President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to declassify and publicly release files related to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) [1].
This move marks a significant shift in how the U.S. government handles sensitive data regarding UFO sightings, potentially altering public trust and scientific inquiry into anomalous aerial events.
The Defense Department released the first batch of dozens of previously classified files on May 8, 2024 [2]. A second release occurred on May 22, 2024, which some reports state included more than 160 files [3, 4]. These documents are now hosted on a public website at war.gov/UFO [5].
A Pentagon spokesperson said the release was intended to provide what the department called "unprecedented transparency" to the American people [6]. The spokesperson said the American people can now access the federal government's declassified UAP files instantly [7].
Trump administration officials said the president directed the Pentagon to declassify dozens of UFO-related files, including military videos and transcripts from the Apollo era [8]. While some reports suggested a full declassification of all UFO files, other sources indicated that only specific batches of documents were released rather than the entire classified archive [9, 10].
The released materials include various reports of alleged sightings and technical data. The Pentagon has not specified if further batches of documents will be released, though officials said more are expected [2].
“"The American people can now access the federal government's declassified UAP files instantly."”
The release of these documents reflects an effort to pivot away from decades of government secrecy regarding UAPs. By moving these files to a public domain, the administration is shifting the burden of analysis from government agencies to the public and independent researchers, though the discrepancy in the number of files released suggests that some materials may still remain classified for national security reasons.
