“Observed 1x prob UAP IVO 3SKT4255899519. No consequences for the mission, continue with original assignment.” This text is the only one that is not covered up in a 7-page document. In the context of transparency about UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena, or unidentified phenomena in the air) a first batch of documents was made public by the US Department of Defense on May 8.
This came as no surprise, as President Trump announced in February that he was pushing for file sharing about UFOs (unidentified flying object) and UAP (the modern, broader term, which can also include strange observations that are not an ‘object’). Now there is a website with an X-files-esque look with white typewriter letters on a black background. The site opens with Trump’s order to release the government documents, which he posted on Truth Social.
“I already came across an image that looks suspiciously like a measuring balloon,” says Frederick Delaere. The coordinator of the Belgian UFO reporting center and author of the book UFO – Unbelievable! is not very impressed. “But extensive analysis is needed to make real statements about this.” He thinks it is positive that new documents are coming out, but also fears that they open the door to speculation about extraterrestrial life.
Of the 162 released documents, half come from the Ministry of Defense, or Department of Waras it is now called. These are mission reports where a UAP is mentioned and photos and videos.
This infrared image shows an unidentified object (black spot) over the western United States in December 2025.
Photo US Department of War/Reuters
The site states that these are ‘objects not yet identified’. “You would expect that the American government would be able to identify most objects,” says Delaere. “They are investing billions in UAP research.” Skeptics like the American ones Mick West can explain many phenomena in videos fairly well and quickly, says Delaere. “Just like us at the hotline, he does this for free.” In daily life, Delaere is a team leader at a company that makes materials for hygiene products, among other things.
The majority of the documents concern military observations from after 2020. The earliest dated document, from 1947, consists of correspondence within the US Air Force about ‘flying disks’. The shape of observed objects appears to be subject to trends. “In the 1940s, UFOs were mainly described as flying saucers, later on they were mainly seen as orbs,” Delaere knows from historical observations. In the 1980s, a striking number of triangle shapes were seen in Belgium.
In the released documents, Delaere also came across reports of a small cigar-shaped bright object: “Then I immediately think of the fuselage of an airplane.” In a certain light it seems as if the wings disappear. It is very important to know where and when a sighting took place, he emphasizes, “without witnesses, a photo or video is actually worthless.”
58 documents have been released by the FBI. This also includes a composite drawing based on an eyewitness report from September 2023. A cigar-shaped bronze-metallic object 40 to 60 meters long appears from a bright light in the sky. The other sources are photographs and reports from NASA’s Apollo missions and reports from US embassies to the US Department of State.
The use of military testimonies in particular should give the site a reliable appearance, Delaere suspects. “But at the same time the content is very speculative. Everyone must analyze this critically and in a scientific manner.”
This archive photo, released on May 8, 2026, shows the lunar surface as seen from the Apollo 12 landing site. The image shows a highlighted area slightly to the right of the vertical axis and above the horizon in which unidentified phenomena can be observed. According to the Ministry of Defense, the image has been adjusted from the original to distinguish specific details.
photo nasa
