USPER Statement about UAP Sighting
- Date
- 2025 (late)
- Place
- a sensitive U.S. government testing installation, Western United States (site name and coordinates redacted)
- Record
- Pentagon file
- Assessment
- Not assessed
- Evidence strength
What was reported
A SECRET//NOFORN FBI FD-302-style narrative log of an extended, multi-platform UAP encounter during a nighttime helicopter search-and-recovery operation at a sensitive federal testing site. Over roughly 75 minutes, a senior U.S. intelligence official (Witness 1, naked-eye), two helicopter pilots (NVG), and ground-based Listening Post/Observation Post (LP/OP) personnel using FLIR independently and repeatedly observed multiple glowing orbs: a 'super-hot' orb (per FLIR) that came within about 10 feet of the helicopter, traveled roughly 20 miles too fast for the helicopter to match, then split into two objects; a large 'swarm' of countless lights; and repeated formations of four to six orange/white orbs that flared up and down in sequence at several locations around the site, some appearing to shadow nearby military aircraft conducting a training mission.
What officials concluded
Unresolved
No explanation is offered in the document; the account is presented as an operational log with the witness's own comments appended, and the file is explicitly cited on the PURSUE site as one of a set of UAP encounters observed by…
- Agencies
- FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- Released in
- 123456
Evidence profile
- Yes: Visual
- Yes: Infrared
- Yes: Radar
- No: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- Yes: Night vision
- Yes: Other sensor
- No: Civilian
- Yes: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- Yes: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- Yes: Intelligence official
- No: Other
- No: Light only
- Yes: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Why this rating Independent, simultaneous corroboration across three distinct sensor/observer channels (ground FLIR, airborne NVG from two pilots, and naked-eye by a senior intelligence official), sustained over roughly 100 minutes with repeated, patterned formations (synchronized flare-up/flare-down sequences) and a close approach (~10 feet) to the aircraft; described performance (a 20-mile dash too fast for a helicopter to match, and objects that split apart) exceeds known conventional aircraft/drone capability, and no conventional explanation is offered anywhere in the document.
As described in the file
- Witnesses
- Witness 1 (senior U.S. intelligence official, naked-eye, primary interviewee), 2 helicopter pilots (NVG), and ground-based LP/OP federal-partner personnel (FLIR); a second witness (Witness 2) and additional federal/state-partner ground personnel also involved in the broader search
- Sensors
- FLIR (ground LP/OP), Night Vision Goggles (helicopter pilots), naked eye (Witness 1), helicopter spotlight
- Shape
- Orbs, described as oval-shaped with a white/yellow center and orange outer glow; also a possible fixed-wing aircraft sighted on the horizon and unrelated military aircraft in training
- Lights and colour
- Orange with a white or yellow center; one orb described via FLIR as 'super-hot'
- Motion
- One orb traveled approximately 20 miles at a speed too fast for the pursuing helicopter to match, then split into two objects; a swarm of lights moved in all directions; formations flared up and down in sequence over 10-15 seconds
- Duration
- The logged encounter spans from approximately 2141 to 2320 hours, roughly 100 minutes, with individual orb sightings lasting seconds to tens of seconds
- Altitude or range
- One orb came within an estimated 10 feet of the helicopter; the overall activity spanned an area several miles across around the site
- Effects
- LP/OP heard 'thuds as if something had fallen and hit the ground' from personnel who had earlier reported orbs/lights in the area
Pentagon files
USPER Statement about UAP Sighting
Open the original on war.govODNI-UAP-D001, USPER Narrative, Senior USIC Official
A first-person written narrative by a senior, then-currently-serving (as of May 2026) US intelligence official describing a multi-hour helicopter investigation of reported UAP activity at a Western US weapons-testing range in late 2025. After searching for debris and locating an unexplored cave, the crew (2 pilots, the official, a colleague, and coordinating ground teams) responded to JOC-radioed radar hits and spent over an hour in close encounters: a 'super-hot' FLIR-tracked object that split in two and sped away; a swarm of countless orange orbs against the mountain; two large stationary oval orange orbs with white/yellow centers hovering just above the helicopter's rotor disk, joined by two more in a 'T' formation before dimming and vanishing over 10-15 seconds; and orbs that appeared above nearby fighter jets on a training mission, matching their speed and flight path before disappearing, repeating several times.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B024
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. A single dark, irregular-shaped object is visible just above the center of the reticle.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B023
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. A single dark, elongated object is visible near the edge of the reticle to the right of center.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B022
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. Two small, dark, elongated objects are visible near the center of the frame in the upper right quadrant.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B021
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. One to two small, dark, objects are visible just above and to the right of the center of the reticle.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B020
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. One to two small, dark, objects are visible just above and to the right of the center of the reticle.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B019
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small cluster of dark pixels, forming an object, is visible at the exact center of the reticle.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B018
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. Two small, dark, elongated objects are visible near the center of the frame in the lower left quadrant.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B017
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. Two small, dark, circular objects are visible near the center of the frame.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B016
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. Two dark, irregular-shaped objects are visible just right of the center in the upper right quadrant.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B015
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. Two small, dark, circular objects are visible near the center of the frame in the upper right quadrant.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B014
