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Inside the Pentagon's Newly Released UFO Files

scienceMay 14, 2026·332 words·3 min read

The U.S. Department of Defense released more than 160 previously classified files on Friday relating to UFOs (unidentified flying objects), which the military officially calls unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs. Posted to a dedicated portal at war.gov/UFO, the trove spans decades, from Cold War-era memos to recent civilian sightings. The release was ordered by President Donald Trump, who called for "unprecedented transparency" on extraterrestrial and unexplained encounters.

The files include reports from many years. Astronauts on the Apollo Moon missions described strange lights. Buzz Aldrin saw a bright light he thought might be a laser. A 1948 secret report from the U.S. Air Force said many people in Europe had seen unknown objects. Swedish experts said the objects were too advanced for any known group of people. Newer files describe metal objects shaped like eggs floating in 2023. There are also army videos from Iraq, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates in 2022.

People have different opinions about the release. Congressman Tim Burchett said it is 'a great start.' But UFO expert Dennis Anderson does not agree. He told the New York Post that the government is hiding the most important files. He believes officials know something exists but will never tell the public. Some files are still partly hidden, and the Pentagon has not said when all of them will be public.

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