The Pentagon has released a new batch of 64 files related to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), including a striking account from a senior intelligence officer who claims to have witnessed “countless orange orbs” while onboard a military helicopter.
The files, which include six PDF files, seven audio files, and 51 video files, were made public on the Pentagon’s UAP website. The release includes footage of UAPs captured by military aircraft, as well as audio recordings from NASA astronauts during the Apollo and Mercury missions.
UAP Sightings
The videos show grainy infrared footage of UAPs, including a notable clip that appears to show a fighter jet shooting down an unidentified object over Lake Huron in 2023. Many of the videos capture encounters that happened in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility between 2018 and 2023, including over the Persian Gulf.
A currently serving senior intelligence officer detailed his experience investigating UAP sightings in late 2025 onboard a military helicopter. The officer wrote that he and the crew had “a series of close UAP encounters lasting over an hour” as they investigated previous sightings.
The officer’s account is one of the most striking documents in the release, describing “countless orange orbs swarming in all directions” and “two large orbs flare up side by side, close to the helicopter — stationary and just above the rotor disk to our right.”
Implications and Reactions
The release of the new files has significant implications for the ongoing investigation into UAPs. The Pentagon notes that many of the materials lack a substantiated chain-of-custody, but the descriptions note when and where they were likely taken.
The release is part of a larger effort by the Pentagon to increase transparency around UAP sightings, following an executive order from President Trump earlier this year. The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is responsible for investigating UAP encounters and providing a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon.
