In a major move towards openness, the U.S. government has started to reveal UFO files that were kept secret for a long time, putting never-before-seen UAP photos, videos, and official records on the website war.gov/ufo. This was started by President Donald Trump’s instruction, and the information focuses on cases that have no answers yet, and anyone can now look at it and examine it, without needing special security permission.
A rare opening of the vault
Officials say this is the biggest step ever taken in the US to make UFO information available to the public. The Department of War, with help from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other government groups, are going through millions of records collected over many years.
However, not all of these cases are solved. The people in charge point out that these are cases that don’t have answers, and often lack enough or complete information. Over the next few weeks, more information will be released in phases, and the government agencies are encouraging experts like academics, people in tech, and the general public to do their own independent investigations.
What the first batch reveals
The first collection of files covers military and government experiences with UAPs in various locations and from 2020 to 2026, and includes infrared images, video from sensors, and original reports from people who were directly involved.
The case files have reports from operations in Europe, Africa, Japan, and the Persian Gulf. In one case, an unidentified object was seen under a helicopter, and another report from the US Indo-Pacific Command describes an object shaped like a football near Japan.
There’s also material related to space. An image from the Apollo 17 moon mission shows strange lights above the moon’s surface, and these lights were noted but not explained. Also, a case from September 2023 that has been put together again tells of a large, bronze, oval metallic object that came out of a bright light and then disappeared immediately.
Who is driving the disclosure
This release of information is part of PURSUE, the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, a project involving many different government bodies and directed by President Trump. It involves the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Energy, NASA, the FBI, and the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
The Department of War says that keeping the files secret for so long caused people to suspect things. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the files have been hidden for years. Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, said this is only the start and more information will be made public. Jared Isaacman, the Administrator of NASA, said the agency will follow the information and share what they find, even the parts that stay mysterious.
Officials summarised the objectives as follows:
– Transparency first, with files posted openly
– Reviews protect national security, not answers
– Further declassification is ongoing
– Nasa will share what remains unexplained
How the White House directive unfolded
On Truth Social, Trump said he would tell the Secretary of War and other agencies to release files about aliens and extraterrestrial life, UAPs, and UFOs. Following his instruction, the Department of War, the ODNI, and other related offices started a big project to find, examine, and release UAP records.
Why it matters, and what comes next
For a long time, discussions about UAPs were only in private meetings with people who had security clearance or through information that was secretly leaked. Now, regular people can look at the original documents themselves. The archive at war.gov/ufo is open to everyone – you don’t need security clearance, which has historically prevented people from independently judging the evidence.
The authorities warn that most of the files haven’t been completely analyzed to reach a scientific conclusion. Every item was checked for anything that could be a threat to national security, but not for a definite explanation. As officials put it, the government is showing everyone what they have, and admitting that they don’t have all the answers.
There are real-world and public reasons why this matters. Having more access to the information could help with academic research, make flying safer, and put to the test beliefs people have had for a long time. More files are coming in the next few weeks, and people who want the government to be more open think this will give a clearer idea of what is known, what isn’t, and where research should be directed.
