Elon Musk believes UFO sightings are US government's secret weapons
What's the story
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has weighed in on the recent spate of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings in the United States.
Speaking to political commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson, he argued that these UFOs aren't proof of extraterrestrial life but rather classified "new weapons programs" being tested by the US government.
Even though he heads his own company, Space Exploration Technologies, Musk said he has "not seen any evidence of aliens."
Alien existence
Musk questions existence of aliens amid numerous satellites
Musk emphasized the fact that there are more than "6,000 satellites" in orbit around Earth, and none of them have ever had to dodge an alien spacecraft.
He made the observation when Carlson asked him about the reports of US military regularly encountering unexplained objects.
"Well, unidentified flying objects are one thing, but there are always a bunch of classified programs that are underway," Musk said.
Classified projects
Musk suggests classified projects behind unexplained sightings
Musk proposed the government could be testing "new aircraft, new missiles, and things" under highly classified programs.
He said these tests could be so secretive that even high-ranking military officials may not be aware of them.
This could explain why pilots report seeing fast-moving objects they can't identify, leading to increased UFO sightings.
Disclosure promise
Musk promises to disclose any evidence of extraterrestrial life
Musk assured that if he ever finds evidence of alien life, he won't keep it a secret.
He promised to share any such evidence immediately on the X platform, predicting it would probably be their most popular post ever.
The promise is in line with his earlier statements where he hoped for friendly extraterrestrial beings and doubted government cover-ups about their existence.
Government response
Musk's views on government's potential response to alien existence
Previously, Musk had suggested that if the government knew about aliens, it would probably depict them as threats to justify more military spending.
This perspective was shared in the context of a 2023 report that failed to confirm any recent alien sightings by service members as extraterrestrial life.
The report prompted Congress to direct the Pentagon to examine its UFO files dating back to the end of World War II.