believes many more similar recordings exist in government archives.
"There's a significant number of videos from the same sources that were judged unclassified in 2018, gun cameras on F18s, and [Forward Looking Infrared Radar] videos that have been withheld from the public. I know there are because I've seen some of them. And there's no rational reason that I can think of why those videos are being withheld," he said.
Other officials have also referenced unusual aerial objects. In 2021, John Ratcliffe said there were images of unidentified craft performing actions that were hard to explain.
However, Mellon cautioned that he does not expect any documents proving contact with alien civilisations to be released. He added that multiple US agencies, including the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency, hold relevant files and warned that intelligence bureaucracies may be slow to disclose the most sensitive material without strong oversight from Congress.
Earlier, former US President Barack Obama said the aliens are real but quickly dismissed conspiracy theories that they are being kept at Area 51, a secretive US Air Force base in Nevada.
There is no concrete evidence that can confirm the existence of life beyond planet Earth. Still, scientists keep scanning the vast reaches of outer space in the hope of finding a clue.
