The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), a Washington-based nonprofit that has tracked sightings of unidentified flying objects for decades, has reported a dramatic surge in reports during the first half of 2025. As of July, the center has received 2,174 UFO sightings—over 30% more than during the same period in 2024, which saw 1,492 submissions.
The reports come from a wide cross-section of American society, including civilians, air traffic controllers, law enforcement personnel, and even members of the military. This rise in sightings coincides with growing public fascination—and anxiety—about UFOs, which has shifted in recent years from fringe curiosity to a matter of national security. Congressional hearings, whistleblower testimonies, and speculation about secret government technology have fueled both interest and concern, with some insiders alleging that many of the strange objects spotted in U.S. airspace may actually be classified American military projects.
But Christian Stepien, NUFORC’s chief technology officer, rejects the idea that the sightings are simply glimpses of experimental government aircraft. “If it’s a secret black project, you’re not flying it over highly populated neighborhoods where everybody can see it, and even these days, have pictures of it,” Stepien said.
While the vast majority of reports turn out to have mundane explanations—drones, weather balloons, commercial aircraft—Stepien estimates that roughly 3% defy conventional logic. These include sightings of triangular, disc-shaped, orb-like, cigar-formed, or even morphing objects exhibiting flight patterns beyond the capabilities of known human technology.
With reports climbing and public interest showing no sign of slowing, NUFORC’s growing database reflects a country increasingly captivated by what might be lurking beyond the visible sky—or perhaps hiding in plain sight. Whether the truth lies in alien contact, advanced aerospace tech, or mass misidentification, one thing is clear: Americans still want to believe.
