I would love your false flag interpretation, except we did see the bugs shooting down the human spaceships, in a scene I don't think was intended to be a false narration or anything. They do appear to have some space capabilities and I think the lack of clarity is better chalked up to Hollywood science than directorial intent. Your mileage may vary, of course.
In support of the whole thing being a false flag, it would explain the sheer incompetence with which the war is prosecuted... a modern infantry unit would likely fate much better than Our Heroes did. Seeing it as a deliberately harrowing experience for social purposes where the technologically-superior humans are actually in full control the whole time would be an interesting twist. But, again, this would be a lot more solid if Hollywood didn't have a track record of unironic bad tactics across the board.
But the bugs were generating that plasma, and shooting up generally at things they may have been able to see. The meteor launch, they’d need advanced telescopes and orbital mechanics, plus a way to launch the meteor. I suppose there is an allusion to them being a multi planet species, so maybe these things exist.
In support of the whole thing being a false flag, it would explain the sheer incompetence with which the war is prosecuted... a modern infantry unit would likely fate much better than Our Heroes did. Seeing it as a deliberately harrowing experience for social purposes where the technologically-superior humans are actually in full control the whole time would be an interesting twist. But, again, this would be a lot more solid if Hollywood didn't have a track record of unironic bad tactics across the board.