Military Admits To Having A 'Flying Saucer'

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- The truth may be out there for UFO conspiracy
buffs, but here military officials admit flying saucers have taken
over the skies.

The U.S. Army has been test-flying the CYPHER Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle - a doughnut-shaped aircraft - for the past six years at the
military post just outside of Columbus.

CYPHER uses two sets of rotating blades that are mounted in the
aircraft's center to propel the machine. Hence, giving the aircraft
its whirring sound and UFO look.

The aircraft's design allows it to hover over an area for as long as
the fuel lasts. That capability distinguishes it from other unmanned
aircraft currently being tested, said Mike Barnes, project director
at the military post.

CYPHER, which earned its name because of its ability to decode
underground structures and secret tunnels, was created by Sikorsky
Aircraft Inc. in Los Angeles.

``The uses are absolutely endless,'' said test pilot Pvt. Brent
Satterfield of Fort McClellan, Ala. ``If we had a hostage situation,
we could use an infrared camera (in the CYPHER) to find out where
everyone is in the house, where the exits are, and then we can plan
out a better plan of attack.'' The aircraft could also be used to
drop off supplies to soldiers or disburse unruly crowds without
subjecting pilots to danger, Barnes said.

``We take these technologies and put them in the hands of soldiers
and see if they can help them perform their mission,'' he said. But
Barnes and military officials admit, it's the CYPHER's covert
capabilities that make it even more appealing.

Inside the CYPHER, a video camera and a navigation computer -
similar to those used in cruise missiles - would allow the military
to survey enemy territory and areas attacked by poison gas or other
hazardous bombs.

Sikorsky, which also manufactured the UH-1 Huey and UH-60 Black Hawk
helicopters, also made room for a pilot onboard the CYPHER.

During a test flight Tuesday, Spc. Jacob Terrell, 21, flew the
CYPHER over a crowd of cardboard dummies and hovered 150 feet above
the ground before releasing canisters of smoke - simulating tear gas.

``It was just like a computer game. It's extremely easy to fly,''
Terrell said. If Army officials in Washington approve of the
aircraft, CYPHER engineers say they can build the aircraft in a
variety of sizes - from a 40-pound model that can be carried in a
backpack to the size of a cargo helicopter. A price tag has not yet
been set and officials would not comment on the price of the
prototype.

While military officials and Columbus police say they have yet to
receive reports of UFO sightings when the CYPHER is tested, engineers
and military officials laugh at theories fueled by the Internet and
television shows, such as Fox's ``X-Files,'' that such technology is
alien in origin.

Regards
Ross Dowe
National UFO
Hotline NZ 0900 58 367