Department of War UAP files: every official release, dated and sourced
Every U.S. Department of War release, hearing, and official statement on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), in chronological order. Each entry links back to the primary government source.
The Department of War — the cabinet department known until 2025 as the Department of Defense — is the single largest U.S. government source of UAP-related material. That includes releases from the Office of the Secretary, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the service branches (Air Force, Navy, Army, Space Force), and the various Combatant Commands.
This hub aggregates every event in Disclosure Archives whose primary source is the DoD or its successor. New entries appear here automatically as soon as they're published in our database.
The pace of release has accelerated sharply in 2026. PURSUE Release 01 (May 8) published 160 files in a single tranche; PURSUE Release 02 (May 22) added another 64, anchored by ODNI-UAP-D001 — a first-person USPER narrative from a serving senior U.S. intelligence officer of a one-hour, multi-witness UAP encounter from a military helicopter. A third tranche has been confirmed.
Why we maintain it. The volume of UAP material from the DoD/DoW has grown sharply since the 2017 NYT/Pentagon AATIP story, the 2020 release of three Navy FLIR videos, the 2022 establishment of AARO, the 2024 House Oversight 'Eyes Wide Open' hearing, and the May 2026 launch of PURSUE. AARO alone now publishes annual transparency reports to Congress. Cataloging this systematically, with primary-source citations, is more useful than any single press write-up.
The U.S. Department of War released its third batch of UAP files on June 13, 2026, under the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The release includes a previously undisclosed CIA document describing a disc-like object observed over Harare International Airport in Zimbabwe in 2008, reports of a translucent "potato"-shaped object seen near Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs in 2024, and footage of apparent luminous orbs assessed by analysts to likely be sky lanterns. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that WAR.GOV/UFO had received over 1.7 billion hits worldwide since its May 8, 2026 launch and confirmed that the Department of War and agency partners are actively preparing the next release.
The article, written by Micah Hanks of The Debrief, also highlights a video from the second PURSUE batch — designated DOW-UAP-PR061, "Spherical UAP [CALLSIGN] 2021/04/12 vid 0" — which captured on April 12, 2021 from a U.S. military drone operating within USCENTCOM's area of responsibility appears to show a small, light-colored spherical object descending, changing direction, and moving into shadowed terrain. Hanks argues this video, while not extraordinary, is consistent with AARO's own "target package" for genuine UAP as characterized by former AARO director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick in April 2023, and raises the broader question of whether higher-quality UAP data that informed AARO's technical signature data remains classified and unreleased.
The third tranche of the Trump administration's PURSUE program: 72 files — 53 documents, 10 images, 6 videos, 3 audio files — bringing the public corpus to 294 files. The FBI dominates with 29 files, anchored by two modern American case clusters: a four-year series of orb sightings in the northeastern U.S. that the Bureau's own agents witnessed first-hand, and the first-person record of the October 2023 Western US Event. Also included: the CIA's 1953 Robertson Panel report in less-redacted form, NASA's Gemini-era crew debriefings, and the 1962 Cronkite–Cooper interview audio.
Exactly 14 days after PURSUE Release 01, the U.S. Department of War publishes a second tranche of declassified UAP records through war.gov/UFO: 51 sensor videos (the DOW-UAP-PR050–PR099 series), 7 NASA crew audio files, and 6 documents. The centerpiece is a first-person USPER narrative from a currently-serving senior U.S. intelligence officer describing a one-hour, multi-witness UAP encounter from a U.S. military helicopter in late 2025.
A new tranche of up to 46 UAP videos held by the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is expected to be released imminently under the Department of War's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) initiative. The release follows a March 31, 2026, letter from Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth formally requesting the footage, which was originally due no later than April 14, 2026. On May 15, 2026, Luna confirmed she and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) had completed a review of the videos alongside AARO director Jon Kosloski.
The forthcoming batch — anticipated to be designated "Release 02" — includes footage of spherical objects, cigar-shaped UAP, fast-moving objects, and at least two videos depicting what the military characterizes as "transmedium" or unidentified submerged objects (USOs). The collection also appears to include additional footage related to the January 26, 2023, Eglin Air Force Base diamond-formation incident and the February 12, 2023, Lake Huron shootdown event. The article, published by The Debrief on May 21, 2026, represents the most detailed public accounting of the expected contents of the release prior to its official publication.
