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Diamond-shaped object near a US nuclear weapons facility. A six-pointed star-like shape over the Yellow Sea. Green fireballs near Los Alamos Laboratory.
They appear like isolated incidents. Together, they form the latest batch of documents released by the Trump administration under the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE), popularly known as the UFO Files initiative.
The fourth batch, released this week, contains 40 files, including 19 videos. The documents come from the Pentagon, NASA, CIA, FBI and the Department of Energy, and detail reported unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) incidents spanning the late 1940s to 2025.
"The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government's understanding of unidentified anomalous phenomena. These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation, and it's time the American people see it for themselves," US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said.
THE PANTEX ENCOUNTER: 2015
One of the files details an encounter near the Pantex nuclear weapons plant in Texas on September 1, 2015.
Pantex is a sensitive national security facility that houses the primary site for the assembly, disassembly, maintenance and life-extension of US nuclear weapons.
The incident began when an unidentified object entered restricted airspace. The facility was placed on lockdown as two security officers moved to investigate.
The officers described a diamond-shaped object with a rounded top, roughly four feet tall and two feet wide at the base. They estimated it was moving at 10-15 mph.
The witnesses differed on its colour. Some described it as black, while others said it appeared silver with red and blue hues.
The officers were unable to catch up with the object. They stopped their vehicle and observed it through binoculars. They reported that it made no sound and had no visible propulsion system.
After remaining in view for one to two minutes, the object moved north and left the facility's airspace.
RANGE FOULER DEBRIEF: 2019
Another document is a "Range Fouler Debrief", a standard US Navy report used to record unauthorised objects entering controlled airspace during military operations or training.
The report contains accounts from five US military-affiliated personnel who observed a small object moving in a straight line at high speed, opposite to the direction of their aircraft.
One observer, who had spent 28 years serving with the US Air Force and Navy, said the object's flight characteristics were unlike anything he had witnessed before. Others with similar or greater experience were also unable to identify it.
The report, however, cautions that these descriptions represent the observers' impressions at the time and do not conclusively establish the object's nature or capabilities.
SIX-POINTED OBJECT OVER YELLOW SEA: 2025
In 2025, an infrared sensor, which detects heat instead of visible light, aboard a US military platform captured footage showing an area of contrast resembling a six-pointed star over the Indo-Pacific region.
An area of contrast means a patch that appears significantly hotter or colder than its surroundings, not necessarily a solid object.
The US Indo-Pacific Command submitted the footage to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the Pentagon body that investigates such sightings, for analysis.
The sensor tracked the shape and kept it centred within the frame as it moved. The report did not provide an explanation for what it was.
LARGE DEFORMED BALLOON OVER ATLANTIC: 2020
Another file details a 32-second infrared video captured in 2020.
Submitted by the US Northern Command, the footage showed a dark, maroon-coloured object estimated to be 12-15 feet tall.
Unlike some other sightings, the object did not appear to manoeuvre or change direction. It moved with the wind along a steady path.
One observer described it as a "large, somewhat deformed balloon".
The sensor repeatedly zoomed and adjusted to keep the object within the frame as it drifted.
ANALYSIS OF FLYING OBJECT INCIDENTS: 1949
Among the oldest documents in the release is a US Air Force intelligence study dated April 28, 1949.
Titled "Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States", the report examined multiple unexplained sightings and concluded that while some objects had been observed, identifying them with certainty was difficult.
The study suggested two possible explanations — domestic technology or foreign aircraft.
With Cold War tensions rising, it warned that some sightings could potentially be linked to Soviet scientific, military or intelligence activities.
LOS ALAMOS GREEN FIREBALLS: 1949
This declassified document records a 1949 conference at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico, where scientists gathered to discuss a series of unexplained "green fireballs" reported near the facility.
The meeting included several scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapons.
The group did not reach a final conclusion. One leading explanation was that the sightings could have been meteors entering Earth's atmosphere at a shallow angle and high altitude.
NASA FILES: 1996
At least seven files in this tranche come from the US space agency, NASA.
During the STS-80 mission in 1996, astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Columbia captured three images of an unidentified object in low-Earth orbit.
In the first image, the object appeared near the centre of the frame, to the right of Earth's curved horizon.
In the second image, it appeared to have rotated or tumbled along its main axis, consistent with the movement of a free-floating object.
In the third image, the object appeared against the backdrop of Earth, suggesting it continued along a path between Columbia and the planet.
The photographs did not provide enough information to determine the object's identity or origin.
THE UFO FILES DISCLOSURE
The latest release follows the Trump administration's first batch of UAP files released on May 8, 2026.
The disclosure process has unfolded over decades, with successive US administrations releasing UFO-related records gradually. The effort gained momentum after the US government began using the term "unidentified anomalous phenomena" in December 2022 and established dedicated mechanisms to investigate such reports.
The May release was welcomed by lawmakers who had long pushed for greater transparency. Some analysts, however, pointed out that parts of the material had already entered the public domain.
Researchers have also cautioned that unexplained sightings do not automatically indicate extraterrestrial activity, with several cases remaining unresolved.
WHAT EARLIER TRANCHES REVEALED
The first batch, released on May 8, included a 1947 report on "flying discs", photographs of unexplained phenomena from the Apollo 12 lunar mission in 1969, and transcripts of Apollo 17 astronauts describing unidentified objects seen from the Moon in 1972.
The second tranche followed on May 22, with 222 more files. More than 100 pages documented 209 reported sightings of "green orbs", discs and fireballs near a top-secret military facility in Sandia, New Mexico, between 1948 and 1950.
The third tranche was released on June 12. The 72 files from the FBI, CIA and Pentagon included reports, videos and witness accounts of glowing orbs, including bright red spherical objects reported across the northeastern United States.
TRANSPARENCY OR DISTRACTION?
Supporters see the files as a step towards greater transparency. Critics argue that they add little new information and largely repeat material that has already been made public.
UAP researcher Mick West said many of the newly released videos and images highlight the difficulty of identifying distant objects rather than providing evidence of something extraordinary.
Others believe the files show that a significant amount of government-held information on UAP remains unexplained and deserves further scrutiny.
The release has also drawn political criticism, with some accusing the administration of using the disclosures to divert attention from controversies like the Epstein Files.
For researchers and lawmakers who have pushed for greater transparency, however, the latest tranche marks another step in a process that has produced more questions than answers.
- Ends
Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
Jul 12, 2026 18:15 IST
