UFOs are making a powerful return to the global spotlight following the Pentagon’s new mass release of declassified files, which include dozens of videos, military reports, and audio documents related to unexplained aerial and space phenomena. The U.S. Department of Defense announced it has released a second major package of files concerning so-called “unidentified anomalous phenomena” or UAP, which is now the official term used by the American government instead of UFO. The new disclosure includes more than 50 documents and videos that until recently remained classified, generating tremendous international interest. Among the files are recordings from military operations, U.S. Coast Guard videos, reports of luminous orange spheres that surrounded a military helicopter, as well as audio excerpts from the Apollo 12 mission, where the crew referred to mysterious objects in space. The case is sparking a new wave of discussions around unexplained phenomena, while interest is further heightened by statements from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who maintained that “it’s time for Americans to see the truth.”
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UFO: The videos and reports released by the Pentagon
According to the released data, the new package includes more than 50 videos and documents related to unexplained phenomena in air, sea, and space. Among the most impressive documents is a U.S. Coast Guard video from April 2024, showing an unknown object flying near an aircraft in the southeastern United States. Additionally, the files include reports of “luminous orange spheres” that allegedly surrounded a military helicopter, as well as “fireballs” that led to special particle research in the atmosphere in New Mexico.
Particularly striking are documents referring to unknown aerial phenomena near a former Soviet Union weapons testing area, as well as recordings from the Persian Gulf, the East China Sea, and restricted U.S. airspace. The new batch also includes the collection of 46 military UAP videos that had been requested by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the previous month. These record “Tic Tac” type UFOs, luminous spheres over Afghanistan, and unknown underwater objects that appear to emerge from the ocean. One of the most impressive incidents involves a report according to which a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down a UAP over Lake Huron in February 2023 with an AIM-9X missile.
UFO: Hegseth’s statements, Apollo 12 and references to Greece
The new file package is also accompanied by audio excerpts from the Apollo 12 mission, in which crew members describe mysterious objects spotted in space during the mission. Additionally, the documents make reference to Greece, as according to the information there were at least three recordings of unexplained phenomena related to Greek airspace or incidents recorded in the region. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. Department of Defense is “in full coordination with President Trump to ensure unprecedented transparency regarding the understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.”
He added: “These files, which remained classified, had fueled public speculation for years. It’s time for Americans to see the truth for themselves.” The new documents emerged following a request from eight members of the U.S. Congress, who sought access to 51 potentially UFO-related files that were reportedly held by the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence services. Meanwhile, U.S. officials noted that in several cases there was no fully confirmed chain of custody for the evidence, leaving open the possibility of questioning certain recordings.
So far, the Pentagon has released more than 200 UAP-related files, following a directive from Donald Trump, who wrote on Truth Social: “In the interest of Full and Maximum Transparency, it was my honor to order the release of government files related to Extraterrestrial Life, UAP, and UFO.”
