A pair of mysterious-shaped, white orbs were spotted floated above Kansas City in Missouri yesterday, sparking a range of UFO conspiracy theories. Local witnesses were stunned by the appearance of the UFOs, prompting the National Weather Service to admit they had “no explanation”. However, suggestions now link the floating objects to a secretive military project, run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
When the pair of bizarre objects appeared, local Kansas City news and the government expressed confusion.
The National Weather Service in Kansas City tweeted: “We honestly have no explanation for the floating objects over Kansas City.”
While DARPA has not confirmed the link to its agency, a source with knowledge of the program confirmed to Gizmodo that they were part of a secret DARPA programme.
DARPA is a mysterious military agency that has sparked a range of conspiracy theories, including tests on super-soldiers.
The strange research programme is supposedly working on balloons that can intelligently use wind currents to steer as they stay aloft almost indefinitely.
The balloons fly at more than 75,000 feet and can take advantage of wind movement, using a sensor that provides “real time time stratospheric wind measurements.”
The link between the UFO and a secret government programme comes after leading Senators received a classified briefing about a surge in UFO sightings.
The group of senators including the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence committee were told about a series of reported encounters by the US Navy with unidentified aircraft.
Rachel Cohen, the spokeswoman for Democratic Virginia Senator Mark Warner, said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s weather balloons, little green men, or something else entirely — we can’t ask our pilots to put their lives at risk unnecessarily.
“If pilots at Oceana or elsewhere are reporting flight hazards that interfere with training or put them at risk, then Senator Warner wants answers.”
Joseph Gradisher, spokesman for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, confirmed the briefing took place in a statement to CNN.
He said: “Navy officials did indeed meet with interested congressional members and staffers on Wednesday to provide a classified brief on efforts to understand and identify these threats to the safety and security of our aviators.”