A composite drawing from the FBI laboratory depicting a bronze ellipsoidal object that reportedly appeared from a bright light source in September 2023 and instantly vanished.
The Pentagon has published over a hundred declassified files on so-called “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP) — the new official term for what used to be simply called UFOs. The agency had previously confirmed the authenticity of UFO videos, so this new release is not a one-off sensation. The collection includes videos, photographs, and reports on cases that the government has been unable to explain. Some of the materials can easily be attributed to camera interference or insects, but certain incidents raise more questions than they answer.
Pentagon Published 162 Declassified UFO Files
In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense launched a special portal war.gov/UFO, which hosts declassified UAP documents. The government released 162 declassified files: videos showing “unidentified anomalous phenomena” from around the world, photographs, and documents from the FBI, Department of Defense, NASA, and the State Department. The materials span from the 1940s to the 2020s.
Of the 162 files, 108 contain partial redactions: witness names, military facility coordinates, and certain base-related information unrelated to the UAPs themselves have been removed. However, as the Pentagon emphasizes, no data about the nature or existence of the sightings themselves was redacted.
The Pentagon explicitly warns that descriptive language in the reports reflects the subjective interpretation of the document's author and should not be taken as definitive conclusions.
The publication is part of the PURSUE program (Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters). By order of President Donald Trump, the Department of Defense is coordinating interagency efforts to search for, verify, declassify, and publish UAP documents stored in federal archives. New documents are promised to be released on a regular basis — in batches every few weeks.
Which UFO Cases Have Been Explained
Not everything in the published files looks mysterious. Among the materials are archival NASA images from the Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 missions, which show unidentified light objects above the lunar horizon. However, as noted by the original analyst — military strategy and technology researcher James Dwyer from the University of Tasmania — such images most likely represent visual noise or camera artifacts. Similar things happen on Earth as well: sometimes an unidentified object in the sky turns out to be a meteorite, space debris, or a simple optical illusion.
A photograph taken during the Apollo 12 lunar mission showing an unidentified light source in the sky. Enlarged image.
Astronauts did indeed observe flashes of light with the naked eye. But the reason is most likely mundane: high-energy cosmic rays, which have a stronger effect on eyes outside the Earth’s magnetic field. Video recordings tell a similar story: bright dots zipping through the frame often turn out to be ordinary insects near the lens — defocused and therefore appearing to “fly” at insane speeds.
It is important to separate such cases from truly unexplained incidents — and the new batch of declassified files includes those as well.
Which Unidentified Objects the Pentagon Still Cannot Explain
Several incidents from recent years stand out. Back in 2020, the U.S. Navy officially declassified three video recordings filmed by F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilots in 2004 and 2015. NASA later joined the effort as well: the agency decided to study UFOs on video to separate real objects from camera and sensor errors. These recordings captured mysterious objects nicknamed “Tic Tac” — they moved without any signs of engines or exhaust. The Navy stated they did not know what the objects were, and onboard sensors of multiple types registered them as real physical bodies — reducing the likelihood of equipment error.
Simulated infrared image of a “Tic Tac” type object detected by fighter jet sensors (generated illustration for clarity)
One of the most discussed recordings was shown at Congressional hearings in September 2025. The video shows an MQ-9 Reaper drone tracking a bright object off the coast of Yemen on October 30, 2024, after which a Hellfire missile was fired at it. The recording shows the moment of impact. The object appeared to momentarily deviate from its trajectory, suggesting its material nature, but it apparently sustained no damage and continued along its previous path.
However, it should be noted: the recording was not officially confirmed by the Pentagon, was not supported by multi-sensor data, and came from an anonymous source rather than through official channels. Harvard physicist Avi Loeb conducted his own analysis and suggested that the object was most likely a Samad drone used by the Houthis — its size and speed match the calculations from the video.
Image of a “diamond-shaped” object traveling at approximately 800 kilometers per hour, detected by an American aircraft in 2024.
Unknown Drones Over U.S. Navy Ships
Alongside isolated cases, mass appearances of unidentified aerial vehicles near military facilities have been recorded in recent years. In July 2019, several drones repeatedly swarmed around Navy destroyers off the California coast, and it remains unknown who was behind these nighttime flights. The drones stayed airborne for at least 90 minutes, exceeding the capabilities of commercial models, and traveled at least 100 nautical miles.
A year and a half after the incident, the Chief of Naval Operations confirmed that the drones were never identified. There were no ships nearby from which aircraft of that class could have launched — which only raises more questions.
Events of 2023 add more to the picture. That year, an F-22 fighter shot down a Chinese high-altitude spy balloon over U.S. territory. A similar object was detected over Hawaii, but was never linked to China. Several more craft were intercepted by American and Canadian military over North America — and both countries remain silent about what they were to this day.
What Experts Say About the Declassified Files: From Secret Drones to Aliens
What explanations do experts offer? The range of theories is wide, but none yet covers all the cases. The most likely explanations are considered to be terrestrial causes:
- Drones or other known aircraft — possibly tests by one’s own armed forces or allies checking military response.
- Adversary reconnaissance — for example, China testing new surveillance technologies.
- Sensor system glitches and artifacts
