The United States Department of War has released a first tranche of declassified government files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAP, making them freely accessible to the public for the first time in history.
The files, which include videos, photographs, and original source documents, are now live at war.gov/ufo. No security clearance is needed to access the files.
The release is part of PURSUE, which stands for Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, a sweeping interagency initiative directed by President Donald Trump in the interest of total transparency.
It is the first time any US administration has followed through on this scale of UAP disclosure.
WHAT IS UAP, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
UAP stands for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. It is a broader, more scientific term than UFO.
While UFO traditionally refers to unidentified flying objects, UAP covers anything anomalous, which means unusual or unexplained, detected across air, sea, space, or land.
For years, the US government quietly tracked these sightings. Now, for the first time, ordinary people can see what was collected.
WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE RELEASE OF UAP FILES?
This is not a one-agency effort. PURSUE brings together 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, known as AARO.
Think of AARO as the government’s dedicated UFO-investigation unit.
WHAT HAS THE US GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY RELEASED?
The collection includes declassified UAP videos, photographs, and raw source documents sourced from across US intelligence agencies.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the files had long been hidden behind classification barriers, fuelling decades of public suspicion.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed this is only the beginning, with further declassification efforts ongoing.
Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency’s role is to follow the data and share findings candidly, including what remains unexplained.
HAVE THESE FILES BEEN FULLY ANALYSED?
Not yet. While every file has been reviewed for national security implications, officials have confirmed that many materials have not been fully analysed for scientific resolution of the anomalies they contain.
In other words, the government is saying: here is what we have, but we do not yet have all the answers.
The release marks a significant moment in the long, tangled history of UFO transparency.
Whether it answers questions or raises new ones remains to be seen.
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