The Pentagon has begun releasing new files on UFOs, the AP reported. Members of the public can draw their own conclusions about "unidentified anomalous phenomena", such as an object that a drone pilot said shone a bright light in the sky and then disappeared, the Pentagon said.
A post on the social network X stated that while previous administrations have tried to discredit or dissuade the American people, President Donald Trump "is focused on providing maximum transparency for the public, who can ultimately form their own opinions about the information contained in these files".
The Pentagon specified that additional documents will be released gradually. The files will be posted on the newly launched WAR.GOV/UFO website, the War Department said.
The first batch of documents includes 162 files, such as old State Department cables, FBI documents and NASA transcripts of spaceflights.
One document describes an FBI interview with a man identified as a drone pilot who in September 2023 reported seeing a "linear object" with a light bright enough to "see bands of light" in the sky.
"The object was visible for five to ten seconds, then the light went out and the object disappeared," according to the FBI interview.
Another file is a NASA photo from the "Apollo 17" mission in 1972 that shows three dots in a triangular formation. The Pentagon said in an accompanying caption that "there is no consensus on the nature of the anomaly," but that a new, preliminary analysis suggests it may be a "physical object."
The Pentagon has been working for years to declassify UFO-related documents, and Congress created an office in 2022 to declassify materials. Its debut report in 2024 revealed hundreds of new UFO incidents but found no evidence that the U.S. government had ever confirmed sightings of alien technology.
Congress ordered the Pentagon to begin releasing UFO sightings in 2022, after some service members shared encounters with unexplained craft.
A small group of Republicans in Congress has been pushing for greater transparency, accusing the Pentagon of withholding documents. In a letter in March of this year, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has requested 46 UFO videos identified by whistleblowers. Luna said on social media today that the videos are expected to be released in a later Pentagon report.
Congressman Tim Burchett thanked Trump for "keeping his word" on transparency and disclosure.
But experts are urging caution about releasing the new files, warning that UFO videos are often misinterpreted and mischaracterized by people unfamiliar with advanced military technology.
A 2024 Pentagon report refutes claims that the U.S. government has discovered alien technology or confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial life.