Why the Sudden Interest in UFOs/UAVs?

First off, I don't believe in little green men, nor do I think that UFOs are from another universe.

The amounts of energy required to either traverse vast distances, travel through time or between universes is beyond the ability to store in a small enough package to make it feasible.

Even the talk of exotic materials doesn't convince me.

What I do believe in, is previously undiscovered atmospheric phenomena. Entirely natural. Combined with sightings of airborne rubbish.

What we are seeing is better radar sensors detecting things that previous radars couldn't detect. In the battle to detect things we didn't see previously like stealth aircraft, we've developed new radar features that can detect smaller items and stealthier aircraft. 

Now we are starting to see things like atmospheric phenomena that can replicate things like objects travelling faster than normal aircraft. Lightning or electrical phenomena can jump incredible distances in a split second. Atmospheric layers can reflect radio signals and create all sorts of effects. 

The shiny objects seen by aircraft at height are probably no more than fancy mylar party balloons floating at altitude. Don't forget that at altitude the jetstream can carry balloons at several hundred miles an hour, replicating the effect of a propulsion system. Fighter pilots, the only people that are in those areas at that height  are not trained and don't have the sensors to analyse the wind speed at that point. 

Different layers in the air can cause visual effects like mirages, so it's not unforeseen that optical ducting could cause effects like objects jumping huge distances. Combine that with disc-shaped (lenticular) clouds, there's a whole lot up there ripe for misinterpretation.

I'm yet to be convinced and I've not yet seen a video that shows something that I cannot explain or that cannot be explained by others.

Yes, the subject requires investigation, if only to identify the phenomena and find ways of ignoring it so it can be removed from radar plots as something that should be ignored.

If it turns out to be aliens from another planet, time-travellers or people from another dimension, well that's just another immigrant problem that needs resolving, isn't it?