Pentagon Releases Third Batch of UFO Files
The Pentagon has released another set of vintage classified files concerning unidentified anomalous phenomena, often referred to as unidentified flying objects (UFOs). These 72 files are from periods ranging from the 1940s to the present year, highlighting investigations conducted not only in the U.S. but globally.
The files include reports from the CIA and FBI, and public sightings, like a recent one where a federal law enforcement agent described seeing an object resembling the ‘flying car from the Harry Potter series.’
In October 2024, around 6:51 p.m. in the northeastern U.S., an eyewitness reported a light source hovering above a pond at about 2,700 feet away.
Despite previous releases initiated by President Donald Trump which ignited public intrigue, this latest set is unlikely to provide conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial technology, as government officials reiterated in a document from 1998.
This batch is stored on a specific government site for public access, as stated by the Pentagon’s public affairs office.
The documents include 29 from FBI, 18 from CIA, 12 from the Department of Defense, 11 from NASA, one from within the intelligence community, and another from an unspecified agency. Not only do they include UFO sightings, but some refer to scientific literature regarding these phenomena.
One notable report involved a suspected UFO sighting in 2008 at Harare International Airport in Zimbabwe. The nature of the sighting led to discussions about whether it was foreign technology or something extraterrestrial.
A memo dated January 9, 1958, reveals that a CIA officer, R.P.B. Lohman, informed scientist Dr. Leon Davidson that records related to ‘space messages’ were destroyed. Lohman expressed regret over providing such non-committal responses.
In 1952 and 1953, the CIA convened a Scientific Advisory Panel on UFOs, concluding that ‘flying saucers’ did not pose a direct threat to U.S. security. However, sensationalist media coverage was seen as a threat, prompting recommendations to diminish UFO mystery through debunking efforts.
The oldest files trace back to the 1940s. A Defense Department study from 1946 investigated 210 incidents, finding explanations for only 20%. While the study didn’t connect these incidents to foreign activity, it also didn’t dismiss the possibility of extraterrestrial origins.
A 1949 file records J. Edgar Hoover corresponding with Rev. Charles Barnes about an observed convergence of beams over the Cascade Mountains, followed by a visible explosion. Hoover suggested it might stem from a military or scientific experiment.
Another notable inclusion is from a 1962 interview with astronaut Gordon Cooper conducted by Walter Cronkite, who mentioned sightings without logical explanation. Cooper speculated on the possibility of other planets with livable atmospheres, hinting at the existence of extraterrestrial life.