News
New UFO files offer no answers – but something is happening in the skies
Newly released U.S. government UAP and UFO files reveal unexplained aerial phenomena, mysterious drone swarms, and military encounters that continue to puzzle experts and raise national security questions.
James Dwyer, University of Tasmania
New UFO files offer no answers – but something is happening in the skies
The US Government has released a new trove of documents on various cases of “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAPs) – many of which would have been described in the past as Unidentified Flying Objects or UFOs – including photos, videos and reports of unexplained events sighted in the sky and in space.
The files detail “unresolved cases” where “the government is unable to make a definitive determination on the nature of the observed phenomena”.
As a researcher of military strategy, national security, and weapons and technology capabilities, I find several examples of UAPs intriguing in what they reveal and the questions they raise.
Taking this new release together with other reports from the past few years, a picture of what might be behind UAPs – and the current state of our understanding – begins to emerge.
The easy ones
Not everything in the new release seems inexplicable. Some images, like those that appear to show unidentified lights recorded by astronauts from the surface of the Moon, are most likely just visual noise or other image artefacts.
Astronauts have also reported seeing bright lights with the naked eye. These may be flashes from high-energy cosmic rays, which are more prevalent outside Earth’s protective magnetic field.
Likewise, video recordings showing bright lights zipping may be explained by insects flying by the camera at close proximity – they would be out of focus, and appear to move at high speeds.
Something is happening
Other cases are more difficult to immediately dismiss. Some recent examples demonstrate that something is occurring, even if we do not know what.
In 2020, the US Navy declassified three videos recorded by F/A-18 Super Hornets, showing mysterious “Tic Tac” objects flying in ways that defy current understanding of technology, without any obvious propulsion. The US Navy stated it did not know what the objects were.
Advanced sensors on fighter aircraft detected and tracked these phenomena, which suggests they were some kind of real objects rather than due to equipment errors or erroneous noise.
One of the most intriguing recordings was shared in a US congressional hearing in 2025. It appeared to be recorded by an MQ-9 Reaper drone, which was tracking a UAP.
The drone fired a Hellfire missile at the object and appeared to have successfully hit it. The object seemed to be deflected from its direction of travel momentarily, suggesting it was a real physical thing, but it appeared to suffer no damage and continued on its course.
Drone swarms and mystery objects
Over the past decade, there have also been multiple reports of unidentified groups of UAPs around US and European military bases.
In several cases, US Navy Destroyers apparently met mysterious “drone swarms”. While these may have been conventional drones, there were no apparent launch vessels nearby which could have allowed these relatively small drones (with presumably short range) to be where they were.
We also know that in 2023, the US used an F-22 fighter to shoot down a Chinese high-altitude spy balloon over the continental US. Another similar incident occurred over Hawaii the same year, although the US reportedly did not consider this one to be from China.
Also in 2023, the US engaged several other objects over North America, but both the US and Canadian governments have refused to provide any information on what they were.
So what exactly are these objects?
There is no easy explanation for these incidents.
Some leap to the idea that non-human intelligences are at work. However, there is no evidence for this. It may be fun to think of aliens or interdimensional beings, but this is not really a satisfying answer to the UAP question.
Perhaps the “best” explanation we have is drones, or other known technologies. This still seems partial, as some phenomena seem to exceed current technological capabilities, and it leaves open the question of who is behind the phenomena.
New technologies could be responsible. Perhaps operated by “friendly” forces – within the US military or allied defence manufacturers – testing their products against unknowing military operators to see how they respond. Similarly, the incidents may be tests carried out by adversaries such as China.
But still, some incidents are hard to explain given what we know about physics. The object in the “Tic Tac” videos don’t seem to behave how any kind of aircraft should, showing no signs of propulsion.
Alternatively, some UAPs could be as simple as malfunctions in sensor systems. However, this too seems partial – there are multiple cases of warplanes and warships detecting these objects with multiple sensors operating on different frequencies, both actively and passively.
Not aliens, but what?
The most recent release from the US does little to answer the questions about what UAPs are. This lack of answers is perhaps the most intriguing part.
Given the wide range of cases, there is likely no single explanation for all of them. Some seem likely to be drones and others likely image artefacts, but there is a real group of genuinely hard-to-identify phenomena.
Of the available explanations, non-human intelligence is perhaps the most entertaining – but also by far the least probable. It is far more likely that the cause of these incidents will eventually be identified much closer to home.
What does seem clear is that governments are watching closely, and with significant concern.
James Dwyer, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The Long Track Back
LA Metro Approves $71 Million Bus Engine Program and Advances Antelope Valley Line Safety Work
LA Metro will replace engines in as many as 680 natural-gas buses while advancing safety improvements at two Antelope Valley Line crossings in Sylmar.
Two newly confirmed Board actions will keep hundreds of Metro buses in service while moving two Sylmar rail crossings toward construction.
LOS ANGELES — October 28, 2026 — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has approved two major investments affecting bus reliability and regional rail safety: a nearly $71 million engine-replacement program for as many as 680 buses and a $27.6 million construction budget for two Antelope Valley Line crossings in Sylmar.
