The Trump administration on Friday unveiled a new government website dedicated to releasing previously unseen UFO-related files, according to the Pentagon. And yes, the government is openly using the term “UFO” again; the newly launched portal reportedly uses the direct address war.gov/ufo.
In an official announcement, the Department of Defense, which, under President Donald Trump, has been rebranded as the Department of War, said the website will host a growing archive of “new, never-before-seen” materials related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), the modern government term for UFOs.
The first batch of documents includes videos, photographs, intelligence records, and original source materials collected from agencies across the entire U.S. government. According to the Pentagon, the files have undergone security review processes before publication, though many of the cases “have not yet been analyzed for resolution of any anomalies.”
Officials also stated that the archive will continue expanding over time, with additional records scheduled to be released on a rolling basis as more material is cleared for public access.
The release marks another major development in the U.S. government’s evolving approach toward UFO transparency, following the explosive December 2017 reports by The New York Times, Politico, and other outlets that revealed the existence of a secret $22 million Pentagon initiative known as the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). That classified program had spent years investigating unexplained military encounters with unknown aerial objects.
Since those revelations first surfaced, public fascination with UFOs and UAPs has intensified dramatically. Concerns surrounding unexplained activity in American airspace gained even more attention after the widely discussed drone sightings reported across parts of the United States in 2024.
At the same time, identifying truly unexplained aerial phenomena has become increasingly difficult due to how crowded and technologically complex the skies have become in recent years. The rise of private aerospace activity, including frequent SpaceX launches, expanding satellite networks, advanced drone systems, and experimental aircraft, has complicated efforts to distinguish ordinary activity from genuinely anomalous events.
That is partly why the release of military intelligence-backed records is drawing significant interest. Unlike internet speculation or viral social media clips, these files originate from official government investigations involving defense and intelligence agencies.
The government’s growing openness around UFO investigations has also had a noticeable impact on popular culture in recent years. Hollywood and streaming platforms have increasingly embraced stories centered on extraterrestrials, secret government programs, and conspiracy theories involving alien encounters.
Recent examples include the 2023 film Jules, which follows the relationship between an elderly man and an alien who crash-lands in his backyard, as well as Bugonia, which explores conspiracy theories tied to extraterrestrials secretly living among humans. Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg is also reportedly working on an upcoming project titled Disclosure Day, which references alleged government cover-ups involving UFOs.
Years ago, a major government release of UFO documents would likely have dominated headlines across the country. But the reaction today exists within a very different political and economic climate. Many Americans are currently more focused on immediate concerns such as rising living costs, geopolitical instability including tensions tied to the Iran conflict, fluctuating gas prices, healthcare challenges, climate concerns, and increasing anxiety surrounding AI-related job displacement.
According to the Pentagon, the publication of the UFO archive is part of a broader interagency initiative known as the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, or PURSUE.
The initiative reportedly involves coordination between multiple branches of the U.S. government, including the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and several additional intelligence and defense agencies.
Adding even more intrigue to the situation, independent news outlet 404 Media reported earlier this year that the Executive Office of the President had quietly registered the domain aliens.gov in March. However, as of now, the website remains inactive and inaccessible to the public.
