The Department of Defense (DOD) today released the first tranche of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) files, opening decades of previously classified records to public scrutiny for the first time.
Under the Trump administration, the DOD was rebranded as the Department of War.
The release – a total of 161 files – is part of an interagency initiative known as the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, or PURSUE, led by the DOD in partnership with the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Energy, the DOD’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), NASA, the FBI, and other components of the U.S. intelligence community.
“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation – and it’s time the American people see it for themselves,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement.
The files were posted to a new Pentagon “UFO” website and include records from the FBI, DOD, NASA, and State Department.
According to the Pentagon, the newly released materials include mission debrief reports, photos, and videos dating from the 1950s through 2026. The incidents documented span locations in the United States and internationally, including the Middle East and Europe.
Officials said the materials consist of unresolved cases in which the government was unable to make a definitive determination about the nature of the observed phenomena.
The Pentagon said unresolved findings may stem from insufficient data and welcomed private-sector analysis and expertise. DOD does plan to continue separate reporting on resolved UAP cases, as required by law.
In regard to redactions made within the documents, according to the department, some information was withheld to protect eyewitness identities, the locations of government facilities, and sensitive details about military sites unrelated to UAP investigations.
This recent push towards UAP transparency follows a February directive from President Donald Trump that his administration release government files related to UAPs.
“As for my promise to you, the Department of War has released the first tranche of the UFO/UAP files to the Public for their review and study,” Trump wrote in a recent Truth Social post regarding the release. “In an effort for Complete and Maximum Transparency, it was my Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects.”
Once largely confined to speculation and fringe interest, UAP investigations have increasingly been framed by lawmakers and defense officials as matters of national security.
Public and congressional pressure led to the establishment of the AARO, which was tasked with documenting, analyzing, and resolving UAP reports using what it describes as a scientific and data-driven framework in coordination with ODNI and other agencies. As of June 1, 2024, AARO was reviewing more than 1,600 total cases.
It remains unclear whether the reports released Friday are included in AARO’s existing case totals.
Lawmakers from both parties praised the administration’s move.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who has long advocated for UAP disclosure legislation, welcomed the release.
“I am encouraged that the administration has finally heard my call and the call of millions of Americans to begin unsealing these files,” Gillibrand said in a statement on X. “This is another important step, but there is much more work to do … I will continue to fight to ensure the administration finally meets its legal obligation to the American people.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., chairwoman of a congressional task force investigating the issue, said on X that the release was “a great first step.”
“Additional releases are expected in the coming weeks,” Luna wrote. “A second tranche of documents, including additional requested video footage, is anticipated within approximately 30 days. Further records, videos, imagery, and investigative materials will continue to be released on a rolling basis.”
Officials also said that given the scope of the task, the DOD will release new materials on a rolling basis as they are discovered and declassified, with additional tranches expected every few weeks.