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The U.S. Department of War released a new batch of “never-before-seen files” related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), marking the beginning of what officials described as a long-term federal transparency initiative ordered by President Donald Trump.

More than 160 documents, some dating back to the 1940s, were uploaded to a newly launched government portal that contains archived reports, military observations, photographs, infrared imagery, videos, and internal assessments related to unexplained aerial incidents.

The release was conducted under the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, known as PURSUE. The initiative includes coordination between the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, NASA, the FBI, the Department of Energy, and the Department of War’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).

Officials said the online archive was designed to provide public access to records that have remained classified or difficult to obtain for decades. The portal includes interactive case files, incident summaries, source documentation, and agency attribution for each released document.

This one is pretty cool!

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)
01.01.2024

Courtesy Video

All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office

The United States Indo-Pacific Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of… pic.twitter.com/wTEuZVVfn4

— Joe Murgia (@TheUfoJoe) May 8, 2026

The Pentagon stated that the review process currently involves “tens of millions” of records spread across multiple federal agencies and that additional files will continue to be released in phases every few weeks.

Decades of UFO Reports Released

Among the newly released material are military intelligence reports discussing “flying discs,” “flying saucers,” and “unidentified aircraft” observed by military personnel and federal agents over several decades.

One document from December 1947 references repeated sightings of “flying discs” and notes that reports from “qualified observers” continued to raise concerns within the Air Material Command of the U.S. Air Force.

Another top-secret Air Force intelligence report from November 1948 discusses recurring observations of “flying saucers” and unidentified aircraft.

The archive also includes more recent cases, including a 2023 report involving multiple federal law enforcement agents who separately described observing orange glowing spheres that allegedly emitted smaller red orbs into the sky.

One witness reportedly compared a glowing object observed near a rock formation to the “Eye of Sauron” from The Lord of the Rings.

Several files also contain infrared imagery and composite visual reconstructions created by investigators. One image released from a 2025 incident over the western United States shows unidentified airborne objects captured through infrared sensors.

Another archival image related to the 1972 Apollo 17 Moon Landing mission shows magnified points of light on the lunar surface, though officials did not provide a conclusion regarding the image.

The document release follows a February directive issued by President Donald Trump ordering federal agencies to identify and declassify records connected to UFOs, extraterrestrial life, and unexplained aerial phenomena.

Officials said the initiative was launched in response to longstanding public pressure for greater transparency surrounding government-held information on UAP incidents.

“The American people have asked for more transparency on these topics, and President Trump is delivering,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the files had fueled speculation for years because they remained behind government classifications.

“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation, and it’s time the American people see it for themselves,” Hegseth said.

He added that the release reflected what the administration described as an “unprecedented transparency” effort.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that intelligence agencies were coordinating closely with the Department of War to continue reviewing classified material. “The American people have long sought transparency about the government’s knowledge of unidentified anomalous phenomena,” Gabbard said.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is actively coordinating the Intelligence Community’s declassification efforts with the Department of War to ensure a careful, comprehensive, and unprecedented review of our holdings,” she added.

DOW-UAP-PR49, Unresolved UAP Report, Department of the Army, 2026

The Department of the Army submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and 49 seconds of video from an infrared sensor… pic.twitter.com/6niOaGCi6X

— John Greenewald, Jr. (@theblackvault) May 8, 2026

FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau would continue supporting the rolling declassification effort alongside partner agencies. “For the first time in history, the American people have unfettered access to declassified government files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon,” Patel said.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also backed the initiative, stating that NASA would continue contributing scientific analysis and technical expertise to the investigation of unexplained phenomena.

“At NASA, our job is to bring the brightest minds and most advanced scientific instruments to bear, follow the data, and share what we learn,” Isaacman said.

Area 51 And Obama Remarks Resurface

The renewed attention surrounding UFO disclosures has also revived public discussion about Area 51, the highly secretive U.S. military installation in Nevada that has long been associated with conspiracy theories regarding extraterrestrial life and advanced military technology.

Trump’s February directive came shortly after former President Barack Obama made comments during a podcast interview discussing UFOs and extraterrestrial life.

“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not hidden in Area 51,” Obama said during an interview on the Brian Tyler Cohen Podcast.

Obama later clarified that he had seen no evidence proving aliens contacted Earth during his presidency and said his remarks reflected a broader statistical belief that extraterrestrial life could exist somewhere in the universe.

Trump later accused Obama of revealing “classified” information, though no evidence emerged suggesting the former president disclosed restricted material.

Despite renewed public attention and the latest document release, U.S. officials have continued emphasizing that there remains no confirmed evidence proving the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Many Cases Remain Unresolved

The Pentagon stated that many cases remain unresolved because investigators lack sufficient information to determine the exact nature of the observed objects or events.

Officials also stressed that previous government investigations found that many UAP sightings were eventually linked to ordinary explanations, including weather balloons, satellites, surveillance platforms, and military aircraft.

A Pentagon assessment published in 2024 concluded that there was no evidence indicating that the investigated UAP incidents involved extraterrestrial technology.

However, officials acknowledged that some observations remain unexplained due to incomplete sensor data, inconsistent reporting, or the inability to fully identify recorded objects.

In the first tranche of government UFO files, video PR38 looks the most visually interesting, but the shape was determined to be a camera artifact in the Metabunk investigation two years ago. Diffraction spikes, a bit like Gimbal's, but different camera.https://t.co/oGplLAhOo8 pic.twitter.com/POfuxhcQlO

— Mick West (@MickWest) May 8, 2026

Interest in UAP investigations has grown significantly in recent years following multiple military encounters involving unidentified airborne objects, including footage released publicly by the Pentagon in 2020 showing U.S. Navy pilots tracking fast-moving aerial objects over the Pacific Ocean.

At the time, the Pentagon confirmed that the objects shown in the videos remained officially “unidentified.”

The Department of War said that additional declassified files will continue to be published on a rolling basis as reviews are completed.