War.gov Release 05
August 7, 2026
Official source
FBI-UAP-PR007, “Slow-moving Objects,” 2026
A U.S. Government Special Agent captured this video footage via hand-held optical thermal imaging device during a 2026 incident in the western United States, as described in FBI-UAP-D032. The footage features two, slow-moving “black-hot” areas of contrast, visible in infrared imaging.
FBI-UAP-D040, FD-302, “Multiple Red Lights,” 2026
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records a 2026 telephonic interview with a U.S. person, in which the interviewee describes two incidents potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States in 2026. A second individual who was present during the incidents at the time also provided an interview, recorded in this collection as “FBI-UAP-D037.” Two FBI digital renderings based upon the observers’ descriptions accompany this document, under the titles FBI-UAP-D041 and FBI-UAP-D042.
FBI-UAP-D037, FD-302, “Multiple Red Lights,” 2026
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records a 2026 interview with a U.S. person, in which the interviewee describes three incidents potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States occurring within a 5-hour period in 2026. A second individual who was present at the time also provided an interview, recorded in this collection as “FBI-UAP-D040.” Two FBI digital renderings based upon the observer’s descriptions accompany this document, under the titles FBI-UAP-D038 and FBI-UAP-D039.
FBI-UAP-D033, FD-302, “Thermally Elevated Aerial Object,” 2026
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records a 2026 interview with a U.S. Government Special Agent, in which the interviewee describes an incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States, at approximately 9:00 PM local time, in 2026.
FBI-UAP-D032, FD-302, “Slow-moving Objects,” 2026
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records a 2026 interview with a U.S. Government Special Agent, in which the interviewee describes an incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States, at approximately 4:00 PM local time, in 2026. This FD-302 is accompanied by video footage captured during the incident, under the title FBI-UAP-PR007.
Editor's note: An FBI interview record tied to thermal video footage of two slow-moving “black-hot” areas of contrast in the western United States.
FBI-UAP-D030, FD-302, “Large Triangle with Red Lights,” 2023
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records an October 2025 interview with a U.S. Person, in which the interviewee describes an incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in October 2023. An FBI digital rendering based upon the observer’s description accompanies this document, under the title FBI-UAP-D031.
FBI-UAP-D028, FD-302, “Dark Triangle with Lights,” 2011
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records an April 2025 interview with two former U.S. military service members, in which the interviewees describe an incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in June or July of 2011. An FBI digital rendering based upon the observers’ descriptions accompanies this document, under the title FBI-UAP-D029.
FBI-UAP-D026, FD-302, “Dark Translucent Triangle,” 2023
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records a January 2026 interview with a former employee of the Department of War, in which the interviewee describes an incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in October 2023. An FBI digital rendering based upon the observer’s description accompanies this document, under the title FBI-UAP-D027.
FBI-UAP-D024, FD-302, “Airborne Lights and Triangle,” 2002, 2023-2024
This document is an FBI FD-302, a form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses to record interviews. This FD-302 records a March 2024 interview with a former U.S. military pilot, in which the interviewee describes several incidents potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in 2023 and 2024. The interviewee also recalls a 2002 incident potentially involving UAP, while deployed as a military reservist in Afghanistan. An FBI digital rendering based upon the observer’s description accompanies this document, under the title FBI-UAP-D025.
EOP-UAP-D001, NASC Inquiry into Bahia, Brazil Incident, November 13, 1963
This document is a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) wire report dated November 9, 1963, tracking a local Portuguese-language radio broadcast from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, regarding an alleged crash of a “large metal sphere” containing a deceased occupant in Conde, Bahia, Brazil. This FBIS report is excerpted from the files of Edward C. Welsh, Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council (NASC). NASC was a cabinet-level advisory body within the Executive Office of the President responsible for coordinating U.S. space policy from 1958 to 1973. Handwritten annotations dated November 13, 1963, document a communication between officials at NASC and the U.S. Department of State. The note records a NASC request to a State Department official to query the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro for local verification of the reporting. This inter-agency request precedes a subsequent diplomatic cable sent by the Embassy the following day, cataloged in this collection under the title “DOS-UAP-D001.”
Editor's note: An Executive Office of the President/NASC record showing inter-agency follow-up on a reported Brazil incident involving a “large metal sphere.”
