🛸 The Pentagon publishes videos of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)

UFO enthusiasts got a big surprise: the Pentagon released a first set of declassified files on May 8, 2026. These highly anticipated documents include 161 files, about thirty of which are videos. They contain testimonies from Apollo astronauts and investigation reports on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

Among the most striking videos, three stand out. One of them, filmed in Syria by an infrared camera, lasts five seconds. It reveals an irregular white ball of light with a luminous halo. The associated report specifies that it is a UAP described as "a deformed and uneven ball of light."


Another video, from the Indo-Pacific Command, shows an object shaped like a football with three radial projections. The image was captured by an infrared sensor in 2024. The object appears to move slowly, and its shape is very sharp. The Pentagon offers no explanation for this phenomenon.

A third sequence, longer (100 seconds), has an almost artistic atmosphere. It shows a small bright point moving among wind turbines, as if lost in a forest of machines. The associated report mentions that it is an unidentified UAP.

For now, the U.S. military provides no explanation for these phenomena, stating that descriptions should not be considered analytical conclusions. Experts remind that "unidentified" does not mean extraterrestrial: natural or terrestrial causes such as drones, glitches, or instrument issues remain the most likely.

The military hopes this release will attract the attention of private researchers, and the Pentagon's website indicates that new files will be declassified regularly, in batches every few weeks.

Several reasons explain the long-term classification of these phenomena. Among others, the released military imagery allows potential adversaries to estimate the capability and limits of sensors and technologies deployed in operations, beyond the mere presence of a UAP in the images. Information is declassified only when it can no longer provide useful military intelligence, particularly after the operational replacement of the technology used (obsolescence, decommissioning, etc.).

See the Pentagon's website on UAP.

Unidentified aerial phenomena

UAP, or unidentified aerial phenomena, are objects or lights observed in the sky that cannot be immediately identified. The term replaced UFO to avoid extraterrestrial connotations. The U.S. government has been studying them for years through official programs.

These phenomena can take many forms: balls of light, cigar-shaped or disk-shaped objects, etc. They are often reported by military or civilian pilots. Radar and infrared recordings help document them.

Possible explanations include natural events, drones, weather balloons, light reflections, or instrument flaws. However, some cases remain unexplained despite thorough analysis. But to date, every resolved case has systematically concluded a non-extraterrestrial origin (in the sense of extraterrestrial life or technology), even if the phenomenon remained unexplained for a long time.

Research into UAP has become more transparent in recent years, which notably helps accelerate the discovery of a rational explanation.