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. Two small, dark, circular objects are visible near the center of the frame. A digital artifact or distortion is visible along the edge of the redaction box in the lower right quadrant.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B013
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. Two small, dark, elongated objects are visible near the center of the frame in the bottom right quadrant.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B012
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible in the upper right quadrant of the frame. The background shows an indistinct mountain range.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B011
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible in the upper right quadrant of the frame. The background appears to show an indistinct mountain range.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B010
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible just to the top right quadrant of the center of the reticle. The background shows an indistinct mountain range.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B009
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible just below and to the left of the center of the reticle. The background appears to show an indistinct mountain range.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B008
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible just right of the center of the reticle in the top right quadrant. The background shows an indistinct mountain range.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B007
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A dark object, consistent in appearance with a helicopter, is visible in the upper right quadrant. A second, smaller, dark circular object is visible below the reticle. The background is indistinct.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B006
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A dark, structured object with an appendage on its left side is visible just at the top of the reticle. A second, smaller, dark circular object is visible below the reticle in the bottom right quadrant.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B005
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. No distinct objects are clearly visible within the central area of the frame. The background shows an indistinct formation, possibly a mountain range.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B004
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible in the center right quadrant, close to the center of the frame. An indistinct, possibly natural, landscape is visible in the background.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B003
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible just to the right of the center of the reticle. The background appears to show an indistinct mountain range or cloud formation.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B002
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible in the upper right quadrant. The background shows an indistinct mountain range or cloud formation.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo B001
A single still image the FBI submitted to AARO as a UAP report, described as derived from a U.S. military sensor system in late 2025; the image was redacted before submission and no mission report accompanied it. AARO's own operator was unable to positively identify the object; the FBI's file notes the on-image date/time stamp is wrong because the source system's clock was not set. Per the file's own narrative description: The monochrome image displays a grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle. A small, dark, circular object is visible in the upper right quadrant, near the center of the frame. The background appears to show an indistinct mountain range or cloud formation.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A001
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A small, dark, slightly irregular object just below and right of the reticle center, against a uniform grainy monochrome background. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A002
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A dark, circular object at the exact center of the reticle, over a mottled, textured background suggesting varied landscape. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A003
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A dark, circular object at the exact center of the reticle, over a textured background possibly depicting ground terrain. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A004
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A dark, circular object just below and right of the reticle center, over a mottled background. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A005
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A dark, circular object in the bottom-right quadrant of the reticle, over a dense, speckled background. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A006
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A dark, circular object at the exact center of the reticle, over a lightly textured background. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A007
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A light-colored, circular object with a bright specular highlight just below the reticle center, over a smooth grainy background. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.govFBI Photo A008
A monochrome still with a central crosshair targeting reticle, submitted by the FBI to AARO as a UAP report. Per the blurb, A small, dark, irregular object just below and right of the reticle center, over a background with faint swirling patterns. The original imagery was redacted before submission; no date, location, or accompanying mission report was provided, and the sensor operator could not positively identify the object. The government's paired case file (ODNI-UAP-D001, a senior USIC official's narrative of a "late 2025" nighttime helicopter search over a weapons-test range using FLIR, night-vision and radar cueing) describes a broadly similar single-camera-view encounter with orb-like objects, but the blurb itself does not confirm this still is drawn from that specific sortie.
Open the original on war.gov
What the file claims
- Unverified
A FLIR-tracked 'super-hot' orb traveled roughly 20 miles at a speed the pursuing helicopter could not match, then split into two objects.
- Unverified
One orb approached to within an estimated ten feet of the helicopter, observed independently by ground FLIR and the aircrew.
- Unverified
Witness 1 stated the pilots called out sightings he could not himself see with the naked eye, and that the orbs appeared to break off pursuit of the helicopter to instead pursue nearby military aircraft.
On the map
39.50° N, 115.00° W, plotted at the centre of the region named in the record
Show on the map