The Pentagon has released a first batch of previously classified files containing decades-old reports of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), some dating back to the 1940s, in what officials described as part of a long-anticipated disclosure effort.
According to US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the documents were made public to increase transparency around what the United States (US) government refers to as “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs)”. He said that the files had remained classified for years and had “fuelled speculation” among the public.
More than 160 files were uploaded to the US War Department’s website on Friday. One document dated December 1947 includes multiple accounts of “flying discs”, while another Air Force intelligence report from November 1948, marked “top secret”, refers to sightings of “unidentified aircraft” and “flying saucers”.
A separate file from 2023 describes an incident in which three federal law enforcement teams independently reported observing “orange orbs” in the sky, which they said appeared to release smaller red orbs.
US President Donald Trump had earlier directed federal agencies in February to begin reviewing and releasing records related to UFOs and extraterrestrial claims, citing public interest in the matter.
Trump also commented on former president Barack Obama’s remarks on UFOs, saying Obama had disclosed classified material, a claim made after Obama appeared in a podcast discussing extraterrestrial life and referencing the Area 51 military base in Nevada.
Obama, however, had said there was no evidence of hidden alien technology at the facility, which has long been linked to UFO conspiracy theories.
Trump, meanwhile, told reporters he did not know whether UFOs were real, while also questioning the release of classified information.
US authorities have repeatedly stated that there is no evidence confirming the existence of extraterrestrial life. A Pentagon report released in March 2024 said most reported UAP sightings were linked to weather balloons, satellites, spy aircraft or other routine aerial activity.
