A senior U.S. intelligence official described a close-range encounter with fast-moving, “super-hot” unidentified objects that came within roughly 10 feet of a helicopter during an aerial search, according to newly released Pentagon UFO files.
The account is detailed in an FBI Form 302 interview report, which documents interactions between federal agents and witnesses, and is part of a broader tranche of previously classified unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) records made public Friday as part of the Trump administration’s push to declassify government files on them.
The objects were detected as “super-hot” on infrared systems and traveled roughly 20 miles at speeds the helicopter could not match, according to the report, before abruptly changing direction and accelerating away.
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The release has drawn significant attention, as it includes previously unseen reports involving military personnel, sensor data and firsthand accounts from government officials — though many of the incidents remain unexplained.
The official was among multiple federal and state personnel involved in an aerial search after earlier sightings of unexplained lights, according to the report. The object was detected as “super-hot” on infrared systems, indicating it emitted a strong heat signature detectable by thermal imaging equipment.
The report does not offer an explanation for the source of that heat, and was observed traveling roughly 20 miles at a speed too fast for the helicopter to match.
The report does not identify the specific military facility or location of the encounter, and it is unclear from the document whether the helicopter involved was operated by U.S. military personnel or a partner agency.
The FBI summary describes a joint operation involving federal and state personnel, but does not provide additional detail about the units involved.
At one point, one of the objects reportedly came within roughly 10 feet of the helicopter before abruptly changing direction. Observers, including the intelligence official and helicopter crew, also reported the object splitting into multiple lights, followed by additional orbs appearing in sequence and forming repeated patterns across the sky.
Witnesses described groups of four or five glowing objects flaring into view and then disappearing, a cycle that continued for roughly 30 minutes.
Pilots involved in the search indicated they were recording, but many of the sightings occurred above the helicopter and outside the camera’s field of view.
The documents are part of a sweeping public release of UAP files that has drawn intense interest and skepticism.
Officials and analysts say that while some incidents were treated as credible and investigated using military assets, the material does not offer definitive explanations for what the objects are.
While many of the newly released files contain brief or heavily redacted accounts, the FBI interview stands out for its detailed timeline, multiple trained observers and the use of infrared systems, night-vision equipment and aircraft during an active search operation.
The report also includes a first-hand account from a senior intelligence official, which is uncommon among the largely anecdotal or historical records in the broader release.
Skeptics say many UAP sightings can be attributed to misidentified aircraft, drones, atmospheric phenomena or sensor artifacts, particularly in complex environments where infrared and night-vision systems can distort how objects appear.
Physicist and former director of the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office Sean Kirkpatrick said he didn’t find anything “unexpected” in the files.
“There’s nothing unexpected in their release. And without any analysis or context, [it] will only serve to fuel more speculation, conspiracy and armchair pseudoscience, particularly from the playhouse politics theater company,” he said, according to the Scientific American.
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The release also comes amid growing concern inside the Pentagon over unexplained aerial activity near sensitive military installations, including suspected foreign surveillance operations and unauthorized drone incursions linked to China and Russia.
Defense officials repeatedly warned in recent years that some incidents initially categorized as UAP could ultimately involve foreign intelligence collection platforms, advanced drones or other surveillance systems operating near U.S. military sites.
The issue drew renewed attention after a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon crossed the continental United States in 2023 before being shot down by the U.S. military, exposing gaps in detection and monitoring around sensitive defense infrastructure.
Lawmakers and defense officials also have raised alarms about repeated drone incursions near military bases, training ranges and nuclear facilities, warning that some unidentified aerial activity may reflect increasingly sophisticated foreign surveillance efforts rather than extraterrestrial phenomena.
“The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place — no clearance required,” the White House said in a statement announcing the release.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the records had “long fueled justified speculation” and argued “it’s time the American people see it for themselves,” while cautioning that many of the documents contain unresolved incidents rather than confirmed explanations.
Other files released by the Department of War include reports of a “football-shaped” object observed over the East China Sea, erratic lights tracked over Iraq and Syria, and Apollo-era astronaut communications describing strange objects and bright fragments visible near the moon.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for more details.