The Pentagon has pulled back the curtain on its latest cache of declassified files, offering a chilling glimpse into a world of unexplained aerial phenomena and historical encounters that have long been hidden behind government classification.In the fifth release of documents, images, and videos posted to the Department of Defence’s UFO portal, federal agencies have laid bare 41 new files. The records — spanning from 1950 through to 2026 — come from the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, State Department, and the Executive Office of US President Donald Trump, delivering a mix of military sensor footage, FBI witness interview forms, and historical intelligence reports.The disclosure marks the fifth tranche under an executive order signed by President Trump in January, directing military and intelligence agencies to release more records relating to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).The triangle over an Afghanistan airfield Among the most striking items in the release is an FBI ‘Form 302’ interview report detailing a former military pilot’s encounter over Bagram Airfield in northeast Afghanistan in 2002.According to the report, the pilot was on the ground around 4:30am local time when he noticed the night sky suddenly obscured.“[Redacted] noticed that the stars were getting blacked out over Bagram,” the FBI agent stated in the report.“It appeared as if something huge went overhead, from west to east, and was an equilateral triangle shape. “The object was moving silently, at a consistent speed and altitude, possibly 150 knots, with no lights visible.”The witness estimated the craft was 500 feet (around 152 metres) in size, though he noted he could not fully see its full shape. A fellow pilot who witnessed the silent craft passing overhead turned to him and asked, “Did you see that?”The FBI produced an official artist’s rendering based on the pilot’s description, depicting a massive dark craft blocking out the stars above.‘Cold orbs’ react to heavy cannon fireThe release also includes grainy video footage and accompanying intelligence logs from Special Operations forces aboard an AC-130J gunship during a live-fire exercise in The Gulf of Oman in September 2021.According to the intelligence report, crew members “observed approximately 25 instances of UAPs” on infra-red and thermal sensors.“The UAPs were observed as cold orbs flying at lower altitudes between 250 to 1300 MPH (around 402 to 2092 km/h) in different formations as well as manoeuvring aggressively,” the report noted. “UAPs also appeared to react to the aircraft firing its main cannon.”The Pentagon’s ‘All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office’ (AARO) confirmed the incident remains officially “unresolved”.Other video files include footage captured by US Central Command in 2025 showing an object zooming across a populated area in the Middle East, as well as thermal imaging recorded by a “US Government Special Agent” in the western US showing two “black-hot” slow-moving objects travelling together over a five to 10-minute period.Mysterious lights on transatlantic flightsIn the same FBI interview recording the Bagram sighting, the former military pilot detailed recurring encounters between Massachusetts and Ireland starting in October 2023.Flying at 37,000 feet (around 11 kilometres), the pilot observed white lights estimated to be at 50,000 feet (around 15 kilometres) or higher.“The lights were white in colour, would start out as dim, and get brighter before they eventually faded out,” the FBI report wrote. “The full cycle of the lights would range from 10 seconds to one minute.” The pilot reported seeing the phenomena roughly 10 times during subsequent flights between midnight and 3am.Crashed metallic sphere in BrazilThe dump also resurrects historical foreign intelligence files. A declassified document from the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) details a Brazilian radio broadcast from Rio de Janeiro regarding an incident in November 1963 in Conde, Bahia.According to the document, a “large metal sphere” crashed into the town, “gouging a hole four meters deep”.“The mysterious sphere has window-shaped openings covered with thick glass,” the report claimed.“Inside is a human body dressed in heavy clothing bearing inscriptions which cannot be deciphered. “The population of Conde is intrigued, and the authorities have been informed.”Unprecedented transparencyIn a statement accompanying the release, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the government’s commitment to releasing UAP records.“The Department of War is in lock-step with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government’s understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena,” Hegseth explained. “These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fuelled justified speculation, and it’s time the American people see it for themselves.”The Department of Defence confirmed it will continue to release additional UAP files on a “rolling basis”.