On May 17, 2022, the House Intelligence Counterterrorism Subcommittee convened the first open congressional hearing on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in over fifty years. Pentagon officials Scott Bray and Ronald Moultrie testified before lawmakers, addressing military encounters, intelligence assessments, and the state of government investigations.
The session included review of classified and public materials, with members of Congress pressing for greater transparency and discussing the implications for national security and flight safety. The hearing produced a full official transcript.1
A comprehensive docket with witness lists and attachments was also created.2 A complete video record of the proceedings is available.3 An interactive transcript was made available for public reference.4
During the hearing, lawmakers cited the ODNI Preliminary Assessment on UAP.5 They referenced ongoing Department of Defense work, including a December 2024 news release noting the database had grown to 757 reports.6 The latest annual UAP report press release outlined AARO statistics between 2023 and 2024.7 One of the cockpit videos shown, the so-called "silver sphere," was released as a still frame by DVIDS.8
The event drew extensive coverage from major media outlets. The Washington Post recapped the testimony and video evidence.9 Politico highlighted the reduction in stigma and bipartisan interest.10 NPR explained the jump in reported incidents from 143 to approximately 400.11 CBS News emphasized the milestone of the first hearing in fifty years.12
Defense News focused on flight-safety risks and near-miss data shared with the subcommittee.13 The Guardian noted the limited revelations but historic openness.14 Axios summarized the database and near-miss statistics.15 Time magazine situated the hearing within a broader push for transparency.16
Hearing insights
National security framing
“Unidentified aerial phenomena are a potential national security threat, and they need to be treated that way.” — Chairman Andre Carson
“Intrusions by unknown aircraft or objects pose potential threats to the security of our operations.” — Scott Bray
Members and witnesses repeatedly stressed that UAPs must be handled with the same rigor as any other potential threat to U.S. forces or installations.
Cultural shift and reporting discipline
“The stigma has been reduced… The message is now clear: If you see something, you need to report it.” — Scott Bray
“Pilots avoided reporting or were laughed at when they did… Today we know better.” — Chairman Carson
Standardized cockpit "kneeboard" procedures, post-flight debrief steps, and direct outreach to aircrews are intended to normalize prompt, detailed reporting.
Organizational actions and status of the new office
“The Secretary of Defense is chartering this effort… We have, as of this week, picked the Director for that effort.” — Ronald Moultrie
“Future analysis of UAP issues will greatly benefit from the infrastructure of the process and the procedures that we have developed to date.” — Scott Bray
AOIMSG (name expected to change) is being built inside the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. Space, workspace and staffing are in place; cross-service and intelligence-community links are being formalized.
Data status and working analytic categories
“UAP database has now grown to contain approximately 400 reports.” — Scott Bray
“If and when individual UAP incidents are resolved, they likely fall into one of five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, U.S. Government or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, or an 'other' bin.” — Scott Bray
Most incoming cases still suffer from limited sensor data, making confident attribution difficult.
Notable unresolved cases
“The example that I would say… remains unresolved is the 2004 incident from Nimitz.” — Scott Bray
Bray also showed a Navy F-18 video of a fast-moving sphere and two night-vision clips of triangular shapes later identified as commercial drones seen through NVGs.
Safety incidents and flight risk
“We have had at least 11 near-misses, though we have not had a collision.” — Scott Bray
“First, incursions in our training ranges by unidentified objects represent serious hazards to safety of flight.” — Scott Bray
No U.S. weapons have been fired, and there have been no communications attempts toward UAPs so far.
Interagency and international cooperation
“This effort will maximize collaboration… FAA, DHS, FBI… Department of Energy, NOAA, NASA, the National Labs, and our international partners and allies.” — Ronald Moultrie
“Allies have seen these… China has established its own version of a UAP task force.” — Scott Bray
The task force already receives FAA data; a wider data-sharing architecture across government and with allies is being built.
Absence of extraterrestrial evidence
“We have no material… no emanations… that would suggest it is anything non-terrestrial in origin.” — Scott Bray
Witnesses said they have no wreckage, biologics, or confirmed sensor data pointing to non-human technology.
Transparency versus protection of sources and methods
“I commit to declassifying that [information] when it does not involve sources and methods or an intelligence threat.” — Scott Bray
“Our goal is to strike that delicate balance, one that enables us to maintain the public's trust while preserving those capabilities that are vital.” — Ronald Moultrie
The classification guide aims to protect sensor capabilities, but witnesses pledged to release data whenever risk to national defenses is absent.
Outstanding gaps and next steps
Key next steps identified by officials include improving sensor calibration to better detect small, fast-moving, or high-altitude objects; establishing formal mechanisms for civilian and open-source reporting; implementing systematic procedures to avoid confusion with classified U.S. test programs; and providing regular briefings to Congress to ensure continued oversight and public transparency.