The Pentagon has unveiled a third series of vintage classified files related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and other unexplained phenomena. These 72 documents date from the 1940s up to the current year. They reveal that government investigations have examined UFO sightings not only in the United States but globally. This collection incorporates reports from both the CIA and FBI, as well as public accounts, including a recent report by a federal law enforcement agent who described spotting an object resembling ‘the flying car from the Harry Potter series.’ In October 2024, an observer witnessed a light hovering over a pond in the northeastern United States.
The files are now accessible on a dedicated government website. As noted in a press statement from the Pentagon’s public affairs office, the records consist of unresolved cases. This means the government cannot conclusively identify the phenomena observed.
Among the documents are 29 from the FBI, 18 from the CIA, 12 from the Department of Defense, and 11 from NASA. There is also one from the intelligence community and a final document from an unspecified U.S. government agency. The collection not only covers alleged UFO sightings but also includes references to historical and scientific literature discussing specific UFO claims.
A significant report from July 2008 involves a suspected UFO sighting at Harare International Airport in Zimbabwe. Observers at one point noted ‘beams’ emitting from the object.
Another intriguing file includes a memo dated January 9, 1958, penned by an R.P.B. Lohman, likely a CIA officer. Lohman regretfully informed Dr. Leon Davidson that the agency could not resolve issues concerning space messages as records had been destroyed. Davidson was a scientist involved in the atomic bomb development and later investigated UFO sightings.
Additionally, the files contain correspondence from a ‘Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects’ organized by the CIA in the early 1950s. This panel concluded that ‘flying saucers’ were not a direct threat to national security but saw a threat from the sensationalist press coverage. They advised a policy of ‘debunking’ the mystery around UFOs.
The oldest documents in this batch include an ‘Evaluation Study of the Phenomenon (Flying Saucers)’ from June 1946 by the Defense Department. It states that 20 percent of 210 incidents were explained, but there was no solid evidence pointing to foreign national activity. However, the possibility of foreign planet origins was not eliminated.
Another document from 1949 details correspondence between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Rev. Charles Barnes, who reported observing ‘four beams of light converging in the Cascade Mountains.’ Hoover suggested this might relate to a scientific experiment and forwarded the information to the Atomic Energy Commission.
Lastly, excerpts from a 1962 interview by Walter Cronkite with astronaut Gordon Cooper are included. Cooper spoke about many qualified individuals observing inexplicable objects and speculated on the possibility of other planets supporting human life.