The Trump administration has released a third collection of previously classified Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files, adding dozens of new documents, photographs, and videos to the government's archive. The materials were uploaded to the Department of War's website on Friday morning, featuring several cases that investigators have been unable to explain.
Among the newly released records is a 2025 FBI report detailing a video captured by a citizen in the northeastern United States. The witness described a bright object hovering over their backyard, appearing as a "brilliant red sphere" approximately the size of a basketball. The report indicates the object slowly ascended and was joined by a second identical orb directly above it. Both objects then appeared to merge into a single orb before vanishing silently and smoothly, moving in unison.
Another previously unseen video, also filmed in the northeastern U.S. in 2025, shows what officials described as a "plasma-like sphere" hovering above a pond. The object appeared to shift shape and brightness as it moved and was observed by a witness using an iPhone. Officials stated the video was cropped to protect the witness's identity but was otherwise unaltered. The object remained largely stationary for about 45 minutes before disappearing without sound.
This latest release also includes numerous CIA files that have been hidden for decades. One document, a "Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, Report, 1952-1953," details concerns that public fascination with flying saucers could pose a national security risk by overwhelming military reporting channels. The panel discussed cases such as the "Foo Fighters," mysterious glowing objects reported by Allied pilots during World War II.
Additionally, a 1958 CIA memorandum concerning the alleged destruction of a mysterious "space message" and its transmission device is included. While a censored version of this memo has been publicly available, this release offers further details. A more recent CIA record from July 2, 2008, details a high alert status for CIA assets in Zimbabwe after an unidentified object was spotted hovering directly over the country's main airport in Harare.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the Department of War is committed to "unprecedented transparency regarding our government’s understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP)." He added, "These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation, and it’s time the American people see it for themselves." The Department of War's website has reportedly received over 1.7 billion hits worldwide since its launch on May 8.
Many of the images and videos in this release were submitted by American citizens, with some footage captured using iPhones. The FBI report on the 2025 sighting mentioned the witness using an iPhone 14 Pro Max to record the orbs. The sighting occurred within 25 miles of several other unexplained encounters, including incidents referred to as 'Triangle Orbs,' 'Red Orb Rotation,' and 'Orbs Over the Pond.'