On May 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of War released the first official tranche of 161 declassified UAP/UFO files under the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) — a historic multiagency transparency effort directed by President Trump. The release includes FBI infrared photographs, military encounter reports spanning multiple theaters (Middle East, Greece, Africa, INDOPACOM), NASA Apollo-era archival imagery, and newly surfaced documents from the NRO, CIA, and DHS.
All 161 files are classified as unresolved cases — the government cannot make a definitive determination on the nature of the observed phenomena. Additional tranches are expected every few weeks. This is described as the most sweeping UAP declassification in U.S. government history.
| ID ↕ | Agency ↕ | Description ↕ | Location ↕ | Date ↕ | Type ↕ | Status |
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The FBI contribution represents the largest single-agency tranche, comprising 52 files. Among them are a series of infrared (black-hot) photographs captured over the western United States in September and December 2025, showing unidentified airborne objects with no conventional flight profile. One image shows an object directly below a helicopter at low altitude — suggesting the object was maneuvering in controlled airspace without transponder identification. Additional composite sketches from a southeastern U.S. incident in September 2023 are included, alongside historical case records dating back decades. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed these files represent the bureau’s first-ever public release of UAP-related imagery and records.
Department of War contributed 49 military encounter reports from U.S. operators across multiple theaters and years. Notable cases include:
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman contributed 18 files, spanning Apollo-era archives to modern observational data. The most discussed item is an Apollo 17 (1972) photograph featuring three anomalous lights visible above the lunar terrain — highlighted with a yellow box annotation on the official release. NASA notes these materials have not been formally analyzed for anomaly resolution.
Eleven files sourced from National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) represent some of the most sensitive declassified material in Tranche 01. Specific content details remain limited pending secondary analysis, but ODNI Director Tulsi Gabbard confirmed the Intelligence Community actively coordinated declassification of these holdings. The materials are expected to include historical collection reports, overhead imagery anomalies, and border-area UAP observations attributed to DHS.
Video files from the PURSUE Tranche 01 release are hosted directly on the Department of War servers. Some may require download due to government hosting restrictions. Click any link to access the original file on war.gov.
| File Reference | Agency | Type | Description | Access |
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Independent optical physicists should analyze the infrared imagery for thermal signatures inconsistent with known platforms or atmospheric phenomena.
Cross-reference reported flight behaviors (straight-line ocean approach in Greece; football-shaped INDOPACOM object) against known UAV and hypersonic vehicle signatures.
Match FBI historical documents against Project Blue Book, AARO legacy database, and FOIA archives to identify overlap, redaction patterns, and chronological clusters.
Apply modern photometric analysis to the Apollo 17 lunar imagery. Determine whether the three light sources are lens artifacts, window reflections, or objects in the field of view.
Map all incident locations — western U.S., Middle East, UAE, Greece, Africa, Japan, North America — to identify geographic or maritime patterns relative to military installations.
Systematically map what has been redacted vs. released to infer classification categories, responsible agencies, and information that remains withheld in future tranches.