Chinese Spy Balloon Incident Underscores Pentagon's Focus on 'UFOs'

Revelations of frequent balloon activity in recent years mirroring that of the high-altitude Chinese spy device that floated above the U.S. last week come amid the Pentagon's intensifying focus on military aviators' reports of UFOs — especially those observed near sensitive American installations.

Intelligence agencies during the past few years have begun prioritizing the previously derided work of identifying UFOs, commonly referred to by government officials as unidentified aerial phenomena and abbreviated UAP, putting a new, defense-oriented emphasis on the strange objects spotted in the skies.