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP. The report describes the UAP as a “triangular and metallic UAP.” The reporter estimated the UAP’s altitude as 24,989 feet and speed as 168 knots (193mph). All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance
Eighteen sections and serials of the FBI Headquarters master investigative case file on 'flying discs,' covering the Roswell era through the late 1960s. Includes Oak Ridge nuclear-facility overflight reports. The largest single PDF in PURSUE is 101 megabytes.
The Trump administration launches PURSUE — the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters — and the Department of War publishes 160 declassified UAP-related files in the first tranche: 117 PDFs, 29 sensor videos, and 14 photographs spanning 1944 to 2026. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says the goal is 'maximum transparency.'
This document is email correspondence describing the content of a mission report and requesting clarification on its content. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
The most recently dated video in PURSUE Release 01 — DOW-UAP-PR49, captured in 2026 by a U.S. Department of the Army sensor — runs 1 minute 49 seconds and shows infrared tracking of an unresolved aerial object.
A first-person USPER narrative published as the centerpiece of PURSUE Release 02 by a currently-serving senior U.S. intelligence officer who describes 'a series of close UAP encounters lasting over an hour' from a U.S. military helicopter in late 2025: two oval orange-with-white-center orbs stationary just above the rotor disk, a swarm of smaller orbs forming a triangular pattern, and a fighter scramble in which the same orbs trailed the responding jets.
The Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) convened a private workshop in August 2025 in the Washington, D.C., area to address the standardization of UAP data collection, management, and analysis. The event was coordinated by AARO and hosted by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), and brought together participants from government agencies, academic institutions, and civilian research organizations. A white paper detailing the workshop's proceedings and recommendations was published on AARO's official website in February 2026 and was subsequently reported by The Debrief on February 26, 2026.
The workshop represents a notable shift in AARO's posture under current director Dr. Jon T. Kosloski compared to the more security-focused, limited-engagement approach of AARO's inaugural director, Sean M. Kirkpatrick. Key recommendations produced by the workshop included the development of standardized metadata templates incorporating AI tools with human oversight, open-ended public narrative reporting mechanisms, and the release of de-identified public UAP data to reduce stigma and build trust. Department of War spokesperson Sue Gough confirmed to The Debrief that AARO intends to use public reports to enhance UAP trend analysis, though no timeline was given for a public reporting mechanism.
The United States Africa Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of two seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
A U.S. military operator reported observing two “white hot UAPs.” The reporter estimated the UAP’s speed as approximately 240 nautical miles per hour (276 mph). All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
This document is email correspondence describing the content of a mission report and requesting clarification on its content. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon published an op-ed in The Debrief on April 5, 2025, arguing that the Department of Defense is improperly withholding a large volume of unclassified UAP imagery from Congress and the public. Mellon contends that a restrictive classification guide created by the DoD's UAP Task Force — developed in the aftermath of the 2017–2018 Navy UAP video releases — has been applied to material that does not legitimately qualify for classification under Executive Order 13526, and that no official at DoD or in the Intelligence Community has been designated to advocate for or execute the release of unclassified UAP information.
Mellon's piece is directed at Representative Anna Paulina Luna's Congressional Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, as well as the broader Trump administration, urging both to compel a review and release of unclassified UAP videos held by military and intelligence agencies. He references specific prior commitments — including a 2022 pledge by Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray before the House Intelligence Committee — that have not resulted in any meaningful public disclosures beyond a handful of videos on the AARO website. Mellon also notes an encouraging development: AARO, under the direction of Dr. Jon Kosloski, has agreed to locate and submit for declassification review a specific F-18 UAP video he recalled from years prior.
Beginning in mid-November 2024, a sustained wave of unidentified drone sightings over New Jersey — concentrated around Morris County, Picatinny Arsenal, and Naval Weapons Station Earle — prompted responses from local, state, and federal officials. By early December the sightings had spread to at least ten New Jersey counties as well as Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, with additional parallel incidents reported over RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell, and RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom in late November. On December 6, 2024, the DoD's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) delivered a classified briefing to lawmakers; the specific content of that briefing regarding the drone sightings was not publicly disclosed.
