UAP Disclosure
UAP Disclosure: What Has Been Released
The modern official term for UFO transparency. What the U.S. government has actually published, what legislation governs it, and what remains unresolved.
Why “UAP” Instead of “UFO”?
The U.S. government formally adopted the term UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) to move beyond the cultural stigma attached to “UFO.” The shift also reflects a broader definition: UAP now includes submerged, transmedium, and space-domain observations, not only aerial sightings.
The AARO, ODNI, NASA, and Congress all use UAP as the official designation. Publicly, the older term UFO remains widely recognized and is used interchangeably in common usage.
Key UAP Disclosure Milestones
- 2017 — New York Times reporting reveals AATIP and leaks Navy UAP videos, triggering congressional and public interest
- 2020 — DoD officially releases three Navy UAP videos (Gimbal, GoFast, FLIR1)
- 2021 — ODNI publishes preliminary assessment of 144 UAP reports
- 2022 — AARO established; FY2023 NDAA expands UAP reporting requirements
- 2023 — NASA publishes independent UAP study; high-profile congressional hearing held
- 2024 — AARO publishes Historical Record Program Volume 1; UAP Disclosure Act provisions enacted in NDAA
Recent Timeline
AARO Historical Record Program Volume 1
AARO released Volume 1 of its historical records review, finding no verifiable evidence of secret government programs involving recovered non-human craft.
Official source ↗Trump Directs Declassification of Government UAP/UFO Records
President Trump directed the Secretary of War and other agencies to begin identifying and releasing government files related to UAP, UFOs, and extraterrestrial life. He cited 'tremendous interest' as the basis for the directive.
Official source ↗Department of War — PURSUE Release 01: 49+ Unresolved UAP Cases Published
The U.S. Department of War published its first UAP release under the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). Release 01 contains approximately 49 individually numbered unresolved case reports, infrared imagery, sensor stills, and video from military operators across multiple global locations. Secretary Pete Hegseth announced rolling releases to follow every few weeks.
Official source ↗Department of War — PURSUE Release 02: First Multi-Agency UAP Records Published
The U.S. Department of War published its second PURSUE UAP release on May 22, 2026 — the first to include records from multiple agencies. CIA, ODNI, NASA, and the Department of Energy contributed records alongside DOW. Highlights include video of a four-UAP formation over Iran (PR050), a Syrian UAP exhibiting instant acceleration (PR051), a USAF-ANG F-16C shoot-down of a UAP (PR071), a December 2019 East Coast case (PR086), and historical documents from Sandia Base (1948–1950), a 1973 CIA USSR intelligence report, an ODNI senior official USPER narrative, an Apollo 12 medical debriefing, and DOE PANTEX radar tower imagery. war.gov/UFO has received over 1 billion hits since Release 01. Release 03 is in development.
Official source ↗Department of War — PURSUE Release 03: First FBI Records and Intelligence Community Assessment Published
The U.S. Department of War published its third PURSUE UAP release on June 12, 2026. Release 03 is the first to include FBI-contributed records and the first to include a formal Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on a specific UAP incident. The 10-file release documents the 2022 Colorado Springs UAP incident (FBI FD-1057 interview, digital rendering, and ICA analysis), multiple 2025–2026 Northeastern U.S. orb sighting field reports and video, a 2024 FBI orb video, a Cold War-era CIA intelligence cable related to Zimbabwe, the 1949 U.S. Army Flying Saucer Study, and a 1949 FBI correspondence referral.
Official source ↗