(WJW) – As skies become more crowded with spy balloons and other unknown objects, military pilots are sounding the alarm over aviation safety.

According to Lt. Ryan Graves, a former Navy fighter pilot, he and his colleagues have encountered many near misses with unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) while flying coast to coast.

Civilians on the ground have also reported an increase in sightings, with more than a thousand cases across the country since January 1st.

FOX 8’s Suzanne Stratford has the story. Watch in the video above.