DOW-UAP-PR149, Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 51 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. Video description: 00:00-00:04: An area of contrast transits the frame from the bottom right edge to the lower left edge of the sensor field-of-view. 00:05-00:51: The sensor pans to track the area of contrast, keeping it generally within the center of the frame. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR142, Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2025
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 14 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2025. Video description: 00:00-00:04: No content. 00:05-00:08: An area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the left edge, transits from left to right, and exits the right edge of the frame. 00:09-00:14: No content. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR136, Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 30 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. Video description: 00:00-00:08: The sensor pans to track an area of contrast, keeping it generally centered within the frame. The sensor is partially occluded by a component of the platform passing in front of it, obscuring the background. 00:09-00:33: The sensor zooms in on the area of contrast. A reticle briefly surrounds the area of contrast. The sensor is occluded by a component of the platform, obscuring the display. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR134, Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2025
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 1 minute and 39 seconds of video footage from an electro-optical and infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2025. Video description: 00:00-01:39: The sensor pans to track an area of contrast from left to right across the background, keeping it generally centered within the frame. The sensor adjusts collection mode and level of magnification several times. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR127, Unresolved UAP Report, Pacific Ocean, 2019
The United States Navy Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) transferred this media to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022. The video contains 2 minutes and 29 seconds of footage captured via a hand-held recording device by a U.S. military service member in 2019. Low-light conditions at the time of capture influence the overall visual quality of the footage. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR123 through DOW-UAP-PR127 was captured contemporaneously. This media was digitally altered before being reported to AARO, and is presented as it was received. Video description: 00:00-00:17: The camera pans to track an apparent light source. 00:18-00:26: No content. 00:27-00:43: The camera pans to track an apparent light source. 00:44-00:47: No content. 00:47-00:49: The camera pans to track an apparent light source. 00:50-00:52: No content. 00:53-00:57: The camera pans to track an apparent light source. 00:57-01:02: No content. 01:02-02:28: The camera pans to track an apparent light source. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR126, Unresolved UAP Report, Pacific Ocean, 2019
The United States Navy Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) transferred this media to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022. The video contains 2 minutes and 32 seconds of footage captured via hand-held recording device by a U.S. military service member in 2019. Low-light conditions at the time of capture influence the overall visual quality of the footage. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR123 through DOW-UAP-PR127 was captured contemporaneously. This media was digitally altered before being reported to AARO, and is presented as it was received. Video description: 00:00-00:08: The camera pans against the background, bringing two apparent light sources into frame from the top left corner. The recording device focuses on the light sources, keeping them generally within the center of the frame. 00:09-00:53: The camera pans against the background. As the camera pans, it repeatedly brings several apparent light sources into and out of the frame. 00:54-01:23: The sensor zooms in on the light source in the lower left quarter of the frame, focusing to bring it into the center of the field-of-view. 01:24-02:32: The sensor zooms out and continues to pan to track apparent light sources. As the camera pans, it repeatedly brings several apparent light sources into and out of the frame. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR125, Unresolved UAP Report, Pacific Ocean, 2019
The United States Navy Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) transferred this media to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022. The video contains 28 seconds of footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a hand-held recording device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. military platform. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR123 through DOW-UAP-PR127 was captured contemporaneously. This media was digitally altered before being reported to AARO, and is presented as it was received. Video description: 00:00-00:05: An area of contrast remains generally centered within the sensor field-of-view. 00:06-00:09: The area of contrast tracks left within the sensor field-of-view. 00:10-00:15: The area of contrast loses distinctiveness against the background. 00:16-00:22: An area of contrast appears in the sensor field-of-view. The sensor pans to track it, keeping it generally within the center of the frame. 00:23-00:28: The area of contrast remains generally centered within the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR124, Unresolved UAP Report, Pacific Ocean, 2019
The United States Navy Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) transferred this media to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022. The video contains 53 seconds of footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a hand-held recording device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. military platform. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR123 through DOW-UAP-PR127 was captured contemporaneously. This media was digitally altered before being reported to AARO, and is presented as it was received. Video description: 00:00-00:01: An area of contrast remains generally centered within the sensor field-of-view. 00:02-00:29: The sensor zooms in on the area of contrast. 00:30-00:53: The area of contrast loses distinctiveness against the background. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR123, Unresolved UAP Report, Pacific Ocean, 2019
