Full Breakdown
Pentagon Releases Third Batch of Declassified UAP Files
6/13/2026, 3:10:42 AM
Core Release Overview
On Friday the Department of Defense posted a third tranche of 72 declassified files to the public UAP archive. The set includes 53 documents, 10 images, six videos—four civilian eyewitness recordings—and three NASA audio clips, covering incidents from the 1940s through 2025.
Context and Executive Order
The release follows President Donald Trump’s 2026 executive order directing agencies to disclose all records on unidentified anomalous phenomena. Earlier drops on May 8 and May 22 released roughly 300 files; the new batch adds eyewitness accounts and historic analyses.
Agencies and Key Personnel
Contributing agencies include the CIA, FBI, NASA, the Defense Department and an unnamed intelligence partner. AARO coordinated the review. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell framed it as a transparency initiative.
Highlighted Sightings
- Northeastern Orb (July 2025) – iPhone video shows two bright lights moving in formation over the northeastern United States.
- Western U.S. Orbs (Oct 2023) – Five federal agents described an orange “mother orb” spawning red orbs near a sensitive site, with one orb hovering for hours.
- Colorado Springs “Potato” (Feb 2022) – Five Army personnel saw a creamy-opalescent, fish-scale-covered object hover over Cheyenne Mountain for two minutes before vanishing.
Data Snapshot
The batch includes 29 FBI, 18 CIA, 12 DoD, 11 NASA files and one from an unspecified agency. The archive has logged over 1.7 billion hits since launch.
Official Statements
The Pentagon called the entries “unresolved cases” and said no conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial technology has emerged. AARO’s June 2026 analysis of the Colorado Springs sighting offered a low-confidence hypothesis that sunlight reflected off snow-covered peaks may have caused the glow. Hegseth stressed the “unprecedented commitment to transparency,” while Parnell noted the “rolling release” of more records.
Criticism and Opposition
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called the disclosures “shiny object propaganda.” Skeptic Michael Shermer warned the files lend undue credibility to unverified testimony, and former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick called the releases a “self-licking ice-cream cone” that fuels speculation.
Conflicting Analyses & Gaps
Explanations range from military flares and developmental tech to atmospheric phenomena; many reports lack video or photos, limiting verification. The Colorado Springs case carries both a low-confidence sunlight-backscatter assessment and an “unidentified technology” label, underscoring uncertainty.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government's understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).” — Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary
- “These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves,” — Pete Hegseth, Pentagon statement
- “so sick of the ‘look at the shiny object’ propaganda” — Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. Representative
- “There’s nothing unexpected in their release.” — Sean Kirkpatrick, former AARO director
What’s Next
The Pentagon said further UAP files will be released on a “rolling basis,” with AARO continuing investigations and working with academic and scientific partners.
