The Pentagon has started releasing a fresh set of files linked to Unidentified flying objects (UFO), or what the US government officially calls “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAPs), saying the public should be allowed to draw its own conclusions.
In a post on social media platform X on Friday, the Pentagon said earlier administrations had often “discredited or dissuaded” Americans from discussing such incidents, but President Donald Trump was focused on “maximum transparency”.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) May 8, 2026
“Today, the Department of War announced the initial release of new, never-before-seen files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE),” the US Defense Department said on X.
In 2020, the US Air Force reported UAP in the southern United States. (Image Credit: war.gov)
“This interagency effort includes The White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Energy (DOE), the DOW’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and additional components of U.S. intelligence agencies,” the Defense Department added.
Actual site photo with FBI Lab rendered graphic overlay depicting corroborating eyewitness reports of an apparent ellipsoid bronze metallic object materializing out of a bright light in the sky, 130-195 feet in length, and disappearing instantaneously. (Image Credit: war.gov)
The collection is currently housed on WAR.GOV/UFO and additional files will be released by the Department of War on a rolling basis.
US Indo-Pacific Command reported UAP that resembles a football-shaped body near Japan. (Image Credit: war.gov)
Trump had been hinting at the move since February and had previously mentioned about the files in a post on his social media platform Truth Social back in February.
Archival imagery from the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon. The yellow box contains an enlarged area of the original photo in which three lights are visible above the lunar terrain. (Image Credit: war.gov)
“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Trump had said in a post on Truth Social on 19th February.
The US Army reported UAP in North America in 2026. (Image Credit: war.gov)
Earlier this year, his administration also released records related to the assassinations of former President John F Kennedy, Senator Robert F Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, though those files revealed little that was previously unknown.
The US government has been under growing pressure in recent years to make more information on UFO sightings public, especially after several military personnel described encounters with unexplained aerial objects.
Infrared still image captured of unidentified object(s) over western United States in September of 2025. (Image Credit: war.gov)
Experts, however, have urged restraint in interpreting the files. Analysts say videos involving UAPs are often misunderstood by people unfamiliar with advanced military systems and aerial technology.
The Pentagon’s earlier review also rejected claims that the US government had recovered alien spacecraft or confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial life.
With Inputs From AP
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