Not normally in to the UFO thing, but this article is more about Space Force and FVEY than UFOs. (Their spacing, not mine kek)

 

NZ Government OIA on UFO Activity

 

Unexplained lights over Hamilton, flying objects near Seddon and bright orbs close to Dunedin are just some of the UFO descriptions collected by the Civil Aviation Authority over the past two decades.

 

The figures, released under the Official Information Act, show that across New Zealand the public have contacted the agency and recorded seeing a range of unexplained objects.

 

The data, which spans from 2000 to 2017, records 30 sightings of UFOs reported to the CAA.

 

While the sightings were recorded, only those where there was a risk to safety were investigated, according to the agency.

 

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Some of the sightings include reports of a silent object flying through the skies near Cambridge in 2012 and a white circular object near Titirangi, Auckland, in 2014.

 

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Aerial view of a dish-like radio telescope in the Guizhou province which, in part, is searching for intelligent life.

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Aerial view of a dish-like radio telescope in the Guizhou province which, in part, is searching for intelligent life.

 

Aliens and spaceships are usually confined to the world of conspiracy theories, but former Pentagon analyst Dr Paul Buchanan said it wasn't silly for governments to record UFO data.

 

It was less about making contact with intelligent life, and more about states protecting and monitoring the space above them.

 

"The race for space is full on. The hard fact of the matter is space will be militarised within the next 20 years. No treaties are going to stop that. That is why Trump has thought up the Space Force idea.

 

"From time to time we get a Chinese signals boat coming into Auckland to replenish. It is basically a spy ship. It's cover though is it's a satellite ship for the Chinese space fleet."

 

The New Zealand Defence Force told Stuff they do not investigate sightings of UFOs, and all potential sightings reported to NZDF were handed to New Zealand Police or the CAA to investigate.

 

However, in the briefing to the incoming minister Ron Mark, the NZDF stated there were increasing threats to New Zealand from space due to geopolitical reasons.

 

"New Zealand is becoming increasingly reliant on access to space-based systems and infrastructure such as satellites. At the same time, threats to these systems have been increasing."

 

Due to its agreement with the Five Eyes alliance, New Zealand relies heavily on the other partners when it comes to satellite technology, Buchanan said.

 

"We can rely on the space-based assets of our partners, by and large, for all strategic intelligence we get in New Zealand… For the moment, we don't need a space fleet."

 

And while the New Zealand government didn't spend resources looking into reported UFO sightings, other states were, Buchanan said.

 

The Pentagon confirmed last year that there was a US$22 million (NZ $31.4m) government programme to collect and analyse "anomalous aerospace threats" between 2007 and 2012.

 

The agency, called Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program, was classified and predominantly created to research the possibility of extra terrestrial life.

 

More recently, President Donald Trump announced his hope for a Space Force - a sixth arm of the US defence forces which would, in part, focus on space warfare.

 

Meanwhile in Asia, Beijing has poured billions into building a huge dish to search for signals from stars, galaxies and perhaps extraterrestrial life. Measuring 500 metres in diameter, the radio telescope is nestled within the southern Guizhou province.

 

"Any strategic forecasting centres will think if an adversary gets first contact then they can form alliance with extraterrestrial beings against one's own country," Buchanan said.

 

"Let's say the Chinese or Russians establish contact, tell them the Five Eyes are evil doers and need to be destroyed. That would be of concern."

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https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106437770/ufo-sightings-why-the-government-keeps-data-and-what-it-does-with-it