General Bescond Reaffirms 1999 Extraterrestrial Conclusion at Sol Foundation Symposium

Lago Maggiore, Italy – General Pierre Bescond, a prominent French armaments engineer and a key contributor to the influential 1999 COMETA Report, publicly reiterated his long-held belief that "The extraterrestrial hypothesis is the most logical" explanation for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). Bescond delivered his remarks at the 2025 Sol Foundation Symposium, an international gathering dedicated to UAP research and policy, where he was featured in a session titled "Revisiting the COMETA Report."

The COMETA Report, an unofficial 90-page document published in 1999 by a group of former high-ranking French military and space agency officials, concluded that the physical reality of UAPs, controlled by intelligent beings, was "quasi-certain." For a small percentage of highly anomalous cases, the report explicitly stated that the extraterrestrial hypothesis offered the most plausible explanation, despite acknowledging it remained unproven. This groundbreaking assessment, which gained significant media attention at the time, advocated for serious scientific and governmental engagement with the phenomenon.

The Sol Foundation, a think tank established in 2023, aims to bring scientific rigor and policy expertise to the study of UAP. Its symposia bring together academics, government officials, and industry leaders to discuss the implications of UAP for science, technology, policy, and society. Bescond's appearance underscores the foundation's commitment to exploring diverse perspectives on the UAP phenomenon, including those from historical, authoritative reports.

While the extraterrestrial hypothesis has historically faced skepticism within the mainstream scientific community, recent years have seen a renewed openness to its consideration, particularly with the U.S. government's increased transparency regarding UAPs. Discussions now extend to concepts such as the "cryptoterrestrial hypothesis," which posits that non-human intelligences may reside on Earth. However, the scientific consensus still calls for more robust, verifiable data before definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding the origin of these phenomena.

Bescond's reaffirmation of the COMETA Report's core conclusion highlights the enduring nature of these questions and the continued push from some quarters for a more open and serious investigation into UAP. The report's detailed case studies and its call for international cooperation remain relevant as global interest in UAPs continues to grow.