The United States Navy Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) transferred this media to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022. The video contains 1 minute and 4 seconds of footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a hand-held recording device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. military platform. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR123 through DOW-UAP-PR127 was captured contemporaneously. This media was digitally altered before being reported to AARO, and is presented as it was received. Video description: 00:00-00:03: An area of contrast is visible near the center of the frame. 00:04-00:07: The area of contrast loses distinctiveness against the background. 00:08-00:25: An area of contrast becomes visible near the center of the frame. The sensor pans and zooms in to focus on the area of contrast, keeping it generally within the center of the frame. 00:25-01:04: The area of contrast remains generally centered within the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR122, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 26 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter. Video description: 00:00-00:05: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. Visual elements of the sensor display enter and exit the frame throughout the duration of the video. 00:06-00:07: A relatively larger area of contrast transits from the bottom of the frame to the top of the sensor’s field-of-view, then re-enters from the top left to the bottom left of the frame. The relatively smaller area of contrast exits the bottom of the frame, and re-enters from the upper-right quarter of the frame. 00:08-00:26: The sensor adjusts, and an area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the top of the frame, and remains generally within the center of the frame. AARO Comment: This video footage significantly overlaps in content with DOW-UAP-PR121. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR121, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 34 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter. Video description: 00:00-00:12: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. Visual elements of the sensor display enter and exit the frame throughout the duration of the video. 00:13-00:18: A relatively larger area of contrast transits from the bottom of the frame to the top of the sensor’s field-of-view, then re-enters from the top left to the bottom left of the frame. The relatively smaller area of contrast exits the bottom of the frame, and re-enters from the upper-right quarter of the frame. 00:19-00:34: The sensor adjusts, and an area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the top of the frame, and remains generally within the center of the frame. AARO Comment: This video footage significantly overlaps in content with DOW-UAP-PR122. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR120, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 13 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter. Video description: 00:00-00:08: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. Visual elements of the sensor display enter and exit the frame throughout the duration of the video. 00:08-00:13: The sensor changes modalities twice and the area of contrast loses distinctiveness against the background. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR119, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of two seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter. Video description: 00:00-00:02: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR118, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 30 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter. Video description: 00:00-00:30: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view, momentarily exiting the bottom of the frame. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-PR117, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 16 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter. Video description: 00:00-00:16: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
DOW-UAP-D101, Intelligence Information Report, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
This document is an Intelligence Information Report (IIR), the primary standardized format utilized by the Department of War, military services, and the broader Intelligence Community to disseminate unevaluated intelligence information derived from human sources (HUMINT), open sources, and field collection activities. IIRs are not finished intelligence products; they serve as inputs for subsequent all-source intelligence assessments. This report accompanies the footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122. This report documents an observation by the aircrew of a U.S. Special Operations Forces (USSOF) AC-130 Gunship on September 8, 2021, during a nighttime live-fire training exercise over the Gulf of Oman. The aircrew reported first observing two unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) after dropping a water-activated flare. The report describes the UAP as stationary, approximately four feet in diameter, 0-20 feet above the water’s surface. Throughout the training sortie, the aircrew reported observing approximately 25 instances involving similar phenomena via infrared sensor, describing them as “cold orbs.” Aircrew visual estimates of the UAP’s apparent speed range from 250 to 1,300 miles per hour. The report characterizes the UAP’s behavior as “maneuvering aggressively,” “flying in various formations,” and appearing to react to deployments of the aircraft’s onboard weapons systems. The aircrew stated that they were unable to capture video footage of the phenomena because the aircraft’s digital video recorder was not functioning during the incident. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
Editor's note: A modern Gulf of Oman case file linked to six related videos, with aircrew reporting multiple “cold orbs” observed by infrared sensor during a nighttime training exercise.
DOW-UAP-D100, Air Materiel Command Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, 1947-1948
This file is a collection of U.S. Government memoranda and correspondence relating to “Project Sign,” a 1948 U.S. Air Force program to investigate reports of high-performance airborne objects. The documents characterize some of these reports as being consistent with “real” objects rather than fabrications or resulting from perceptual errors. The U.S. Air Force cites the reported characteristics of the phenomena, e.g., high speed and maneuverability, as exceeding known performance envelopes of U.S. military aircraft and thereby presenting a potential national security threat, if validated. This potential threat prompted the Air Force to call on the Air Materiel Command (AMC), the Service’s Major Command for logistics and procurement from 1946 to 1961, to gather further evidence to assess the validity of the reports. The Air Force emphasized that there was an “imperative need” for such evidence to enable appropriate countermeasures. The stated urgency of this request reflects the strategic environment of the early Cold War, a period characterized by heightened national defense concerns amid rapid global advancements in aerospace design and development. In framing the call for an investigation, the Air Force noted that sustained public interest and persistent inquiries from the press may eventually require an official statement in response. AMC’s investigation found that observers were generally not mistaken when reporting that they had seen an airborne object, but that their characterizations of those objects as unusual was likely a reflection of the “limits of their personal experience.” It identified “a great many” of the objects reported with a rounded appearance as “weather or upper air scientific balloons of some type.” It also identified several cases in which the reported objects were most likely celestial phenomena, such as Venus. AMC found that a small number of reports lacked a “reasonable everyday explanation,” but that “so far, no physical evidence of the existence of the unidentified sightings has been obtained.” AMC expressly considered whether the phenomena may have been “vehicles from another planet,” but found no evidence supporting such an origin. Ultimately, AMC found that “there is as yet no conclusive proof that unidentified flying objects, other than those which are known to be balloons, are real aircraft.” In light of these findings, AMC recommended that the Department of War should avoid publicly commenting on the subject of “flying discs.” Responding to the Air Force’s anticipated concerns regarding public interest in the subject, AMC recommended that the Department should reply in terms that minimize the investigation’s inconclusive findings, focusing on positive determinations in cases assessed to be weather balloons and celestial phenomena.