The episode is notable for the formal involvement of AARO — the DoD's official office for unidentified anomalous phenomena — in what is primarily a domestic drone-security matter. AARO Director Dr. Jon Kosloski had previously told lawmakers during a Senate hearing that while his office is not directly tasked with drone investigations, AARO's detection capabilities and best practices could be offered to counter-UAS efforts. The incident underscores growing congressional and executive-branch concern about unidentified unmanned aerial systems over sensitive military and civilian infrastructure.
PURSUE Release 03 declassifies the FBI's investigation of recurring orb phenomena in one sparsely populated area of the northeastern United States: four authenticated eyewitness videos spanning November 2021 to July 2025 — 'Triangle Orbs,' 'Red Orb Rotation,' 'Orbs Over the Pond,' and the 'Northeastern Orb Sighting' — plus seven investigative records. The standout: an FD-1057 documenting two FBI special agents' own first-hand UAP observation during a November 2024 site survey. The Bureau assesses the civilian witnesses as 'highly credible.'
The House Oversight Committee Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, chaired by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), holds a public hearing titled 'Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Eyes on the Sky, Secrets in the Dark,' featuring testimony from former military and intelligence officials.
This document is email correspondence describing the content of a mission report and requesting clarification on its content. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
This document is a Mission Report (MISREP), a standardized reporting form the U.S. Military uses to record the circumstances surrounding its operations. U.S. military services often use MISREPs to report Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) to AARO. The GENTEXT, or “general text” section of these reports often contains important qualitative, contextual information, distinguishing it from the more quantitative, or numerical, data found elsewhere in the report. While conducting a weapons calibra
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP on July 14, 2024. The observer reported that the UAP maintained a “straight flight path at same altitude”. The report notes that the UAP’s “speed was faster than flying speed,” and the operator assessed the object as “benign.” The operator reported following the UAP “till the distance became too far.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such
The United States Indo-Pacific Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and thirty-nine seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Indo-Pacific Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of nine seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)consisting of five seconds of video footage from a Full-Motion Video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of six seconds of video footage from a Full-Motion Video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a Full-Motion Video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of twenty-one seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and five seconds of video footage captured via multiple sensor modalities aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP at an estimated altitude of approximately 24,000 feet. The observer estimated the UAP’s speed as 163 knots (187 mph). All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office releases the first volume of its congressionally directed historical record of U.S. government involvement with UAP. The 63-page report concludes that no verifiable evidence has been found of extraterrestrial technology in U.S. government possession.
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP, estimating its speed as “approximately 434 knots (499 mph)”. The observer described the UAP as diamond-shaped, with a non-maneuvering probe at the bottom. The observer noted that the UAP was only visible when viewed via an onboard Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) sensor. The observer reported that the event occurred over a duration of approximately two minutes. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP “shaped as a bouncy ball.” The observer described the UAP as traveling “~424kn (483 mph) consistently for at least 7mins.” The reporter described the UAP approaching from the south. The operator assessed the object as “benign.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of
A 2-minute-57-second AARO video from a U.S. military sensor records an unidentified object over Greece performing multiple sharp 90-degree turns at speed — flight characteristics that exceed publicly disclosed performance of known aircraft. Released as DOW-UAP-PR34 in PURSUE Release 01.
On September 12, 20023 the Mexican Congress heard testimony on UAP from experts related to the debate about an Aerial Space Protection Law, which, if approved, would make Mexico the first country to formally acknowledge the presence of alien life on earth. Experts asked legislators to recognize UAP, guarantee airspace security, and allow UAP to be studied. They presented to alleged alien corpses and videos of Mexican pilot’s encounters with fast-moving flying objects during flight. Disagreement
NASA's Science Mission Directorate published a Frequently Asked Questions page addressing the agency's Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Independent Study, commissioned in 2023. The page clarifies the study's scope, team composition, methodology, and conclusions, confirming that the 16-member independent study team — led by astrophysicist David Spergel — was charged exclusively with identifying how scientific data and tools could be applied to UAP going forward, not with reviewing past UAP incidents. The FAQ also states that NASA has found no credible evidence of extraterrestrial life and no data supporting the hypothesis that UAP represent alien technologies.
