The Pentagon released a new batch of UFO files on Friday, including videos of shape-shifting orbs, an object shot down over Lake Huron, and a report of countless oval-shaped orbs swarming a U.S. military helicopter last year.
The newly declassified files were released in an effort to bring unprecedented transparency regarding the government's understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the Department of Defense said in a statement. Additional files are expected to be released on a rolling basis.
Key Document: Helicopter Encounter with Orbs
Among the most curious documents is a report by a senior U.S. intelligence officer who described being left speechless last year after witnessing from a helicopter multiple glowing orbs flying around an undisclosed U.S. military facility, or Joint Operations Center (JOC), where UAP sightings had been reported over the previous several nights.
The officer wrote that the orbs split into two, approached within ten feet of the helicopter, and vanished and reappeared in different locations. The ground team reported spotting a UAP on FLIR (infrared camera), describing it as super-hot, low to the ground, and moving east then south at high speed. The object then split into two and changed direction.
Upon arrival, the team scanned the area using Night Vision Goggles (NVG), FLIR, and the naked eye. The ground team suddenly radioed that the object had risen from the ground, approached within ten feet of the helicopter, dropped below them, and then sped away. The pilots observed it through NVGs and saw it split into two as a smaller object emerged before it accelerated out of sight. They briefly pursued but broke off, unable to match its speed.
Minutes later, they saw countless orange orbs swarming in all directions against the backdrop of the mountain. The display lasted several minutes before fading. The JOC then redirected them to their previous position based on fresh radar hits. Hovering at 700 feet above ground level (AGL), through NVG and with the naked eye, they observed two large orbs flare up side by side, close to the helicopter, stationary and just above the rotor disk to their right. They were oval-shaped, orange with a white or yellow center, and emitted light in all directions.
After a few seconds, a third orb flared up below the pair, followed by a fourth below that, forming a total of four or five in a T formation under the original two. Moments later, they dimmed in reverse order, remaining stationary until they vanished from view. The entire event lasted 10-15 seconds. The officer did not take photos, as he was focused on assessing whether it posed a threat.
After this encounter, the pilots briefly considered landing due to the objects proximity but opted to remain hovering at 700 feet AGL for further observation. They then spotted fighter jets entering visual range at about 23,000 feet AGL, identifiable by their blinking navigation lights. As they watched from afar, the same type of orbs appeared directly above the fighters. They flared up one at a time in a horizontal formation, matching the jets speed and flight path. After 10-15 seconds, they dimmed sequentially and disappeared. This repeated several times as the jets transited the airspace and eventually landed. The officer remarked to the pilots that it seemed the same orbs they had encountered were now chasing the fighters. They also observed orange orbs flaring up and down around them for several minutes, forming a distinct triangle before vanishing.
Low on fuel, the pilots decided to return to the JOC. After landing, the officer briefly spoke with them, mostly to express thanks. They were virtually speechless after these observations.
Historical Reports and Videos
The files also include historical government reports, including sightings of green orbs, discs, and fireballs near a New Mexico military base between 1948 and 1950. Witnesses reported UAP maneuvering, flying out of sight, disappearing, or exploding. The files also include numerous videos of unidentified flying objects, some described as shape-shifting, multiplying, and traveling in and out of water at high rates of speed.
One video taken in 2020 shows an oddly shaped object twist into different shapes, separate, and then abruptly bolt out of view. Another video taken in 2023 shows an object resembling a large balloon being shot down over Lake Huron by a U.S. Air Force fighter jet. A similar large, spherical object was filmed flying over an urbanized area in 2020; after appearing to travel horizontally for some distance, the object appears to move vertically into the clouds.
Another video taken in 2022 is described as showing multiple spherical UAPs moving in and out of water near a submarine. A 2024 video shows a flying object over water within the United States Indo-Pacific Command area, described as showing possible changes of shape. Another 2024 video shows a UAP pulsing over an undisclosed body of water. A 2019 video captured multiple lights moving in the sky, uploaded as UFOs in formation over Persian Gulf.
The descriptions accompanying the videos were written without any intended analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described events validity, nature, or significance, the DOD stated with its upload.
