United States releases new UFO files

At the order of the U.S. President Donald Trump, the Defense Department released dozens of previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings to provide what it called "unprecedented transparency" to the American people, though analysts said many of the documents had already been made public.

The batch, of roughly 160 files, includes documents, photos and videos spanning decades: a 1947 report on “flying discs,” grainy images from the Apollo 12 lunar mission, and a 1972 Apollo 17 transcript in which the crew described “very bright particles or fragments” drifting by. Officials and some experts said the files add to the public record but do not provide conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial technology.

Supporters hailed the release as overdue openness: proponents in Congress and researchers argued public access to historical records could clarify government investigations and reduce speculation. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb noted the government has collected records of UAP encounters and said lunar images might be explained by asteroid impacts. Independent journalist Leslie Kean, who helped expose a secret Pentagon UAP program in 2017, said the disclosures confirm many incidents remain unexplained without implying an alien origin.

Critics and analysts cautioned much of the material had already been public or showed ambiguous, low-resolution phenomena likely caused by distant small objects, sensor anomalies, atmospheric effects, or foreign surveillance technology. Some political opponents framed the timing as a distraction from other controversies facing the administration. Former analysts and UAP investigators pointed out prior administrations had released similar information, and that new files may largely republish known sightings rather than yield breakthroughs.

The Pentagon said further tranches of declassified material are forthcoming. The disclosure is expected to rekindle debate over government secrecy, how UAP investigations are handled, and whether additional transparency should be mandated; authorities maintain national-security concerns will guide what can be safely released.