Editor's note: A foundational early Cold War UFO file showing how the Air Force and Air Materiel Command weighed unusual reports, public pressure, possible threats, and inconclusive evidence.
DOW-UAP-D099, Intelligence Review of “Ghost Rocket” Incidents, 1947
This document is a U.S. Department of War General Staff intelligence review assessing incidents involving unidentified “Ghost Rockets” reported over Sweden and other Scandinavian countries beginning in May 1946. The review includes an analysis of observational reports, statements from the Swedish government, and reporting from the U.S. military attaché in Stockholm. The review highlights the inconclusive nature of the contemporary evidence available to substantiate reports from civilian and military observers. The review also documents a change in the public stance of the Swedish Defense Staff, which privately attributed the objects to Soviet V-1 missile tests launched from Peenemünde. Peenemünde is a then-occupied municipality in northeastern Germany that had been associated with the development of the V-1 and V-2 rocket program during World War II. The Swedish assessment publicly shifted from an unknown technological origin to one of a “celestial origin.” The review suggests that this shift was a deliberate effort to avoid diplomatic conflict with the Soviet Union. The report’s final assessment concludes that while most reported incidents were likely misidentified natural phenomena, the “best evidence” suggested a small number of “real incidents” involving low-flying V-1 type missiles, likely attributable to Soviet tests of captured German technology.
DOS-UAP-D002, Diplomatic Cable, Brazil, November 20, 1963
This document is a U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the Office of the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C., on November 20, 1963. This cable relays the findings of the scientific attaché at the American Consulate in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, that a widely reported incident allegedly involving a crashed unidentified object was unsubstantiated, characterizing the reports as a fabrication originating in Rio de Janeiro. The Consulate cites a lack of contemporary local reporting regarding the alleged incident, as well as contradictory reporting from local newspapers after the fact, as evidence that the published claims are unsubstantiated. The Consulate also cites a statement from the Brazilian Ministry of Aeronautics categorically denying that there was “any “strange object” in Conde [Bahia].” This correspondence follows a previous exchange between the Embassy and the Department of State, included in this collection under the title “DOS-UAP-D001.”
DOS-UAP-D001, Diplomatic Cable, Brazil, November 14, 1963
This document is a U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the Office of the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C., on November 14, 1963. This cable documents an effort by the Embassy to verify that the Department had assessed certain content published in a local newspaper as inauthentic, following a discussion on a poor-quality telephone connection the previous night. To ensure both offices were referencing the same reporting, the cable cites descriptive language paraphrased from the press, namely a “large metal manned balloon” and a “dead crewman aboard wearing [a] uniform or spacesuit with strange markings.” The cable concludes with the embassy’s understanding that an object assessed to be a weather balloon had been reported in the vicinity, but that no such object had been found to have crashed. A follow-on correspondence regarding the alleged incident is included in this collection under the title “DOS-UAP-D002.”
CIA-UAP-D023, Briefing Notes for Mr. Walter Elder
This document contains briefing material prepared for Mr. Walter N. Elder, Executive Assistant to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), regarding a November 19, 1964, incident allegedly involving unidentified aircraft in the vicinity of Puerto Rico. The previous entry in this collection, CIA-UAP-D022, contains CIA memoranda on the same subject matter. The briefing includes additional details regarding that incident, including a characterization of the meteorological conditions and sensing capabilities of nearby U.S. military collection systems. The briefing states that a radar system aboard USS Gyatt, a guided missile destroyer operating in the vicinity, detected a contact tracking more than 3,800 knots (approximately 4,373 mph) over a period of 21 minutes. The briefing contains visual estimates regarding the phenomenon’s apparent capabilities from the pilot of an F-8 Crusader who was present during the incident.
