PURSUE, the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, is not just another isolated file dump. It is a new federal UAP release mechanism hosted at WAR.GOV, with a stated plan for additional tranches every few weeks. The official page says the review and release effort is led by the Department of War with ODNI support, and that it involves “dozens of federal agencies” and “tens of millions of pages of records,” including paper archives. It also states that archived materials are often unresolved because of insufficient data, and explicitly invites private-sector expertise. (U.S. Department of War)
The Department of War press release describes Release 01 as an interagency transparency effort involving the White House, ODNI, Department of Energy, Department of War/AARO, NASA, FBI, and additional intelligence-community participants. It says the release includes videos, photos, and original source documents, and adds an important caveat: many materials have not yet been analyzed for anomaly resolution. (U.S. Department of War)
Independent reporting by CBS and AP states that the first tranche contains 162 files from FBI, Department of War/DoD, NASA, State Department, and other sources, including 120 PDFs, 28 videos, and 14 images, we can confirm these quantities. We also report that 108 of the 162 files contain redactions, and from statements it was done mainly to protect witnesses, facility locations, and sensitive military information not directly related to the UAP encounter. (CBS News)
The most important finding is not that this release “proves” a single explanation. It does not. The strongest finding is that the U.S. government has now placed a diverse, cross-agency set of unresolved UAP-related records into a public release pipeline, including modern military sensor footage, FBI imagery/testimony, and NASA historical mission material.
High-value possible findings
1. A new government disclosure infrastructure now exists
PURSUE should receive its own UAPedia article. It appears to be a formal release framework rather than a one-time archive update. The official page frames the effort as a continuing declassification and release pipeline, with future tranches planned “every few weeks.” (U.S. Department of War)
Our handling: Verified as a government release mechanism. The interpretations attached to specific cases remain separate and should not be merged into the institutional fact of the release.
2. Release 01 contains modern cases from 2025 and 2026
The visible slideshow includes FBI infrared stills from the western United States dated September and December 2025, plus a Department of War/Army 2026 North America case. This matters because the tranche is not merely historical. It includes very recent operational imagery. (U.S. Department of War)
The DVIDS record for DOW-UAP-PR49 says it is a 2026 Army report to AARO with infrared video from a U.S. military platform. The description notes that the sensor initially tracked one area of contrast and then two areas of contrast, with zoom and contrast changes affecting apparent size and distinctiveness. DVIDS explicitly warns that its description is informational only and not an analytic judgment. (DVIDS)
UAPedia handling: Probable unresolved military-sensor case, but not enough public data for a firm anomalous-performance claim.
3. The FBI image cluster is new and important, but metadata-poor
The official slideshow lists multiple FBI infrared black-hot stills from the western United States. The December 2025 images show small unidentified objects in black-hot infrared imagery. The September 2025 images include at least one object described as below a helicopter and others described simply as unidentified objects. (U.S. Department of War)
What can be said safely: these are official-release images, apparently from FBI-held material, showing small unresolved contrast features in infrared imagery. What cannot be said yet: speed, altitude, size, shape, range, origin, or anomalous propulsion. Still frames alone are too thin for that.
UAPedia handling: Verified release assets; Disputed object interpretation pending original video, metadata, chain of custody, sensor type, range, and operator report.
4. PR28 Greece, January 2024, may be one of the strongest modern sensor entries
DOW-UAP-PR28 is described as a U.S. military platform video using multiple sensor modalities. The mission report reportedly described a “diamond-shaped” object traveling at about 434 knots and detectable only through short-wave infrared. The object was lost when the sensor switched to the visible spectrum and was not reacquired. (DVIDS)
This is one of the most significant Release 01 cases because it involves multiple sensor modalities and a stated visible-spectrum non-detection. That combination is more interesting than a simple low-resolution dot in thermal imagery.
UAPedia handling: Probable high-priority unresolved case. The “diamond-shaped” and “434 knots” details should be labeled as mission-report description or witness/sensor-operator interpretation unless telemetry and full sensor data are released.
