STATEMENT: « The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government’s understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency. »

United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth

We are living in fascinating times. We have moved from outright denial over the course of decades to a form of institutionalized transparency.

By posting these videos via the AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) on May 8, 2026, on the Department of Defense website, https://www.war.gov/UFO, the U.S. government is effecting a major paradigm shift. The videos show “astonishing” objects: metallic orbs, eight-pointed star shapes, 90-degree maneuvers near the ocean’s surface, cigar- or teardrop-shaped objects, etc., often filmed by drones or infrared sensors in sensitive areas (the Middle East, Europe, the Pacific, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Greece). Many remain “unresolved” despite analysis. There is a redacted report regarding the observation of white orbs in Djibouti in 2025. Or the testimony of a U.S. military operator who reported observing a UAP at an estimated altitude of 1,800 feet in the Strait of Hormuz in September 2020. 162 files. That is a significant number.

One can certainly criticize this selective transparency: by releasing “unexplained” cases while retaining control over classified explanations, the United States is signaling its superiority in intelligence and surveillance capabilities. This is a classic tactic in competition among major powers (particularly vis-à-vis China and Russia). On the other hand, the United States is reminding the world that it is the leader in the study of aerial and anomalous phenomena.

Historically, official reports (such as the one from 2021) have cited various possibilities: adversarial technologies (China, Russia), common phenomena misinterpreted, or…unknown causes.

From the Moon, Apollo Mission, 1969

Let us emphasize: May 8, 2026, is a historic day in ufology. It must be said that the UFO topic has been fueling the mass media continuously and at an accelerating pace since the summer of 2023 (David Grusch’s revelations). The news is so abundant that skeptical skeptics are having a hard time keeping up: quite simply, we can say that the balance of power between “skeptics” and “believers” is beginning to shift. For of course, while some will be quick to proclaim that there is no indication of a non-human origin, that the ultimate proof is missing (and it’s true, we have a body of evidence but no definitive proof), it’s clear that the sole purpose of this “whole circus” of declassification isn’t simply to pin the full blame for UFOs on those infamous Russian or Chinese drones. Some images are very unsettling, such as this archival photograph showing the lunar surface as seen from the Apollo 12 landing site in 1969. The image highlights an area of interest located slightly to the right of the vertical axis of the frame, above the horizon, in which unidentified phenomena are visible.

For a long time, ufology was dismissed as occult science or paranoid delusion. By launching an official website, the Pentagon acknowledges that these phenomena are real, physical, and worthy of scientific interest. It is no longer a matter of “belief,” but of aeronautical data.

It should also be noted that by replacing “UFO” with UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), the government has “cleansed” the term of its Hollywood connotations to make it a matter of national security. This amounts to an endorsement by the bureaucracy: if it is officially designated as such, it means the subject of study exists.

Admittedly, this does not necessarily validate the extraterrestrial hypothesis. For the Pentagon, a UAP is first and foremost a potential threat or hostile technology (Russian or Chinese) before it is an interstellar visitor. Posting these videos online also allows the government to regain control of the narrative. By being “transparent,” they discourage unauthorized leaks and channel public attention.

Yet, it can be said that ufology has won its battle for credibility without needing recognition from the scientific community. And for good reason: this discipline is not a science, and the subject at hand (aliens) is too explosive to be left solely to the judgment of the scientific community and its long-standing stigmatizing attitude. There is inevitably some ambiguity. It’s a bit as if the government had opened the files on the “gray zone” without actually confirming what lies within.

Let’s consider a hypothesis that isn’t all that far-fetched: if certain UAPs are neither American, Chinese, nor Russian (as suggested by some reports of capabilities “beyond known terrestrial capabilities”), then releasing these videos could be a subtle signal: “We know you exist, we’re watching you, and we’re making this public without causing panic.  » This avoids escalation while informing (or testing the reaction of) this entity. Basically, a form of cosmic or psychological deterrence: showing that humanity (via the United States) is not powerless in the face of the unknown.

