SIGHTINGS of UFOs have increased massively in the US in recent months, sparking military chiefs to investigate.

A recent upsurge in appearances of unidentified flying objects has prompted the US Navy to create formal procedures for pilots who spot these "unexplained aerial phenomena".

Joseph Gradisher, spokesman for the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, told the Washington Post on Wednesday: "Since 2014, these intrusions have been happening on a regular basis."

In the past few years, UFOs have been captured entering military airspace at least several times a month.

Joseph went on: "We want to get to the bottom of this.

"We need to determine who's doing it, where it's coming from, and what their intent is."

SPOTTED: There has been an upsurge in UFO sightings by US military pilots (Pic: GETTY)

EXPERT: Luis Elizondo (Pic: YOUTUBE)

ANGRY: Chris Mellon claimed the US navy has been slow to investigate possible UFO sightings (Pic: GETTY)

“We want to get to the bottom of this”

Joseph Gradisher, spokesman, the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare

He added: "We need to try to find ways to prevent it from happening again."

And he vowed the US Navy would "investigate each and every report" from now on, over fears of safety and security concerns.

In a number of cases, military pilots say they have seen small spherical objects flying in formations.

Others claim to have spotted "white, Tic-Tac-shaped vehicles" in the sky.

All of the objects had no visible exhaust and produced no wind. 

Chris Mellon, former deputy assistant secretary of defence for intelligence said: "It's very mysterious, and they still seem to exceed our aircraft in speed."

He described the technology behind the UFOs as "truly radical".

Mellon also attacked the intelligence services for a lack of "curiosity and courage" as well as a "failure to react" to the many reported sightings.

"I don't believe in safety through ignorance," he said, referring to these attitudes.

Mellon said baffled pilots had tended to keep quiet, over fears reporting the spotting of UFOs would destroy their careers.

Luis Elizondo, an ex-senior intelligence officer, said the navy had no choice but to act on the findings.

He said: "This type of activity is very alarming and people are recognising there are things our aerospace that lies beyond our understanding."

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