Pentagon Unveils Secret UFO Files Following Trump's Directive

The United States Department of War has unveiled the first batch of declassified documents concerning Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), marking what the government describes as an unprecedented move towards transparency on unidentified flying objects and the potential for extraterrestrial life.

This initial release, titled "Release 01," consists of 162 files—comprising photos, documents, and videos not previously available to the public—accessible on the official site war.gov/ufo. The administration plans to continue releasing more materials incrementally every few weeks.

This disclosure follows an order announced by Donald Trump on February 19 on Truth Social, where he instructed the Secretary of War and various other agencies to "identify and release government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena, and unidentified flying objects."

The initiative, known as PURSUE (Presidential Unveiling and Reporting System for UAP Encounters), involves collaboration between the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Energy, NASA, the FBI, and other intelligence bodies.

All reported cases remain "unresolved," with the government acknowledging it cannot determine the nature of the phenomena observed due to insufficient data.

Among the standout materials is a composite sketch created by the FBI, based on consistent eyewitness accounts from September 2023 in the southeastern United States. It depicts a bronze-colored ellipsoidal object, estimated to be between 130 and 195 feet long, which appeared from a bright light in the sky and vanished instantly.

The collection also features infrared images of unidentified objects over the western and southeastern U.S. captured in 2025, a frame from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 showing three lights over the lunar surface, and reports from military operators in the Middle East, Greece, the UAE, Africa, the Indo-Pacific, and North America.

The process involves reviewing tens of millions of records, many existing only on paper and spanning several decades.

Of the 162 files released, 108 are minimally redacted to protect witness identities or facility locations, with no redactions affecting data on the nature of the encounters.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the release with a straightforward statement: "These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation, and it's time for the American people to see them for themselves."

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman supported the effort, stating that the agency "will remain candid about what it knows to be true, what it doesn't yet understand, and everything that remains to be discovered."

Trump's directive partly stemmed from comments by former President Barack Obama, who on February 14 stated in a podcast that aliens "are real, but I haven't seen them." Trump accused Obama of divulging "classified information" and making a "grave mistake."

On April 29, during the Artemis II astronauts' visit to the White House, Trump promised the swift release of the files and revealed he had personally interviewed military pilots: "They said they saw things you wouldn't believe. So, you'll be reading about it."

Public interest in the topic has steadily increased, with 41% of Americans believing in extraterrestrial life visiting Earth, according to a Gallup poll from November 2025—the highest level since 1997—while 65% support full declassification of the files.

The Department of War—rebranded by executive order from Trump in September 2025 from its former name, the Department of Defense—will continue to publish new materials in regular batches, under the closing statement of its official release: "Under this Administration, we will pursue the truth and share our findings with the American people."