On Friday, May 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense declassified more than a dozen previously unpublished photographs of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), commonly referred to as UFOs (unidentified flying objects). A total of 162 documents were released, including armed forces reports, witness interviews, pilot accounts, government memos, photographs, and videos related to UAP sightings from decades ago. Many of these documents concerned unexplained flying objects observed by military personnel, astronauts, and drone operators.
The disclosure of documents under Release 01 is part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE), overseen by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). This interagency effort also includes the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and additional components of U.S. intelligence agencies. Further releases have also been announced.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth:
“The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government’s understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard:
“The American people have long sought transparency about the government’s knowledge of unidentified anomalous phenomena. 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 to provide the American people with maximum transparency. Today’s release is the first in what will be an ongoing joint declassification and release effort.”
FBI Director Kash Patel:
“The FBI is proud to stand alongside President Trump and our interagency partners in this landmark release of UAP records. For the first time in history, the American people have unfettered access to declassified government files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon – a level of transparency that no prior administration has delivered. The FBI remains committed to supporting this rolling declassification effort with the same rigor and integrity we bring to every national security matter. As these files continue to be reviewed and released, the American people can be confident that their security remains our highest priority.”
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman:
“I applaud President Trump’s whole-of-government effort to bring greater transparency to the American people on unidentified anomalous 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. We will remain candid about what we know to be true, what we have yet to understand, and all that remains to be discovered. Exploration and the pursuit of knowledge are core to NASA’s mission as we endeavor to unlock the secrets of the universe.”
The releases were announced on February 20 this year by President Donald Trump, who justified them in the interest of full transparency. It was emphasized that the current administration is taking the opposite approach to previous administrations on this issue.
It is worth recalling that the Senate took up the issue of declassifying the files in June 2020 at the request of then-Senator Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, after the U.S. Navy publicly acknowledged for the first time that UFO/UAP incidents had been recorded.
On June 25, 2021, already during the presidency of Joe Biden (contrary to current claims, editor’s note) the first preliminary report on UAP/UFOs was published, and on November 23 of the same year the aforementioned AARO office was established.
Photographs published as part of Release 01, with descriptions:
Infrared image showing an unidentified object over the western United States in September 2025 / Photo: FBI
Infrared image showing an unidentified object over the western United States in December 2025 / Photo: FBI
Infrared image showing an unidentified object over the western United States in September 2025 / Photo: FBI
Infrared image showing an unidentified object below a helicopter over the western United States in September 2025 / Photo: FBI
Infrared image showing unidentified objects over the western United States in September 2025 / Photo: FBI
Infrared image showing unidentified objects over the western United States in September 2025 / Photo: FBI
Actual photo of the incident location overlaid with graphics rendered by the FBI laboratory, depicting and corroborating eyewitness accounts from September 2023 of an ellipsoidal, brown, metallic object appearing against the bright sky, measuring 130-195 feet (40-60 m) in length, and disappearing instantly / Photo: FBI
Archival photos from the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon. The yellow box contains an enlarged section of the original photo, showing three lights above the lunar surface / Photo: NASA
Middle East, May 2022. Still from a video that, according to a U.S. military operator, showed a UAP flying across the screen / Photo: Department of Defense
United Arab Emirates, October 2023. Still from a video recorded near the UAE, showing a reported UAP / Photo: Department of Defense
Greece, October 2023. A U.S. military operator reported observing a UAP flying just above the sea surface and making multiple 90-degree turns at high speed / Photo: Department of Defense
Greece, October 2023. A U.S. military operator reported the presence of a UAP near Greece, flying straight over the sea toward land / Photo: Department of Defense
Middle East, 2013. Still from a video showing an eight-armed contrast area recorded by an infrared sensor / Photo: U.S. Department of Defense
Africa, 2025. A U.S. military operator reported the presence of a UAP during operations in African airspace
Middle East, 2020. The U.S. Air Force reported the presence of unidentified flying objects / Photo: Department of Defense
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area, 2024. A football-shaped UAP was reported near Japan / Photo: Department of Defense
Department of the U.S. Army, 2026. The U.S. Army reported unidentified flying objects in North America / Photo: Department of Defense
The aforementioned remaining documents, including video materials, are available for review at: https://www.war.gov/ufo/
In total, the site contains 82 Department of Defense documents, 56 FBI documents, 12 NASA documents, 8 Department of State documents, 28 videos related to unresolved UAP reports, 14 graphic materials (see above), and more than 100 documents containing classified or redacted sections.