Washington: US President Donald Trump has said his administration is preparing to release long-classified records on unidentified flying objects. If true, it will open the door to what could be one of the most detailed disclosures on the subject in years.
Speaking to reporters in Washington DC, he said the government plans to make public as much information as possible on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), a term used for what is commonly known as UFOs. He said that the material, which is being prepared for release, includes records that have so far been hidden for decades.
“…we are going to be releasing as much as we can in the near future. For some reason, and I guess it is just a reason, it’s been in the minds of people for a long time, and that is such… they want to find out about the UFOs and anything having to do with UFO or related material. And we are going to be releasing a lot of things that we have, and I think some of it is going to be very interesting to people,” Trump said.
Pilots’ accounts add weight
The president said his interest in the subject grew after speaking with military pilots who reported unusual sightings during flights. He pointed to these conversations as a reason behind the push for greater openness.
“I have interviewed people, my first term primarily, but I interviewed some pilots, very solid people. And they said they saw things that you wouldn’t believe. So, you are going to be reading about it,” he said.
Trump stressed that these accounts came from trained aviators, suggesting that the reports cannot be dismissed easily. Officials have not given a clear timeline for the release, but the administration has said the declassification process is underway.
A push for disclosure
The move follows a directive issued earlier this year in which Trump asked the Department of Defence to release files associated to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs)”. The administration is expected to host these records on a digital platform for public access.
According to a report by The Hill, US lawmaker Tim Burchett has been among those pushing for more transparency on the issue. “These people are seeing something out there,” he said, adding that some of the reported objects appear to show abilities beyond known technology, including sharp turns at high speed and long periods of hovering.
The term “UFO files” usually refers to declassified documents and records that cover sightings, military encounters, radar and infrared data and pilot testimonies. These records are stored by agencies such as the National Archives and Records Administration and include decades of material gathered during investigations.
Old mystery, fresh attention
Public interest in UFOs has long revolved around Area 51, a secretive US Air Force facility in Nevada used for testing advanced aircraft. The base has long been associated with conspiracy theories about hidden technology and possible alien contact.
Despite growing attention in recent years, official findings have been cautious. A Pentagon-linked report released in 2024 said there was no clear evidence connecting UAP sightings to extraterrestrial sources. Many cases were linked to drones, weather balloons or sensor-related issues.
Trump, however, suggested that the upcoming release could offer more insight than earlier reports. “We are going to be releasing a lot of things that we have,” he said.
With the administration promising disclosures in the near future, interest around the subject has picked up again. The expected release of these files could bring fresh details into the public domain and add new pieces to a debate that has continued for decades.
