Pentagon declassifies secret files on unidentified aerial phenomena – Is anyone out there?

The Pentagon released a first batch of more than 160 classified documents on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) on Friday, some of them with reports dating back to the late 1940s.

In February, President Trump instructed all federal agencies to identify and release government documents on these phenomena and extraterrestrial life, arguing that the move was based on "great public interest."

Files that have fueled "justified speculation"

The documents, now available on the official Department of Defense website (DoD), include reports from the FBI, the State Department (DoS), NASA and various military agencies. These include historical cases of "flying discs," as well as more recent testimony from federal agents describing orange glowing spheres.

The images in this first declassification, which the White House said to Fox News is just the start of a series of releases, also show odd-shaped objects captured during the Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 missions.

A transcript of communications between Apollo 17 crewmembers reveals the moment the astronauts saw an unknown phenomenon in space. "Now we have some very bright particles or fragments or something similar that are floating by as we maneuver," one of the operators communicated to the control center.

"These files, which have remained hidden under classifications, have for decades fueled justified speculation. It is time for the American people to see them with their own eyes," Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said in a statement quoted by AFP.

Flying saucers, top secret and unexplained phenomena

One of the most striking documents dates from December 1947 and collects multiple reports of "flying discs" made by qualified observers. A memo from the Air Force Air Materiel Command notes that the phenomenon remained "of concern" to authorities.

Another Air Force intelligence report, classified as "Top Secret" and dated November 1948, mentions official concern over recurring sightings of "unidentified aircraft" and "flying discs."

Another dossier, described by the All Dominion Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) as "one of the most compelling," summarizes the testimonies of seven federal officials who independently reported "several unidentified anomalous phenomena" during 2023.

In one incident, three teams of special agents described orange spheres that launched smaller red spheres. In another case, two federal agents observed a "bright orange sphere" stationed near a rock formation, which they visually compared to the Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings movie, minus the pupil. The file includes a drawing by an artist according to the descriptions.

In March 2024, the Pentagon released a report concluding that there is no evidence that UAPs are extraterrestrial technology. According to the document, the vast majority of suspicious sightings corresponded to weather balloons, surveillance aircraft, satellites and other conventional phenomena.