The document provides institutional context for NASA's UAP engagement: the nine-month study was conducted under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), required financial disclosures and ethics briefings from all members, and was overseen by Daniel Evans, Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator for Research at NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The FAQ further notes that NASA does not actively search for UAP, has not established a dedicated UAP program, and that study funding was consistent with other external review groups convened through NASA's Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) process. The page also references NASA's commitment to cooperating with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), citing President Trump's direction for whole-of-government transparency.
Newly released FBI 302 interviews and an FBI Lab composite sketch describe an ellipsoid bronze metallic object, 130-195 feet in length, that materialized out of a bright light, was observed by multiple credentialed witnesses at a U.S. test site, and disappeared instantaneously.
Over two days in 2023, seven separate U.S. federal government employees reported close-range encounters with multiple unidentified phenomena at a site in the western United States — including orbs launching other orbs, a large stationary glowing orb at close range, and a large semi-transparent object described as a 'translucent kite.' AARO calls it 'among the most compelling within AARO's current holdings.'
Former intelligence officer David Grusch, retired Navy Cmdr. David Fravor, and retired Navy Lt. Ryan Graves testify under oath before the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs. Grusch states that the U.S. government operates a long-running classified program to retrieve and reverse-engineer non-human craft.
The United States Indo-Pacific Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and fifty-nine seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of twenty-four seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and fifty-seven seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of forty-three seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 24 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D35, described the UAP as small and circular, flying near the surface of the ocean toward land. Video Description: 00:02: The sensor narrows its field-of-view to zoom in on an area of contrast near the
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and 57 seconds of video footage from an infrared (IR) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-01:55: No content. 01:56: An area of contrast becomes distinguishable against the background in the center o
A U.S. military operator reported observing “several bright objects maneuvering quickly” west to east northeast. The operator reported achieving a track on the UAP via an onboard targeting pod for approximately 20 seconds. The report describes that UAP then dimmed and disappeared from the targeting pod. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a
A U.S. military operator reported observing one “possible balloon” at approximately 2,100 feet. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
Cockpit/sensor footage from the February 12, 2023 U.S. Air National Guard F-16C engagement over Lake Huron, Michigan — the third of four shootdowns that month in the wake of the Chinese surveillance-balloon incident. AARO has characterized the underlying object as 'a benign hobbyist or research balloon' but the engagement footage itself is published for the first time in PURSUE Release 02.
The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 codifies the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), absorbing the predecessor Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group and giving it statutory authority and a public reporting mandate.
A 20-second infrared sensor recording from a U.S. military platform over CENTCOM waters near Iran, August 26, 2022, showing four areas of contrast moving together — and then a fifth object entering the frame from the top-left. The opening video of the new PR050-PR099 series released in PURSUE Release 02.
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of ten seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of fourteen seconds of video footage from an infrared (left) and electro-optical (right) sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of a still image derived from a U.S. military system in 2022. The original reporter digitally altered the imagery by adding a red line encircling an area of interest before submitting it to AARO. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D12, described the UAP as moving from north to northeast. The operator reported that they were unable t
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of ten seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D18, described the UAP as "flying west to east." Video Description: The video depicts an area of contrast moving from the bottom left to the top right of the sensor field-of-view. At approximately six second
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 14 seconds of video footage from an infrared (left) and electro-optical (right) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D16, described the UAP as “moving from north to south.” Video Description: At the five second mark, the video depicts an object moving from right to left across the to
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of ten seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D14, described the UAP as a “probable SU-27/35." Video Description: The video depicts two areas of contrast moving together near the center of the field-of-view throughout the runtime. This video des
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D10, described the observation as a “possible missile” moving across the field-of-view. The report also described four other objects not depicted in the video as “possible birds.” Video Description: At the
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP flying north to northeast. The observer reported following the UAP for as long as possible but was unable to positively identify it. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
The House Intelligence Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation holds the first open congressional hearing on UAP in fifty-three years. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Ronald Moultrie and Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray testify.
A sensor video from a U.S. Navy platform in March 2022 showing multiple spherical objects moving in and out of the water in close proximity to a surfaced U.S. submarine — the cleanest transmedium/USO (Unidentified Submerged Object) footage AARO has released to date, and the iconic image of PURSUE Release 02.