5. PR34 and PR35 Greece, October 2023, are a useful paired ocean-surface case set
DOW-UAP-PR34 is described as an infrared video tied to a mission report of a UAP near the ocean surface making multiple “90-degree turns” at roughly 80 mph. The DVIDS description also notes tracking, zoom changes, reticle lock/loss of lock, and contrast filtering. (DVIDS)
DOW-UAP-PR35 is described as a small circular UAP flying near the ocean surface toward land. The object reportedly becomes indistinguishable when the background shifts from water to land. (DVIDS)
These two Greece entries should be studied together. They may reveal whether contrast-background transitions, sensor tracking behavior, sea-surface glints, or genuine object motion explain the observations.
UAPedia handling: Probable unresolved cases, but with a strong need for frame-by-frame sensor analysis.
6. PR38 Middle East, 2013, is visually unusual
DOW-UAP-PR38 is described as an infrared video in which the tracked area of contrast resembles an eight-pointed star with alternating-length arms. The description also notes a visible trail and an apparent cut in the video. (DVIDS)
This is visually one of the more striking files. However, an eight-pointed infrared shape can also raise questions about optics, diffraction, glare, bokeh, compression, or sensor processing. It should not be classified as craft-like without analysis.
UAPedia handling: Disputed visual anomaly. High priority for image-processing review, but not enough to assert non-human origin.
7. PR46 INDOPACOM, 2024, adds a shape-specific military report
DOW-UAP-PR46 is described as a 2024 INDOPACOM infrared video. The visible area of contrast is said to resemble a football-shaped body with three radial projections. DVIDS again states that the description is informational and not an analytic judgment. (DVIDS)
The “football-shaped body” description gives this case typological value for UAPedia’s shape-classification work.
UAPedia handling: Probable unresolved military-sensor case. Shape claim should be kept at “apparent infrared morphology,” not physical structure.
8. PR36 Middle East, 2020, is notable for water-adjacent behavior and tracking loss
DOW-UAP-PR36 is tied to a range-fouler report describing a solid white object making erratic movements above water. The public description notes re-entry into the field of view, zooming, reticle behavior, and a modality switch that loses track. (DVIDS)
This should be crosslinked to UAPedia’s trans-medium and ocean-surface case material, but carefully. The public record does not establish actual trans-medium travel. It establishes water-adjacent tracking and unresolved sensor behavior.
UAPedia handling: Probable unresolved water-adjacent case; not verified trans-medium behavior.
9. Several files appear to preserve chain-of-custody or annotation issues
DOW-UAP-PR40 says the original reporter paused the video and drew a white line around the “U/I SMALL THERMAL SIGNATURE,” and that AARO preserved the imagery as received. (DVIDS)
DOW-UAP-PR26 says the original reporter digitally altered the image with a red line encircling the area of interest before submission. (DVIDS)
This is valuable for UAPedia’s archival methodology. Annotated evidence is not useless, but it is different from pristine source footage. It must be tagged as altered/annotated at submission.
UAPedia handling: Verified government-held records; evidence quality reduced for image-analysis purposes unless original unannotated material is released.
10. NASA historical material is meaningful, but mixed
The Gemini VII transcript preserves Frank Borman’s “bogey” report while also including discussion of the booster and many particles. (U.S. Department of War)
The Apollo 12 transcript includes observations of lights, particles, flashes, and objects “sailing off in space,” but also includes references to debris, tracking-light issues, water/spacecraft context, and a likely electromagnetic-interference explanation for one instrument anomaly. (U.S. Department of War)
The Apollo 17 transcript includes bright particles, fragments, “Fourth of July” style visual descriptions, and discussion of possible ice, paint, or S-IVB-related debris. (U.S. Department of War)
The Apollo 17 science debriefing includes unresolved astronomy and ultraviolet-background questions, including descriptions of a “real mystery,” but this material is more about astronomical anomalies than a craft-like UAP encounter. (U.S. Department of War)
The NASA images release from Apollo 12 and 17, of which some had already been leaked to the public, confirm the acknowledgement of authenticity by the agency, but do not resolve easily due to the poor quality of the stills.
Our handling: Verified astronaut/mission archival records. Case-specific anomalous claims should be Disputed unless tied to a distinct image, object track, or instrument record.
