The Pentagon released a third batch of vintage classified files on Friday. These files pertain to unidentified anomalous phenomena, commonly known as UFOs. The 72 files span from the 1940s to the present. They reveal that government investigations into UFO sightings occurred not only in the United States but globally.
The files include reports from the CIA and FBI, as well as sightings reported by the public. This month, a federal law enforcement agent reported seeing a flying object that resembled a flying car from the Harry Potter series. Another report from October 2024 details an eyewitness observing a light source hovering over a pond in the northeastern U.S. at 6:51 p.m. local time, approximately 2,700 feet away.
The release follows previous disclosures prompted by President Donald Trump’s administration. Those seeking definitive proof of extraterrestrial life may find the new documents disappointing. A document indicates that the U.S. government, as of 1998, lacked evidence of extraterrestrial technology.
The official responses consistently state that, circa 1998, the U.S. Government is not aware of evidence supporting the existence of extraterrestrial technology.
Located on a dedicated government site, these documents contain unresolved cases where the government cannot definitively identify the phenomena observed. The batch includes reports from the FBI, CIA, Department of Defense, NASA, and other agencies.
In addition to sighting reports, references to scientific literature addressing UFO claims are present. For example, a July 2008 sighting at Harare International Airport in Zimbabwe raised debate as to whether it was an advanced foreign reconnaissance device or extraterrestrial. Observers noted beams emanating from the object.
A 1958 memo by CIA officer R.P.B. Lohman suggests concern over a memo stating records on certain space messages were destroyed. Lohman provided this answer to Dr. Leon Davidson, a scientist involved in developing the atomic bomb and later investigating UFOs.
We appreciate that there have been many cooks in the kitchen on this dish and that, as a result, the extraordinarily noncommittal and evasive answer we were instructed to give Davidson was perhaps the only one possible.
Earlier documents from 1952 and 1953 show the CIA convened a Scientific Advisory Panel on UFOs. The panel concluded that ‘flying saucers’ posed no direct threat to U.S. national security. It identified the real threat as sensationalist press coverage, recommending a policy of debunking to remove the mystery surrounding UFOs.
The oldest files date back to the 1940s. A Department of Defense study from June 1946 evaluated flying saucer incidents. Of 210 incidents, 20% were explained, and no evidence suggested foreign nation activity, nor ruled out extraterrestrial origins.
Another 1949 file includes correspondence between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Rev. Charles Barnes. Barnes reported seeing beams of light converging in the Cascade Mountains, creating a visible explosion at their convergence point. Hoover forwarded the letter to the Atomic Energy Commission, suggesting the sighting could relate to military or scientific experiments within its purview.
An excerpt from a 1962 interview by Walter Cronkite with astronaut Gordon Cooper touches on credible UFO sightings. Cooper speculates about the existence of other livable planets and potential human life. Cronkite, known for his extensive coverage of NASA’s early space missions, was honored with a moon rock for his years covering the space program.
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