It was February 2023.

The month began with a Chinese surveillance balloon that both startled and puzzled politicians and civilians alike.

It was symbolic - the Chinese had broken into America's own backyard.

Cue, the political and media pressure - it was swiftly shot down when clear from built-up areas.

Then in quick succession, three smaller unknown objects were taken down, thought to be a potential threat to air traffic.

All were shot down at the command of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The events were a huge wake up call - not only were the Chinese operating in America’s back yard, but so were unknowns.

Their origin? Unknown. Their operators? Unknown.

When it comes to 21st-century warfare, America, as the world's dominant superpower, can deal with most potential global threats. From under the ocean to within Earth's atmosphere, there is nowhere it cannot project its immense power.

That is with the exception of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) - objects which appear to act with impunity without any consequence over military ranges. Like a soccer goal left wide open with the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen, these occurrences are like loud open invitations to unknowns and enemies to score a goal against the most sophisticated and heavily-funded defense apparatus on the planet.

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The situation faced on U.S. military test ranges is alarming and plays a big role in explaining why Congress created the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).

But perhaps the larger issue to tackle in terms of UAP is the inconsistent and uncoordinated response to incursions.

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There now needs to be a consistent approach, and the correct way ahead is reforming how U.S. skies are protected.

The current situation is unsustainable, much like a pre-9/11 world where intelligence agencies were not coordinating effectively.

The same, but on a larger scale, is occurring when it comes to UAP.