Image digest
| Asset cluster | What is visible or described | UAPedia handling |
| FBI western U.S. IR stills, Sept and Dec 2025 | Small black-hot unidentified objects or object pairs in infrared imagery; one image describes an object below a helicopter | Verified release assets; Disputed interpretation until full sequence and metadata are available |
| Composite sketch, southeastern U.S. | A bronze/gold ellipsoid or disc-like object with bright illumination behind it; CBS describes witness claims of materialization and instantaneous disappearance | Witness Interpretation, not photographic evidence |
| Apollo 17 lunar three-light image | Three small lights above lunar terrain in a triangular grouping; AP reports the Pentagon caption says there is no consensus and preliminary analysis suggested it could be a physical object | Disputed; requires original frame ID, scan provenance, photometry, and film/artifact review |
| PR19, PR21, PR22, PR23 Middle East/Iraq/Syria 2022 | Small infrared contrast objects; PR21 includes a probable SU-27/35 aircraft note; PR19 includes possible missile/bird language | Mixed: several likely prosaic candidates, but useful for Release 01 methodology |
| PR34/PR35 Greece 2023 | Ocean-surface infrared UAP reports, including claimed turns and shoreline/background transition | Probable unresolved; high priority for sensor-context review |
| PR38 Middle East 2013 | Eight-pointed infrared contrast feature with apparent trail | Disputed high-strangeness sensor image |
| PR46 INDOPACOM 2024 | Football-shaped infrared feature with radial projections | Probable unresolved; apparent morphology only |
| PR49 Army 2026 | One, then two, contrast areas tracked in infrared | Probable unresolved; metadata needed |
The official page’s visible slideshow lists 17 image assets, even though reporting says Release 01 includes 14 images. That discrepancy may reflect slideshow duplication, mixed still/video preview assets, or later portal changes. (U.S. Department of War)
Video inventory summary
The DVIDS/AARO release environment lists the official video records associated with AARO and the Release 01 media ecosystem. The DVIDS search pages show AARO-filtered videos distributed across USNORTHCOM, USCENTCOM, USEUCOM, and other commands, with records spanning North America, the Middle East, Greece, Iraq, Syria, the UAE, Africa, and INDOPACOM. (DVIDS)
Most Release 01 videos are short infrared or electro-optical clips showing small areas of contrast. Many descriptions warn that the text is informational only and not an analytic conclusion. That repeated warning is important. It means we should not treat DVIDS prose as final adjudication.
Most significant video candidates for standalone case pages:
| Case | Location/date | Why it matters | Initial rating |
| DOW-UAP-PR28 | Greece, Jan. 2024 | Claimed diamond-shaped object, about 434 knots, SWIR-only detectability, multiple sensor modalities | Probable |
| DOW-UAP-PR34 | Greece, Oct. 2023 | Claimed near-ocean object, multiple 90-degree turns, around 80 mph | Probable/Disputed |
| DOW-UAP-PR35 | Greece, Oct. 2023 | Small circular object near ocean surface, lost against land background | Probable |
| DOW-UAP-PR36 | Middle East, May 2020 | Water-adjacent range-fouler report, erratic movement, modality switch loss | Probable/Disputed |
| DOW-UAP-PR38 | Middle East, 2013 | Eight-pointed infrared anomaly with apparent trail | Disputed |
| DOW-UAP-PR46 | INDOPACOM, 2024 | Football-shaped body with radial projections | Probable |
| DOW-UAP-PR49 | North America, 2026 | Army infrared platform footage, one then two contrast areas | Probable |
Claims Taxonomy
Verified
PURSUE exists as an official U.S. government UAP release portal, and Release 01 was cleared on May 8, 2026. (U.S. Department of War)
The Department of War says the release is an interagency effort involving the White House, ODNI, DOE, DOW/AARO, NASA, FBI, and additional intelligence-community entities. (U.S. Department of War)
Public reporting states Release 01 contains 162 files, including 120 PDFs, 28 videos, and 14 images. (CBS News)
The visible portal slideshow includes FBI, NASA, Department of War, Army, CENTCOM, AFRICOM, INDOPACOM, and other image assets. (U.S. Department of War)
Probable
The modern military videos and FBI stills are authentic government-held UAP-related records, although not all are necessarily anomalous.
