This is a Navy image of unidentified aerial phenomena, now called unidentified anomalous phenomena, captured during naval exercises off the East Coast of the United States in early 2022. The image was captured through night vision goggles and a single lens reflex camera. Based on additional information and data from other sightings, the UAP in this image were subsequently reclassified as unmanned aerial systems. (Department of Defense)

WASHINGTON — The official charged by the Pentagon to track the mystery surrounding UFOs told lawmakers on Wednesday that there is nothing unusual to see at this time.

“I state clearly for the record that in our research, AARO has found no credible evidence thus far of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known law of physics,” Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subpanel on emerging threats and capabilities.

The hearing was only the second one held in Congress on the phenomenon in more than 50 years.

The Defense Department refers to the idea of UFOs as unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP. Kirkpatrick said 650 UAP cases are being reviewed at this time. He provided examples during his testimony showing two cases, one resolved and one unresolved, of how the department goes through data to try and explain reports.

In the examples, both images were captured from an MQ-9 Reaper drone of what looked like aircraft.

“Time and time again, UAPs are resolved into something already explainable,” Kirkpatrick said.

In May 2022, a subpanel of the House Intelligence Committee held the first congressional hearing on UFOs in almost 50 years, months after the Pentagon said it would review UFO sightings more seriously.

The intelligence community released a report in January showing that the number of UFO reports involving the U.S. military is increasing. The report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said since its first June 2021 unclassified report on UAPs, it is now aware of 510 sightings.

The New York Times first published cockpit footage in 2017 and 2018 of a Navy aircraft crew that claimed to have encountered a UFO in the air. The Pentagon said it would make more footage available.

The Defense Department created AARO in July to monitor UAPs -- whether viewed as possible extraterrestrials or national security concerns such as the Chinese surveillance balloon. To cut down on layers of bureaucracy, Congress ordered the AARO director to report to top Pentagon and intelligence community leaders.