U.S. military service members near Colorado Springs reported a motionless, silent, matte-white 'bean-shaped' object whose surface was covered in intersecting ridges forming an abstract polygon pattern. PURSUE Release 03 declassifies the FBI's witness interviews, a digital rendering, and an Intelligence Community partner's analysis assessing — with low confidence — that the phenomenon may have been sunlight backscattering from snow-covered mountains. The case remains unresolved as of June 2026.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence delivers to Congress a nine-page 'Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' covering 144 reports collected primarily by U.S. Navy aviators between 2004 and 2021. The report concludes that the U.S. government cannot identify 143 of the 144.
Released as the kinematic standout of PURSUE Release 02, DOW-UAP-PR051 records a 2021 encounter on the Jordan-Syria border in which a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone achieves a weapons-quality lock on an unidentified object before that object exhibits instantaneous acceleration and abrupt directional changes that, per AARO's mission report, exceed the publicly disclosed performance envelope of any known crewed or uncrewed aerial system.
An infrared sensor video from November 23, 2020 over Afghanistan — captured by a U.S. military platform in CENTCOM's area of responsibility — showing a single spherical object moving in and out of cloud cover. The footage was uploaded to a U.S. classified network in June 2024 and declassified in PURSUE Release 02.
A U.S. military operator reported observing two UAP on November 2, 2020, at 2143Z and at 2148Z. The first observation occurred at an unknown altitude. The reporter described the second UAP’s direction of travel as proceeding to the northwest. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrin
This document is a Range Fouler Debrief, a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training. These reports contain a narrative description of the observer’s experiences. A U.S. military operator reported an encounter with a group of two UAP. The operator described the UAP as “balloon-shaped,” metallic, and reflective, characterizing them as “2x red blinking stro
This document is a Range Fouler Reporting Form, a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training. These reports contain a narrative description of the observer’s experiences. A U.S. military operator reported observing a “round, cold object” via infrared sensor, traveling at 319 degrees (northwest) at approximately 20 mph. The report describes the UAP making “
A U.S. military operator reported observing a UAP. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP at an estimated altitude of 1,800 feet. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
This document is a Range Fouler Reporting Form, a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training. These reports contain a narrative description of the observer’s experiences. A U.S. military operator reported tracking a “round, cold object” over the Gulf of Aden for eight minutes via “black hot” IR sensor, making the UAP appear “bright white.” The report state
This document is a Range Fouler Debrief Form, a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training. These reports contain a narrative description of the observer’s experiences. A U.S. military operator reported observing an “object fly through the screen.” The observer described a second object surpassing the first, at a higher speed. The report describes a total
A U.S. military operator reported observing a “formation of unknown flying objects” traveling northeast to northwest along the coast for approximately two minutes. The report notes that light cloud coverage “prevented the continuous tracking of the formation.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or abs
This document is a Range Fouler Debrief Form, a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training. These reports contain a narrative description of the observer’s experiences. A U.S. military operator reported an encounter with a group of three “unidentified small air contacts” over the North Arabian Sea. The reporter described the UAP as having “wings/airframe”
A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP. The report describes the UAP as “transiting” and notes it had “no impact to mission.” The report also states that “dense cloud coverage intermittently impacted FMV collection.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object fe
A U.S. military operator reported encountering three separate UAP on July 16, 2020, at 1830Z, 1920Z, and 2345Z. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and thirty-four seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and three seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of nine seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of two minutes and seventeen seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
A U.S. military operator reported observing a UAP, describing it as “look[ing] like a balloon.” The report describes the UAP as “traveling with the winds at approximately 31,000 ft.” The visually tracked the UAP via onboard infrared sensor. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsi
A U.S. military operator reported observing a UAP. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
A U.S. military operator reported observing two UAP traveling at an estimated speed of 278 knots (320 mph. The observer reported that the UAP “increased speed and changed direction towards the south.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance charact
A U.S. military operator reported observing a UAP traveling at an estimated speed of 321 knots (369 mph). The observer reported that the UAP “increased speed and changed direction towards the east.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance character
A U.S. military operator reported observing a “line of dots followed by a trailing dot.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
The Department of the Air Force submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of fifty-eight seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon(UAP)to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five minutes and eleven seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and fifty-three seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S
A U.S. Navy Range Fouler debrief from May 14, 2020 documents a 'solid white object' performing erratic movements above the water of the Persian Gulf — a close-proximity encounter with active U.S. military training. Released as DOW-UAP-D38 with companion video DOW-UAP-PR36.