PR28, PR34, PR35, PR36, PR38, PR46, and PR49 are high-priority unresolved cases for UAPedia case development.
The release is designed to continue over multiple tranches, making Release 01 the beginning of a larger disclosure archive rather than the full record.
Disputed
Apollo 17 “three lights” above the lunar surface: potentially physical object, film/scan artifact, reflection, or other mission-context phenomenon.
PR38 eight-pointed infrared object: potentially physical object, sensor artifact, optical diffraction, glare, or processing effect.
PR34 “90-degree turns” and PR28 “434 knots”: meaningful if supported by telemetry, but public materials do not yet allow independent verification.
The composite sketch: valuable as testimony visualization, but not direct sensor or photographic evidence.
Editorial interpretation and speculation labels
We treat this release as a primary-source archive, not as a government verdict. Our own standard is to treat government records as important but incomplete inputs, especially where official records document events but do not establish explanations. Government denials or unresolved labels should not be treated as proof of absence, and gaps in documentation should be treated as neutral until additional evidence is available. (UAPedia – Unlocking New Realities)
The most defensible position is:
Evidence
PURSUE Release 01 verifies that multiple U.S. agencies hold and are releasing UAP-related records across military, FBI, NASA, and diplomatic/archive channels.
The release contains modern military sensor cases, FBI imagery, NASA historical material, and witness/source documentation.
Several cases remain unresolved in public materials due to insufficient data, limited public metadata, redactions, short clip duration, or single-sensor presentation.
Witness Interpretation
Terms such as “diamond-shaped,” “90-degree turns,” “football-shaped,” “materialized,” and “disappeared instantaneously” should be attributed to reports, witnesses, operators, or captions unless independently confirmed.
Hypothesis
The geographic distribution may reflect U.S. collection footprint and military sensor availability more than actual global UAP distribution.
Researcher Opinion
We will build a living Release 01 ledger with one page per file, including file ID, agency, date, location, sensor type, duration, redaction level, object description, status, evidence grade, and follow-up questions.
References
Associated Press. (2026, May 8). Pentagon begins releasing new files on UAPs. (AP News)
Becket, S., Watson, E., & Walsh, J. (2026, May 8). Pentagon begins release of UAP files as part of disclosure effort. CBS News. (CBS News)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). AARO UAP video records, search results. (DVIDS)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). DOW-UAP-PR28. (DVIDS)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). DOW-UAP-PR34. (DVIDS)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). DOW-UAP-PR35. (DVIDS)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). DOW-UAP-PR36. (DVIDS)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). DOW-UAP-PR38. (DVIDS)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). DOW-UAP-PR46. (DVIDS)
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. (2026). DOW-UAP-PR49. (DVIDS)
Department of War. (2026). Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters. (U.S. Department of War)
Department of War. (2026, May 8). Department of War releases UAP files in historic transparency effort. (U.S. Department of War)
Department of War / NASA archival release. (n.d.). Apollo 12 transcript extracts. (U.S. Department of War)
Department of War / NASA archival release. (n.d.). Apollo 17 transcript. (U.S. Department of War)
Department of War / NASA archival release. (n.d.). Gemini VII transcript. (U.S. Department of War)
Department of War / NASA archival release. (1973). Apollo 17 crew debriefing for science. (U.S. Department of War)
UAPedia. (2026). How UAPedia treats government sources. (UAPedia – Unlocking New Realities)
UAPedia. (2026). UAPedia editorial standard: Navigating the mystery. (UAPedia – Unlocking New Realities)
SEO keywords
PURSUE UAP files, WAR.GOV UAP Release 01, Department of War UAP documents, UAP disclosure 2026, AARO UAP videos, FBI UAP photos 2025, Apollo 17 UAP image, Gemini 7 bogey, PR38 eight-pointed UAP, PR28 Greece SWIR UAP, UAPedia, UAP declassification.