The House Intelligence Committee will hold a hearing on "unidentified aerial phenomena," colloquially known as UFOs, next week, with an open portion for the public followed by a classified briefing.

Leaders of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation called the hearing in an effort to make the conversation around UFOs recorded by the military more transparent. The May 17 hearing will include the testimonies of Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie and Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray.

NOT SO CRAZY NOW: 5 THEORIES THAT DROPPED THE 'CONSPIRACY' IN 2021

"There's still much to learn about unidentified aerial phenomena and the potential risks they may pose to our national security," said committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in a statement. "But one thing is sure — the American people deserve full transparency, and the federal government and Intelligence Community have a critical role to play in contextualizing and analyzing reports of UAPs. The purpose of this hearing is to the public an opportunity to hear directly from subject matter experts and leaders in the Intelligence Community on one of the greatest mysteries of our time, and the break the cycle of excessive secrecy and speculation with truth and transparency."

Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN), chairman of the C3 subcommittee, said the first open hearing on the matter "will give the American people an opportunity to learn what there is to know about these incidents."

"The American people expect and deserve their leaders in government and intelligence to seriously evaluate and respond to any potential national security risks — especially those we do not fully understand," Carson said. "Since coming to Congress, I've been focused on the issue of unidentified aerial phenomena as both a national security and threat and an interest of great importance to the American public."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The intelligence community made waves last summer when it released a nine-page document confirming that U.S. military and intelligence operations have reported 144 UFO sightings since 2004. The report said about 80 of these sightings seem to “represent physical objects" since they registered on sensors including radar and infrared. In 18 instances, the objects were able to “maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernible means of propulsion.”

The Pentagon created the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group to investigate the matter further in November.