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A newly released FBI document describes an encounter with an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) in the western United States in late 2025, though the record is notably sparse on operational details, according to official files released under the PURSUE archive.
FBI Document Details UAP Encounter with Redacted Imagery
According to FBI records released by the U.S. Department of War on May 8, 2026, the bureau submitted a report of a UAP to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) that consists of a single still image. The document, titled “FBI Photo B24,” states that the image was “derived from a U.S. military system in 2025.” The official description notes that the original imagery was altered with redactions before being submitted to AARO, and that an accompanying mission report was not provided.
The FBI document’s narrative description characterizes the image as a monochrome picture displaying a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair. A single dark, irregular-shaped object is visible just above the center of the reticle. The official summary cautions that this description is provided for informational purposes only and “should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.”
The record’s official summary offers limited detail beyond the basic facts of the submission. The operator reported that they were unable to positively identify the UAP. Additionally, the document specifies that the date in the image is incorrect due to the system date and time not being set. The incident date is listed as late 2025, and the location is listed as the western United States.
Context of the PURSUE Release and Ongoing Declassification
Per a Wikipedia summary of the United States UFO files, the release of this FBI document is part of a broader declassification effort. Wikipedia’s entry on the topic notes that the “United States UFO files, also referred to as the UFO files or the UAP files, are a collection of declassified United States government records concerning UFOs, also called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), released by the administration of Donald Trump beginning on May 8, 2026.” The entry further states that the release was “announced to continue as repeated, ongoing, expanding releases of UFO materials.”
The FBI document, titled “FBI Photo B24,” was released through the PURSUE archive at war.gov, with the original PDF available at a government media link. The document’s text excerpt is minimal, containing only a single character on the first pages, indicating that the bulk of the record may be in the image file itself or that the text portion is highly abbreviated.
What remains unanswered from this release includes the specific nature of the UAP observed, the military system that captured the original imagery, and the reason for the redactions applied to the image before it was submitted to AARO. The absence of a mission report leaves a significant gap in understanding the operational context of the sighting. Readers should watch for future PURSUE releases to see if additional documentation, such as the missing mission report or unredacted imagery, is provided, or if further details emerge about the operator’s inability to identify the object.
