As US Navy scientist named Salvatore Cezar Pais filed a patent for an unusual flying craft that resembles a UFO and employs an "inertial mass reduction device" to attain "extreme speeds", it appears that the patent was granted the notice of allowance amid concerns that China might be developing a similar technology, The Drive reports.
The patent in question postulates that "it is possible to envision a hybrid aerospace/undersea craft (HAUC), which due to the physical mechanisms enabled with the inertial mass reduction device, can function as a submersible craft capable of extreme underwater speeds… and enhanced stealth capabilities".
While Patent Examiner Philip Bonzell initially rejected the application, the media outlet reveals that Dr. James Sheehy, Chief Technology Officer of the US Naval Aviation Enterprise, personally vouched for the new technology’s legitimacy, in a letter sent to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
In that missive, Sheehy claimed that while the "method of acceleration/movement" described in the patent "is beyond the state of the possible" at the moment, "China is already investing significantly in this area" and "would prefer we [the US] hold the patent as opposed to paying forever more to use this revolutionary technology".
The USPTO then issued a notice of allowance for the patent, though the organisation apparently provided no explanation as to why it eventually decided to grant its approval.
The media outlet also notes that earlier this year, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared that the United States, Russia and China are currently in a "UFO race", possibly implying that the three countries "are currently scrambling to be the first to master the technology behind a hybrid aerospace-undersea craft and deploy it on a substantial scale".