CIA-UAP-D022, Unidentified Flying Object Reported near Puerto Rico, 1965
This file contains Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) memoranda exchanged between the Assistant Director for Special Activities (AD/SA) and the Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence (AD/SI) regarding an incident allegedly involving unidentified aircraft in the vicinity of Puerto Rico. The AD/SI was then-responsible for analyzing foreign scientific advancements and technological threats, such as Soviet nuclear, chemical, and ballistic missile capabilities. The AD/SA managed the CIA’s classified overhead reconnaissance operations, including the deployment of advanced aircraft like the U-2 and A-12 OXCART. Together, these offices ensured the United States could both gather critical intelligence over contested territories and accurately evaluate the technical capabilities of foreign adversaries during the Cold War. The memoranda refer to an incident on November 19, 1964, in which a U.S. Naval aviator described observing an unidentified object as “delta-shaped, about the size of a jet fighter.” The pilot visually estimated the object’s velocity as Mach 3 (approximately 2,200 mph). A corresponding track from an AN/SPS-49 radar system aboard a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the area, USS Gyatt, measured the object’s speed at 3,800 knots (approximately 4,373 mph). The memoranda indicate that, in the opinion of the AD/SI, the object was conceivably associated with foreign intelligence gathering activities, citing active missile testing within the AFWR, or Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range, as being an attractive reconnaissance target. The AD/SA and AD/SI also ruled out domestic experimental aircraft, such as the YF-12A OXCART, as a potential attribution.
FBI-UAP-D042, Digital Rendering 2, “Multiple Red Lights,” 2026
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States in 2026. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by two U.S. persons, as described in FBI-UAP-D040. The Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared this digital rendering in 2026 as a visual aid in support of the PURSUE initiative.
FBI-UAP-D041, Digital Rendering 1, “Multiple Red Lights,” 2026
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States in 2026. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by two U.S. persons, as described in FBI-UAP-D040. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) prepared this digital rendering in 2026 as a visual aid in support of the PURSUE initiative.
FBI-UAP-D039, Digital Rendering 2, “Multiple Red Lights,” 2026
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States in 2026. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by two U.S. persons, as described in FBI-UAP-D037. The Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared this digital rendering in 2026 as a visual aid in support of the PURSUE initiative.
FBI-UAP-D038, Digital Rendering 1, “Multiple Red Lights,” 2026
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in the western United States in 2026. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by two U.S. persons, as described in FBI-UAP-D037. The Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared this digital rendering in 2026 as a visual aid in support of the PURSUE initiative.
FBI-UAP-D031, Digital Rendering, “Large Triangle with Red Lights,” 2023
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) near Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2023. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by a U.S. Person, as described in FBI-UAP-D030. The Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared this digital rendering in 2026 as a visual aid in support of the PURSUE initiative.
FBI-UAP-D029, Digital Rendering, “Dark Triangle with Lights,” 2011
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in June or July of 2011. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by two former U.S. military service members, as described in FBI-UAP-D028. The Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared this digital rendering in 2026 as a visual aid in support of the PURSUE initiative.
FBI-UAP-D027, Digital Rendering, “Dark Translucent Triangle,” 2023
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in October 2023. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by a former Department of War employee, as described in FBI-UAP-D026. The Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared this digital rendering in 2026 as a visual aid in support of the PURSUE initiative.
FBI-UAP-D025, Digital Rendering, “Airborne Triangle,” 2002
This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident above Bagram Air Force Base, Afghanistan, potentially involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) in June 2002. This image is based upon a first-hand description provided by a former military service member, as described in FBI-UAP-D024. The Federal Bureau of Investigation prepared this digital rendering as a visual aid in 2026 in support of the PURSUE initiative.
DOW-UAP-D098, Film Analysis of Unidentified Objects, 1953
This file contains a memorandum relating to the U.S. Naval Photographic Interpretation Center’s assessment of two films allegedly depicting unidentified airborne objects, captured in Montana and Utah in 1950 and 1952, respectively. The file documents the Center’s analytic process, assumptions that constrained its confidence level, tentative conclusions, and recommendations for future research. The Center assessed, generally, that the objects depicted in the film demonstrated characteristics that were inconsistent with those of natural phenomena or commonly known aerospace technologies. The memorandum documents the Center’s recommendation for a more well-resourced investigation to corroborate its presumptive findings, citing a lack of funding and personnel. The accompanying charts compare the film’s luminosity with the apparent angular size of the phenomena, using contemporary mathematical modeling and photogrammetric analysis techniques.
Editor's note: A 1953 naval photographic analysis of films from Montana and Utah that shows how early investigators evaluated unusual airborne objects using the tools and limits of the time.
