In a press release issued on Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the release of a first batch of previously classified documents on unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, a subject that even fascinates Donald Trump. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, “These documents, hidden behind defense secrecy, have long fueled speculations, and it’s time for the American people to have direct access to them.”
More than 160 documents have been published on a dedicated page on the Pentagon’s website. Among them are a series of reports from December 1947 on “flying discs.” Another file documents an incident in 2023 where three teams of federal police officers separately reported seeing “orange orbs” in the sky emitting or releasing smaller “red orbs.”
Donald Trump had previously announced in February his intention to order federal agencies to “identify and publish” files on aliens and UFOs. On the day of this announcement, the former president also criticized Barack Obama for allegedly divulging “classified information” about aliens.
Barack Obama clarified his stance in response to social media reactions, stating he saw “no evidence, during (his) presidency, that extraterrestrials had made contact with us.” The interest in UFOs has been reignited in recent years, as numerous reports of aircraft displaying seemingly supernatural characteristics were investigated by the U.S. government amid concerns over adversaries testing advanced technologies.
However, in March 2024, the Pentagon released a report stating there was no evidence linking unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) to extraterrestrial technology, with many suspicious observations turning out to be simple weather balloons, spy planes, satellites, or other ordinary activities.