The Pentagon publicly releases three U.S. Navy gun-camera videos — 'FLIR1' (2004), 'GIMBAL' (2015), and 'GO FAST' (2015) — and confirms that the objects depicted remain unidentified. The release marks the first formal U.S. government acknowledgment of authentic military UAP imagery.
Infrared sensor footage from a U.S. military platform in U.S. Northern Command's area of responsibility in December 2019, showing a single unidentified object off the U.S. East Coast. Uploaded to a U.S. classified network in September 2020 and declassified in PURSUE Release 02 — a rare NORTHCOM (continental U.S.) entry in the PR-series corpus.
Helene Cooper, Ralph Blumenthal, and Leslie Kean publish a front-page New York Times investigation revealing the existence of the Department of Defense's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. The story includes a release of the 'FLIR1' video and on-the-record statements from former AATIP director Luis Elizondo.
This document is a mission briefing summarizing an observation of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) by a U.S. military platform near Latakia, Syria. A U.S. military pilot flying a P-8A aircraft reported observing an object via the aircraft’s EO/IR sensor, which they characterized as appearing to be in “sea skim mode,” traveling at approximately 500 knots (575 mph) on a southeasterly heading. The P-8A lost visual contact with the object after two minutes. All descriptive and estimative langu
A Navy ATFLIR clip appears to show a small object streaking just above the Atlantic. Officially released in April 2020 alongside FLIR1 and GIMBAL, GO FAST became the clearest case study in how sensor geometry can mislead: analyses using the video's own displayed data — including AARO's published assessment — put the object several thousand feet up, moving far slower than it appears.
An F/A-18F crew from the USS Theodore Roosevelt's air wing records an infrared object with no visible exhaust that appears to rotate in flight while the crew reports a formation of additional objects on their situational-awareness display. One of three videos the Pentagon officially confirmed authentic in April 2020 — and the only one of the three with no published resolution.
F/A-18F crews assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 11, operating from Naval Air Station Oceana, report routine encounters with UAP off the U.S. East Coast. Two of the three Pentagon-released videos — 'GIMBAL' and 'GO FAST' — are recorded during this period.
The oldest sensor video in PURSUE Release 01 — a 1-minute-46-second AARO clip from 2013 — shows what military observers described as an 'eight-pointed star formation' of objects over a Middle Eastern theater of operations.
The Defense Intelligence Agency awards the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) contract to Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies. Roughly $22 million flows through the program from 2008 to 2010, and Skinwalker Ranch — owned by the contractor's founder — becomes its primary field laboratory.
A never-before-released July 2008 CIA report — featured by the Department of War in PURSUE Release 03 — documents a UFO sighting at Harare International Airport, Zimbabwe, and an internal debate over whether the object was an advanced reconnaissance device of a foreign government or 'of extraterrestrial origins.' The report's routing context: perceived aggressive foreign posturing had placed personnel on high alert.
Aircrews from the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group report repeated radar contacts and a daylight visual encounter with a small, white, smooth, Tic Tac–shaped object during a training exercise in the Pacific. One of three Pentagon videos later released by the Department of Defense (FLIR1) documents a portion of the event.
UFOlogists of Turkmenistan has gained a positive reputation as a reliable partner for the United States in Turkmenistan to the bemusement of the cable’s author in the build up of civil society organizations within the country. The reputation has become earned because everyone in Turkmenistan, apparently, “is interested in UFOs.”
On October 28-29, there was an incident alleged by the Georgian Foreign Ministry that Russian aircraft had violated Georgian airspace and bombed areas of the Kodori Gorge. Russians denied any of the claims and said that it could have been UFOs. Cable authors note that Russians typically engage in the “bold lie” when they wish to conceal actions.
