WASHINGTON — The Pentagon released a new batch of documents and images related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday. The release consists of 41 files posted on the Pentagon's UFO website.

The files include a mix of documents, images, and videos. The records originate from the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, State Department, and Executive Office of the President. The oldest record in the release dates to 1950, and the most recent dates to 2026.

This is the fifth release under an executive order signed by President Trump in January directing agencies to produce more documents related to UFOs. A Pentagon spokesman stated the department will release additional files on a rolling basis.

Six of the released videos show different versions of an encounter over the Gulf of Oman by Special Operations forces on an AC-130J gunship in September 2021. The Gulf of Oman videos are cellphone recordings of screens on the gunship showing objects picked up by infrared and other sensors. An accompanying intelligence report stated that forces onboard the gunship observed approximately 25 instances of UAPs while conducting a live fire exercise in the Gulf of Oman.

The intelligence report described the UAPs as cold orbs flying at lower altitudes between 250 to 1300 MPH in different formations and maneuvering aggressively. The intelligence report stated that UAPs appeared to react to the aircraft firing its main cannon. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office could not resolve the Gulf of Oman encounter.

One clip submitted by U.S. Central Command shows footage captured by a military aircraft over a populated area in the Middle East in 2025. The U.S. Central Command video shows what appears to be an object zooming across the screen and remains unresolved. Another video shows footage captured by a U.S. Government Special Agent in the western U.S. in 2026. The Pentagon stated the western U.S. video features two slow-moving black-hot areas of contrast visible in infrared imaging.

A partially redacted FBI report stated a special agent received a report about a radio frequency being detected and pointed a handheld infrared sensor in its direction. The FBI report stated the agent saw a black object in the sky that was not moving fast and took pictures using an optical device. The FBI report stated the agent saw a second object to the right of the first and took additional photos and videos while the objects moved together at the same speed. The FBI report stated both objects were black hot and the agent lost view when they traveled out of sight after approximately 5 to 10 minutes of observation.

The release includes eight FBI 302 forms recording witness interviews, all of which include redactions to shield confidential information. Most of the FBI 302 forms are paired with artist renderings from the bureau showing the objects described by witnesses. One FBI 302 form records a 2024 interview with a former military pilot who reported seeing strange lights in the sky between midnight and 3 a.m. in 2023. The former military pilot stated he first saw the lights during a flight from Massachusetts to Ireland in October 2023.

The FBI report stated the pilot was at an elevation of 37,000 feet and believed the lights were higher, probably at 50,000 feet or higher. The FBI report stated the lights were white, started dim, got brighter, and eventually faded out, with a full cycle ranging from 10 seconds to one minute. The former military pilot stated he saw the lights roughly 10 times after the initial experience.

The former military pilot reported seeing a large object while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. The FBI report stated the pilot noticed stars being blocked out over Bagram at approximately 4:30 AM local time. The FBI report stated the object appeared to be a huge equilateral triangle moving silently from west to east at a consistent speed and altitude, possibly 150 knots, with no lights visible.

The FBI report stated the pilot estimated the object was 500 feet in size but could not fully see its shape. The FBI produced an artist's rendering of the triangular object described by the pilot.

Why It Matters

This fifth release under an executive order demonstrates a sustained, multi-agency effort to disclose UAP records spanning from 1950 to 2026. The inclusion of unresolved encounters involving military forces and intelligence agents shows ongoing gaps in identifying objects that interact with aircraft or appear over populated areas. By committing to rolling future disclosures, the Pentagon establishes a precedent for continued transparency regarding phenomena that remain unexplained despite advanced sensor data and witness testimony.