Shift in Stance: Why has the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) recently changed from its past denial to openly acknowledging the authenticity of UAP videos and establishing a dedicated investigation office (AARO)?

好的，我们来聊聊这个话题。五角大楼这几年的态度转变确实很大，从以前的“打死也不说”到现在的“好吧，我们来看看这是啥”，背后其实有好几个原因，咱们可以一层一层地分析。

Core Reason: The truth can no longer be suppressed, and it might be dangerous.

You can imagine this shift as a three-step process: Information Leakage -> Pilot Testimony -> Congressional Pressure.

1. "Could No Longer Be Covered Up": The Leakage of Key Videos and Documents

The turning point for this issue was a bombshell report by The New York Times in 2017.

• Cracks in the "Watertight Wall": Previously, such information was highly classified. But that article directly released three infrared videos filmed by U.S. Navy fighter jets, which later became widely known as "Gimbal," "GoFast," and "Tic Tac."
• The Impact of the Videos: These weren't blurry images taken by civilian enthusiasts, but rather came from top-tier military equipment like the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet. The objects in the videos performed aerial maneuvers far exceeding existing aviation technology (e.g., instantaneous acceleration, hovering without visible propulsion).
• Official Admission: Most crucially, the Pentagon later had to admit that these videos were real and had been leaked from military networks. This marked the first time the government publicly confirmed the real existence of these "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" (UAP). Once admitted, they could no longer be dismissed as "weather balloons" or "optical illusions."

2. "The Most Reliable Witnesses": Ace Pilots Stepped Forward

Videos alone weren't enough; the human element was even more crucial.

• From "Crazy" to "Hero": In the past, if a pilot reported seeing a UFO, they would likely be ridiculed by comrades, or even grounded by superiors for psychological evaluation, effectively ruining their career. So, most who saw something chose to keep silent.
• Testimony from Top-Tier Pilots: With the public release of the videos, the pilots who filmed them, such as former Navy Commander David Fravor and Ryan Graves, began to appear publicly, give interviews to mainstream media, and even testify before Congress.
• The Weight of the Testimony: These were not ordinary individuals. They were extremely experienced ace pilots, among the calmest, most professional, and most trustworthy people in the U.S. military system. When they vouched with their careers and reputations, saying, "I personally witnessed something unexplainable that defies the laws of physics," the weight of their testimony was entirely different. This transformed "UFOs" from a fringe topic into a serious sighting event.

3. "Must Figure It Out": National Security and Congressional Pressure

This was the most direct and fundamental driving force behind the Pentagon establishing an official office (AARO).

• The Nature of the Problem Changed: When the military's most advanced fighter jets frequently encountered unidentified objects with performance far exceeding their own in military training airspace, it ceased to be a scientific exploration question of "are there aliens?" Instead, it became a pressing national security issue.
  • Whose Is This?: The Pentagon's first priority was to rule out: Is this a secret high-tech aircraft from Russia or China? If so, it would mean U.S. technology has been far surpassed, which is absolutely unacceptable.
  • Flight Safety: These UAPs frequently appeared in military training areas, posing a serious aerial safety threat to pilots, with "near-miss" incidents already having occurred.
• Congressional Intervention: When lawmakers (especially those on the intelligence and military committees) realized the potential national security risks involved, they began to pressure the military and intelligence agencies. Through legislative means, they mandated the Pentagon to:
  1. Establish a formal, unified reporting channel to allow pilots to safely report UAP sightings without fear of retaliation.
  2. Form a dedicated office (which became AARO) to systematically collect and analyze data from all military branches and intelligence agencies.
  3. Regularly submit unclassified reports to Congress, disclosing some investigation results to the public.

In Summary

So, the Pentagon's attitude shift isn't because it suddenly believes in aliens, but rather a very pragmatic change:

• From Passive to Proactive: Instead of letting information leak through unauthorized disclosures and media exposure, it's better to proactively establish an official channel to control information release and investigation.
• From Cover-up to Investigation: Instead of pretending not to see, it's better to confront this phenomenon directly and study it as a serious national security issue. To figure out what these things actually are, where they come from, and what threat they pose to the United States.
• The Core Driving Force is "Threat Assessment": The establishment of AARO essentially shifted UAPs from a "supernatural" label to an "unknown potential threat" label. This is similar to tracking unidentified submarines during the Cold War; no matter what it is, if it's operating in your territory, you must figure it out.

Simply put, it's "I don't know what it is, but it's hovering around my doorstep, and it's faster than my sports car. I have to figure out what's going on." This is the fundamental logic behind the Pentagon establishing AARO.