Even though official AARO/Pentagon reports generally insist: no evidence of extraterrestrial or non-human origin. Most cases are likely explained by sensory artifacts, drones, balloons, or secret tech. The “unknown” often remains a data gap, not confirmation of aliens. Enough to delight skeptics and calm the scaredy-cats…but…

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“They kept their promises; they said they would declassify the information, and they began the declassification process right away. We have videos and documents that were classified for a long time—including some from NASA—that will be very interesting to examine. This isn’t over; there should be more to come. In any case, they kept their word. The fact that this is being done by the U.S. Department of Defense is significant; it sends a message to other nations around the world. It’s historic; it’s never been done before. There’s a desire to share this information, perhaps with adversarial nations. Let’s not forget, either, the internal conflict between the government and the military-industrial complexes, which seem to be withholding information from members of Congress and the White House. It’s also about putting pressure on these complexes. We’ll have to wait and see if they declassify more. If there are other videos, other photos, of better quality. For now, they’re mostly infrared. But for example, it clearly shows that astronauts who went to the Moon did indeed see unidentified objects.”

Sarah Witeneim, co-organizer of the Echo Event, member of UAP CHECK, and co-author of *UFOs: Breaking the Silence* (french book) with Daniel Robin (2025).

“We’re taking the first step toward disclosure. Our pioneering ufologists—Jimmy Guieu, Aimé Michel—actively sought out official documents, and we have them now, at least some of them in the United States. This is a first step, a first breakthrough. Well, it can be frustrating because most of the reports are redacted, and the same goes for the videos—they’re missing location data, the witness’s name, and so on—everything we need to conduct a UFO investigation. So obviously, these documents can hardly serve as evidence.

The positive aspect is that this comes from a government agency, an official body—the War Department. What’s interesting are the NASA photos; I didn’t expect to find them there—photos dating back to 1972. As soon as there’s an astronaut on the moon, in the lunar sky, we see luminous spheres, shapes like triangles, an oblong shape, like a cigar. This lends credence to those who say that the lunar missions, from the first one through Apollo 16, were under surveillance by alien entities: it lends credence to what we’ve known in ufology for at least 70 years, namely that there are unknown objects in our skies capable of extraordinary maneuvers. And that we’ve had sightings in space, on the moon, as reported by astronauts under the veil of secrecy. We await further developments. […] But I think it was necessary to acclimate the public, so as not to scare them, even though I believe Hollywood has done a good job of that over the past few decades. And I think Spielberg’s film will bring it all to a close when it is released on June 10 here and June 12 in the United States. I think we’ve entered a process of widespread disclosure across all media, and that’s rather encouraging—provided, of course, that war or something else doesn’t come along to cast a shadow over the picture between now and then.’

Stéphane Royer, co-author of the (french)book ‘UFOs and Nuclear Power: Are We Under Surveillance?’(2021)

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We might be tempted to say that, with the midterm elections approaching, the government—which finds itself in a difficult position (due to the Iranian stalemate)—is trying to score points by claiming to guarantee the safety of Americans.

Reactions to these declassifications are already varied and mixed, just as they were following the statements by Obama and Trump. “Killing” the messenger is easier than listening to the message. This is the reasoning of a whole segment of the Twitter sphere, for example, which has already declared that this is yet another charade, disinformation aimed at Americans, and a ploy by the “world government.” Gone is the fact that UFOs and non-human beings have been observed for centuries around the world. And at the same time (playing devil’s advocate): it’s hard to believe a nation that lied to go to war in Iraq…

The UAP issue is toxic, intractable, suffocating, awkward, and now…permanent. It’s not uncommon these days to have people in your circle who used to burst out laughing at the mere mention of the word “UFO” but now either stay silent or politely say, “I’m not interested in that sort of thing.” We will likely need organizations like CERO-FRANCE or the UAP Medical Coalition to support people who are anxious about this issue.

The other issue is how the world’s major nations will react to this declassification. It is highly doubtful that France, Germany, let alone China, Russia, Australia, India, Egypt, or South Africa, will take a similar approach with regard to their citizens. Perhaps Brazil? We’ll have to wait and see. Another issue within the French context (and we will return to this in greater detail) is the lack of coverage by media outlets that claim to be investigative: Médiapart, Investigaction, etc. It seems that it is more convenient to support and glorify a Julian Assange rather than a David Grusch.

The coming months are going to be interesting, to put it mildly. And now, our thoughts go out to those pioneering French ufologists who, in their day, were scorned and ostracized for decades: Joël Mesnard, Jimmy Gieu, René and Francine Fouéré, Pierre Guérin, Aimé Michel, and René Hardy, to name just a few. And, of course, our thoughts go out to ufologists around the world, from Canada to Zimbabwe, who are no longer with us to witness this important, astonishing, and crucial moment in our contemporary history.