This report describes the Modeling of Unlikely Space-Booster Failures in Risk Calculations, documenting historical launch failure modes and recommending corrective actions to address them using novel modelling techniques.
A 1994 U.S. State Department diplomatic cable from Kazakhstan, declassified in PURSUE Release 01, records a Tajik Air 747 captain plus three U.S. citizens on board observing what the cable describes as a 'bright light of enormous intensity' at 41,000 feet over Kazakh airspace.
This document is a U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to USCINCPAC (United States Indo-Pacific Command) at Honolulu, HI on January 28, 1985. The cable reports that the U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea received an inquiry from the host nation’s intelligence services regarding reports of high-altitude, high-speed aircraft in Papua New Guinean airspace on the evening of January 24, 1985. The cable refers to a representative of the loca
U.S. Air Force security personnel stationed at the twin Royal Air Force bases of Bentwaters and Woodbridge report a triangular, metallic craft on the ground in adjacent Rendlesham Forest, followed by aerial light phenomena two nights later. The deputy base commander signs a memorandum to the U.K. Ministry of Defence summarizing the events.
A previously-classified CIA intelligence report from 1973 documenting a Soviet citizen's observation of a luminous, bright-green airborne object in the summer of 1973. One of the few PURSUE entries with an explicitly Cold-War-era USSR provenance; reproduced in full as part of Release 02.
Apollo 17 was the ninth crewed U.S. mission to the Moon, and the sixth to land Astronauts on the lunar surface. This document is an excerpt from the Apollo 17 Crew Debriefing for Science on January 8, 1973, in which Dick Henry, co-investigator on the ultraviolet experiment on Apollo 17, discusses seeing results that were unexpected. • Pages 119-120. “One of the most exciting results of X-ray astronomy was the fact that an X-ray background was observed over the sky that nobody had expected, and
NASA Skylab program mission transcripts (1973–1974) released by the Department of War as part of PURSUE Release 01. Astronauts logged in-mission observations of unidentified objects from a sustained orbital platform.
A NASA still from Apollo 17 — released for the first time as part of PURSUE Release 01 — shows three small dots in a tight triangular formation in the lunar sky. Released alongside Apollo 17 crew transcripts and technical debriefings.
PURSUE Release 02 publishes the audio of the Apollo 12 medical crew debriefing in which Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon, and Al Bean describe seeing brief 'light flashes' and 'streaks of light' during quiet rest periods on the cislunar coast. NASA's contemporary medical assessment attributed the phenomenon to cosmic-ray-induced retinal events.
Five NASA-archived photographs (VM1–VM5) and the Apollo 12 mission transcript released as part of PURSUE Release 01 (May 2026). The first public release of these specific images.
NASA technical crew debriefing transcript from Apollo 11 (July 1969), released by the Department of War as part of PURSUE Release 01. Contains crew references to in-flight observations of unidentified objects.
U.S. Information Agency policy paper considering whether UFO phenomena required structured national-defense preparation. A rare late-Cold-War USIA contribution to the UAP question.
December 1965 NASA Gemini 7 air-to-ground transcripts in which crew Frank Borman and Jim Lovell report tracking an unidentified 'bogey' in orbit. Released by the Department of War in PURSUE Release 01.
PURSUE Release 03 publishes eight NASA crew-debriefing transcripts spanning Glenn and Schirra (1962-63) through Gemini 4, 5, 7, and 9 — the formal record of the 'sparkles,' 'snow,' and luminous-particle observations of early U.S. spaceflight — plus three audio files: the November 1962 Walter Cronkite interview in which Gordon Cooper says 'exceptionally well-qualified people have seen objects' without logical explanation, and two Apollo 16 scientific debriefings, one containing an off-hand 'could be an alien starbase' remark.
Two State Department files from the SP series (Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs / Office of Special Political Affairs), dated July 1963, addressing UAP-related diplomatic correspondence.
Three-volume Air Force Office of Special Investigations dossier (Box 7) containing 233 incident summary reports from 1955. Released by the Department of War as part of PURSUE Release 01.
