A new batch of UFO files released last week by the Pentagon offers fresh details about unexplained encounters reported by U.S. military personnel. This includes a former pilot who described a huge triangular object apparently blocking out the stars over Afghanistan in 2002.

The latest release, issued Aug. 7, contains 41 records from several federal agencies and represents the fifth tranche of government UFO and unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, records released under President Donald Trump’s transparency directive.

The records include documents, photographs, artist renderings and videos. They range from historical material dating to 1950 to reports from 2026. The Pentagon says the files involve unresolved cases, meaning investigators have not been able to make a definitive determination about what the reported objects or phenomena were.

What the Latest UFO Files Show

The latest release contains a significant number of military encounters, including six videos documenting different views of a 2021 incident over the Gulf of Oman.

According to an accompanying intelligence report, Special Operations personnel aboard an AC-130J gunship observed approximately 25 UAP during a live-fire exercise.

The objects were described as cold orbs that appeared at altitudes between roughly 250 and 1,300 mph, sometimes moving in formations and making aggressive maneuvers.

Pentagon AARO Studies UFO Activity

The report also said some of the objects appeared to react when the gunship fired its main cannon.

The Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, known as AARO, was unable to resolve the incident.

Another video shows an object recorded by a military aircraft over a populated area in the Middle East in 2025. That case also remains unresolved.

Notable UFO Sightings in the Files

• Afghanistan, 2002: A former military pilot described a massive, silent triangular object passing over Bagram at about 4:30 a.m. The pilot estimated it could have been about 500 feet across and said it appeared to block out the stars as it moved from west to east.
• Gulf of Oman, 2021: Military personnel aboard an AC-130J reported approximately 25 UAP during a live-fire exercise. The objects were described as cold orbs moving at varying speeds and sometimes maneuvering aggressively.
• Massachusetts-to-Ireland flight, 2023: A former military pilot reported repeatedly seeing white lights at high altitude that brightened before fading. The complete cycle reportedly lasted between 10 seconds and one minute.
• Western United States, 2026: An FBI special agent reported seeing two slow-moving black-hot objects through an infrared sensor. The objects reportedly traveled together for five to 10 minutes before disappearing from view.
• Northeastern United States, 2022: FBI records include witness reports and video involving apparent red orbs and other unexplained lights.
• Middle East, 2025: U.S. Central Command submitted footage showing an object moving rapidly across the screen over a populated area. Investigators have not resolved the incident.

The Afghanistan Triangle

The Afghanistan account is among the most striking records in the release.

The former pilot told an FBI agent in 2024 that he had seen unusual lights on numerous occasions. But he also recalled an incident from his military service in Afghanistan in 2002.

At approximately 4:30 a.m. local time, the pilot said the stars over Bagram appeared to be obscured by something enormous moving overhead. He described the object as an equilateral triangle traveling silently at a consistent speed and altitude, with no visible lights.

The pilot estimated the object at approximately 500 feet in size but acknowledged that he could not see its entire shape. Another pilot reportedly saw the object and asked whether his colleague had seen it.

UFO Records Being Declassified

The FBI created an artist's rendering based on the witness account.

The report does not establish what the object was, and the Pentagon's release does not claim that the incident involved extraterrestrial technology.

The Aug. 7 disclosure is part of a broader federal effort to make historical UAP records public. The Pentagon says additional records will be released on a rolling basis as agencies locate, review and declassify material.

Government Says More UFO Records Are Coming

The government has repeatedly emphasized that an unresolved UAP case is not necessarily evidence of an alien spacecraft. A previous Pentagon review found no evidence that U.S. government investigations had confirmed extraterrestrial technology, while noting that some sightings remained unresolved because investigators lacked sufficient information.

That distinction remains important as the new records generate renewed public interest. The latest files provide additional firsthand accounts and sensor footage, but they do not by themselves establish an extraterrestrial explanation.

More Information

• Department of War — UFO/UAP Records Database
• Pentagon UFO Files — Latest Release
• Reuters — Pentagon UFO Files Coverage
• Associated Press — Newly Released Pentagon UFO Files
• Reuters — Pentagon Report on UAP Investigations
• NASA — UAP Research