The latest release of government UFO files has renewed debate over what officials now refer to as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs, with one researcher arguing that the issue extends far beyond the United States and may involve a global competition among major powers.
Jordan Flowers, executive director of the UAP Disclosure Foundation, said newly released documents suggest that America’s geopolitical rivals may be pursuing similar investigations into unexplained aerial objects.
“We also have reason to believe that the Chinese and the Russians may have retrieved their own objects related to this and may have tried to reverse engineer them,” Flowers said during an appearance on NewsNation Prime.
Flowers pointed to claims previously made by UAP whistleblower and former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch, who has alleged that the United States possesses information indicating both China and Russia have monitored American efforts involving UAP-related programs.
According to Flowers, the issue carries significant national security implications regardless of the ultimate explanation behind the phenomena.
“This is a global phenomenon, and it’s really a race to see who can reverse engineer this first,” he said. “It has extreme national security implications that we really need to get our hands around.”
The comments came after the publication of a third tranche of government records released on June 12. Advocates of greater transparency argue the release demonstrates continued interest within the Trump administration in declassifying information related to UAP investigations.
Flowers said the growing public discussion reflects increasing recognition that the topic extends beyond questions about extraterrestrial life and touches on defense, technology, intelligence gathering, and even religion.
To explore those questions further, the UAP Disclosure Foundation is hosting a forum in Washington, D.C., on June 25 that will examine the technological, national security, and cultural implications of disclosure.
“We really want to understand the impact of this across all of these disciplines,” Flowers said.
Among the most intriguing documents in the latest release is a Central Intelligence Agency cable concerning a UFO sighting over Zimbabwe in 2008.
According to the cable, a mysterious object was observed hovering over Harare International Airport on July 2, 2008. The report described a disc-shaped craft with a hollow center and rotating lights underneath.
“At one point during observation, ‘beams’ were observed emanating from the object,” the cable stated.
Witnesses reportedly described the craft as having a series of rotating lights on its underside. The report further noted that the lights changed colors before the object rapidly ascended and disappeared from view.
The incident generated enough concern that intelligence officials debated whether the object might represent an advanced surveillance platform operated by a foreign government or something more difficult to explain.
The cable stopped short of reaching a conclusion.
Instead, it documented internal discussions and noted that the event prompted authorities to place intelligence assets in Zimbabwe on heightened alert status.