PURSUE Release 03 publishes the CIA's 1952-1953 Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects — the Robertson Panel — in less-redacted form, with the Department of War's own transmission copy to the Secretary of Defense. The panel found no direct physical threat but warned that public fascination could clog intelligence channels and that a 'morbid national psychology' could be exploited by adversaries — and recommended an official policy of 'debunking' to 'strip the UFO subject of its mystery.'
Across two consecutive weekends, multiple radar installations and visual observers track unidentified objects above the restricted airspace surrounding the U.S. Capitol and White House. The Air Force convenes its largest press conference since World War II to address the events.
FBI Detroit field office investigative files 100-DE-26505 and 100-DE-18221, covering early-Cold-War flying disc and UFO reports across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Released by the Department of War in PURSUE Release 01.
Air Force Office of Special Investigations file box 186, folder 319.1 'Flying Discs' — 143 pages of 1949-era investigative material. One of the earliest organized USAF UAP file holdings.
A 116-page joint file from the U.S. Air Force and the Armed Forces Special Weapons Program — the Manhattan Project's nuclear-weapons custodial successor — documenting 209 sightings of 'green orbs,' discs, and fireballs maneuvering near the Sandia, New Mexico custodial nuclear-weapons installation between 1948 and 1950. Released in full as part of PURSUE Release 02; some sighting locations contained recovered copper powder.
Kentucky Air National Guard pilot Capt. Thomas Mantell is killed when his P-51 Mustang crashes during the pursuit of a large, slow-moving object reported above Godman Field. The Air Force eventually attributes the object to a Skyhook research balloon.
The Roswell Army Air Field public information officer issues a press release stating that the 509th Bomb Group has come into possession of a 'flying disc' recovered from a nearby ranch. Within twenty-four hours the Army retracts the statement and identifies the debris as a weather balloon.
Air Materiel Command and Army Air Forces general files covering 1946–1948 UFO investigations conducted before Project Blue Book's formal establishment. Includes the Maury Island and Roswell-era investigative correspondence.
PURSUE's earliest entry — wartime Department of War records from 1944-1945 documenting the 'foo fighter' encounters reported by U.S. Army Air Forces pilots over the European theater, with corroborating Air Ministry analysis.
The U.S. cabinet department responsible for the armed forces and military operations, known as the Department of Defense from 1947 until its 2025 rebranding as the Department of War. Its UAP-related work is principally conducted through the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
What is AARO?
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. Established by Section 1683 of the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act and stood up in 2022, AARO is the DoD/DoW office that consolidates U.S. government investigation of unidentified anomalous phenomena across all domains (air, sea, undersea, space, transmedium).
Where do these files come from?
Direct from official DoD/DoW publication channels: defense.gov press releases, AARO publications, congressional testimony, FOIA-released documents, service branch statements, and Inspector General reports. Each entry on this page links to the original primary source.
How often is this list updated?
An automated monitor checks AARO News, defense.gov releases, ODNI publications, congressional UAP hearings, and the White House Briefing Room every morning. New items typically appear within 24 hours of their official release.
Are the FLIR videos here?
Yes — the three FLIR1, GIMBAL, and GO FAST videos officially released by the Department of Defense on April 27, 2020 are included with the original DoD release URLs and the Navy's confirmation of authenticity.
What is PURSUE Release 02?
PURSUE Release 02 (May 22, 2026) is the second tranche of the Trump administration's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters — 64 declassified files (51 sensor videos in the DOW-UAP-PR050-PR099 series, 7 NASA crew audio files, 6 documents) published 14 days after Release 01. The centerpiece is ODNI-UAP-D001, a first-person narrative from a currently-serving senior U.S. intelligence officer describing a one-hour, multi-witness UAP encounter from a military helicopter in late 2025.
Canonical reading on this topic
Non-fiction titles by named witnesses, Pentagon insiders, and investigative journalists referenced in this archive.
Skinwalkers at the Pentagon
James Lacatski, Colm Kelleher & George Knapp · 2021
U.S. material is the single largest body in the public UAP record, but it isn't the only one. France's GEIPAN has run a transparent case database since 1977; the UK MoD released ~60,000 pages between 2008 and 2017; Japan's evolving track is the program currently moving fastest in 2026. Every state-run UAP-investigation body with a public archive — fifteen countries to date — is catalogued in one place.