Washington: The US Department of Defense has released a major collection of long secret documents related to unidentified flying objects, commonly known as UFOs. The files were made public on Friday and include reports dating back to the 1940s up to recent years. For decades, these documents remained hidden from public access due to national security concerns.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the secrecy surrounding these files had led to years of public speculation. He added that the time had come for people to see the information for themselves.
The released documents include more than 160 files. The Pentagon officially refers to these incidents as “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” or UAPs. Among the files is a report from December 1947 mentioning “flying discs.” Another highly classified Air Force intelligence report from 1948 contains details about alleged sightings of “flying saucers.”
As a result, the documents show that US authorities had been seriously monitoring these mysterious sightings for many years.
Trump Ordered Federal Agencies to Open UFO Records
The release of these files followed special instructions issued by President Donald Trump in February. He directed federal agencies to make government records about UFOs and possible extraterrestrial life available to the public.
According to Trump, there has been strong public interest in the subject and people deserve access to the information. He also referred to past remarks by former President Barack Obama, who once suggested that some unexplained aerial incidents were genuine.
The newly released documents also include reports from recent years. One notable case from 2023 describes law enforcement officers witnessing large orange circles in the sky with red glowing objects emerging from them.
However, despite these dramatic claims, the Pentagon says there is still no undeniable scientific proof of intelligent extraterrestrial life or alien technology.
Meanwhile, experts say public interest in UFOs increased after the US government began formal investigations into unexplained aerial sightings. Pentagon reports have also shown that many suspected incidents were later identified as weather balloons, surveillance aircraft or satellite activity.
Although the release of these files has revived global debate about UFOs, the US government maintains that there is still no confirmed evidence proving the existence of extraterrestrial beings.
