In recent years, the global fascination with UFOs has reached new heights. But according to Pavel Poluian, a Russian physicist and philosopher with a background in geophysics, these observations may have a more Earth-based explanation.
In his letter to anomalies.com, Poluian claims that UFOs – or at least many of them – are advanced spy devices developed by the United States during the Cold War that feature plasma-powered propulsion systems that mimic the characteristics of alien craft.
Poluian, who has published several works debunking pseudoscientific theories, including ‘The elimination of UFOs“And”The hunt for UFOs”, he explains that he believes these crafts were part of a secret American military project, initiated shortly after World War II.
This project, he claims, aimed to develop aircraft using an unconventional propulsion system that generated lift through high-frequency vibrations.
Starting with early designs such as James Pitts’ “Sky Car” orthotopter umbrella, this technology evolved into what is now associated with the iconic “flying saucers” of popular UFO lore.
The evolution of high-frequency plasma propulsion
According to Poluian, this technology has gone through several phases of development. In the 1940s, the U.S. government investigated a propulsion system that used high-frequency electromagnetic vibrations, eventually leading to designs with dome-shaped “membranes” that resembled loudspeakers.
Poluian points out that fragments of these early devices, possibly from test sites such as Roswell, may have contributed to the UFO legend, as the materials and configurations were alien to the eyes of civilians.
Over the next decades, engineers would have developed these designs by developing piezoelectric thrusters and plasma propulsion panels. These panels, he explains, contain thousands of discharge cells, or small plasma thrusters, arranged close to the plane surfaces of the craft.
When activated, these plasma thrusters release jets of ionized air, creating lift and acceleration by propelling air at high speed – a feat achieved by harnessing the Lorentz force.
Poluian compares this arrangement to a ‘jet engine’, in which plasma streams form powerful air vortices that stabilize the spacecraft’s flight.
MARAUDER: A look at plasma propulsion
One of the projects that Poluian suggests could be aligned with this technology is MARAUDER (Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation), a US government-funded initiative that has reportedly been exploring advanced plasma propulsion methods .
The project, which was highly secretive, attempted to harness the power of focused plasma for military applications. Although limited information is available, the basic concepts – high-speed plasma beams and directed energy – closely match Poluian’s descriptions of UFO propulsion.
Despite its impressive capabilities, Poluian claims that this plasma technology has been kept out of civilian use for several reasons. First, the powerful pulses required for plasma thrust generate damaging microwave radiation, making the craft unsuitable for regular piloted missions.
These pulses can disrupt onboard electronics and pose health risks to the human crew, limiting their use to unmanned surveillance. Furthermore, the thrust-to-weight ratio of plasma propulsion is not sufficient to carry heavy payloads; instead, it appears to be optimized for lighter, covert surveillance missions.
Poluian further claims that these crafts do not have traditional radio communications. They operate autonomously according to predetermined mission parameters, which would fit with reports of “drone-like” behavior seen in UFO encounters around military installations.
According to Poluian, these surveillance missions were often conducted in the wilderness, especially near sites under geological survey, where they checked for signs of unauthorized construction or testing.
Post-Cold War: A Decline in UFO Sightings?
Poluian notes that sightings of these mysterious crafts began to decline after the end of the Cold War, a period he associates with a decline in magnesium consumption in the United States – a crucial material in these crafts’ fuel cells.
He believes that this trend reflects the decline in production of these crafts after the 1990s. According to Poluian, magnesium consumption had dropped so much between 2007 and 2008 that it seemed as if the flying saucer project had all but been abandoned.
However, Poluian suggests that while the US may have scaled back this technology, Russia and China have reportedly continued development by reverse engineering downed devices.
This continuation signals a broader international race to replicate and innovate this technology, albeit under a cloak of secrecy.
What if UFOs are just spy drones?
Poluian’s claims put an intriguing twist on the typical UFO story, as they imply that many sightings of “alien” craft could instead be encounters with US reconnaissance drones equipped with advanced plasma-based propulsion.
The fact that UFO sightings are often concentrated around sensitive locations – such as military bases and missile silos – could support this hypothesis. Poluian claims that these observations are ‘terrestrial technology’, and not extraterrestrial.
He also speculates that in the near future, with further declassification, we will see larger airships using this plasma technology adapted for Arctic missions.