The Metro Board approved both actions on October 22.
Hundreds of natural-gas buses will receive new engines
Metro awarded Cummins Sales and Service a five-year, single-source contract worth up to $70.99 million for 680 near-zero-emission natural-gas engines. The engines will be installed in El Dorado National 40-foot buses and New Flyer 60-foot articulated buses during fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The engines will operate on renewable compressed natural gas and replace older engines as part of Metro’s midlife bus-refurbishment program. Metro mechanics will perform the installations.
According to the Board report, replacing high-mileage engines should reduce engine-related road calls and improve the reliability of buses that remain in daily service. Metro estimates that the replacements will reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions by 90 percent and greenhouse-gas emissions by 9 percent compared with the engines being removed.
The decision also provides more context for Metro’s transition to electric buses. In September, the agency approved the purchase of 220 battery-electric buses, with deliveries expected to begin in 2028. The new Cummins contract shows that Metro will continue investing in its existing natural-gas fleet while electric buses and the charging infrastructure needed to support them are introduced.
Metro has not changed its zero-emission goal through this action. The engine replacements are intended to keep current buses dependable during the transition and do not obligate the agency to order all 680 engines.
Two Sylmar rail crossings move toward construction
In a separate action, the Board established a $27.62 million life-of-project budget for improvements at the Astoria Street pedestrian crossing and the Polk Street roadway crossing along the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line.
The crossings are part of Segment 4 of Metro’s Brighton-to-Roxford Double Track Project. Although the broader project remains in different stages of design, the Astoria and Polk plans are sufficiently advanced to proceed as separate construction packages.
Planned improvements include coordinated traffic signals, pedestrian gates and additional roadway gates. Polk Street will receive a four-quadrant gate system intended to make it harder for motorists to enter or drive around the crossing when a train approaches. Both locations will also be prepared for possible future quiet-zone operations.
The work supports Metro’s larger effort to improve safety, reliability and capacity on the Antelope Valley Line. Advancing the two crossings now also protects state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program funding that must be spent and submitted for reimbursement by June 30, 2027.
Metro will conduct community outreach and execute the construction contracts following the Board’s approval. A specific construction-start date has not yet been announced.
Primary sources
● Metro Board Report 2026-0644: Near-Zero Natural Gas-Fueled Engines
● Metro Board Report 2026-0640: Astoria and Polk Crossing Improvements
This story is part of The Long Track Back, STM Daily News’ continuing coverage of Los Angeles transit projects, service and regional mobility.
Slate Auto and Smarties Launch Colorful EV Starter Packs
Slate Auto has partnered with Smarties Candy Company on six pastel customization packages for its upcoming electric truck. Announced October 27, the Smarties x Slate collection gives buyers another way to personalize the minimalist EV before deliveries begin.
The six Starter Packs are inspired by Smarties flavors: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Grape, Pineapple, Orange and Strawberry. Each package includes a coordinating vehicle wrap, color-matched mirror decals, a Smarties-branded rocker decal, a logo decal, a customized key-fob end cap and a matching interior Slatelet.
Customers will be able to purchase the packages through the Slate Marketplace as their delivery dates approach. Pricing for the Smarties packages was not included in the announcement.
The collaboration fits Slate’s strategy of selling one simplified vehicle platform that owners can customize over time. Every truck leaves the Warsaw, Indiana, factory with gray exterior panels designed to be wrapped instead of conventionally painted. Buyers can keep the two-seat pickup configuration or select one of Slate’s five-seat SUV conversions.
The partnership does not change the truck’s core price or specifications. Slate continues to list the Blank Slate pickup at $24,950 before its $1,450 destination charge, with an estimated 205 miles of range. The range figure is still a company projection rather than a final EPA rating, and Slate continues to say its first deliveries are expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
For Slate, the Smarties collection is more than a seasonal promotion. It demonstrates how branded wraps and accessories could become an important part of the company’s business model while allowing buyers to change the appearance of their vehicles without purchasing a different truck.
Source: Slate Auto’s official Smarties collaboration announcement
Entertainment
Patrick Stewart, Beloved Star of Star Trek and X-Men, Dies at 86
Sir Patrick Stewart, beloved for his performances as Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Charles Xavier, has died at 86, leaving a lasting legacy across television, film and theater.
Entertainment News Brief
Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at 86.
Stewart died October 28 at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement from his spokesperson reported by Reuters. The announcement said he had been living with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia and was with his wife, Sunny Ozell.
Stewart brought a commanding presence and a thoughtful approach to leadership to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which aired from 1987 to 1994. He later continued Picard’s story in feature films and returned for Star Trek: Picard.
His career also encompassed Shakespearean theater, including work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was knighted in 2010 for his contributions to drama.
For generations of viewers, Stewart helped make science fiction a place to explore questions of responsibility, compassion and humanity.
Sources
● Reuters: Patrick Stewart, Shakespearean actor turned Star Trek and X-Men star, dies at 86
● ABC News: Patrick Stewart dies at 86
