The sightings of so-called unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have received much attention in the past few years, with the US Congress holding a briefing on the issue last year. The Pentagon debunked these sightings, clarifying in a report earlier this month that they have found no evidence of extra-terrestrial technology. But incidents like these, whenever reported, generate huge interest across the world. A retired US admiral has now warned about unidentified submarines saying they pose "real threat" to international maritime security.
Rear Admiral and oceanographer Tim Gallaudet authored a white paper for Sol Foundation, a think tank, in which he mentioned that unidentified submersible objects (USOs) need urgent attention.
Gallaudet also said that these "large lighted craft" could be lurking in the unexplored depths of our oceans.
"We have less research on transmedium UAP and USOs than is ideal. These underwater anomalies jeopardise US maritime security, which is already weakened by our relative ignorance about the global ocean," he said in the report.
"Their presence in the oceans at the same time presents an unprecedented opportunity for maritime science. To meet the security and scientific challenges, transmedium UAP and USOs should be elevated to national ocean research priorities," Gallaudet added.
The ex-US military official said these unknown objects can sometimes travel in the deep ocean waters without ever emerging.
Gallaudet said a lot of research has been happening on what's going up in the sky, which means that major powers could be making moves underwater without barely anyone knowing.
He also pointed towards the ongoing war in Ukraine the Israel-Hamas war, as well as Iran's proxy conflicts in the Red Sea, North Korea's ever-increasing nuclear arsenal, and China's dangerous moves towards Taiwan, calling them "proliferating and overwhelming" threats.
"One threat that may be even greater than all these is largely unseen: the worldwide network of undersea cables that provide the backbone of global communication and information transfer," Gallaudet said in his report while mentioning the abundance of "soft" challenges.
"This vast complex of seabed infrastructure underpins global commerce, military readiness and logistics, and the internet itself. To be sure, this threat and the others outlined above paint a problematic picture for maritime security," it added.
Gallaudet further claimed that the US government is "not sharing all it knows" on UAPs and USOs - making it difficult to tackle security threats across the planet's oceans.
