FBI Statement on UFO Orbs at a US Military Site, 2025
Official file: USPER Statement about UAP Sighting
Published · Updated
Key facts
- Document type
- Document
- Agency
- FBI
- Released in
- R01 · 2026-05-08
- Incident date
- Late 2025
- Incident location
- United States
- Coordinates
- 39.7837304, -100.445882
- Pages legible
- 3/3
- VIRIN
- 260508-O-D0360-1057
Official description
This is an FBI 302 interview conducted with a senior US intelligence official regarding his first-hand account of a UAP encounter at a US military facility. USPER relayed to FBI agents that he and other federal and state personnel conducted searches to where orbs had been previously seen. After searching the area with a helicopter, they found a “super-hot” orb hovering over the ground. The orb is reported to have travelled for 20 miles at a speed too fast for the helicopter in pursuit. An additional “swarm” of lights were seen moving in all directions. A total of four or five additional orbs were seen shortly thereafter for a short time, flaring up and then down. This pattern of four or five orbs flaring up, then down continued over the next thirty minutes across the area. The photos linked in the "Related Media" section are connected to a set of UAP encounters on a sensitive government testing installation in the Western US in 2025. These orb-like UAP were observed at various ranges by multiple, and in some cases simultaneous, government personnel and sensors. The linked narrative is an FBI-collected account from a senior U.S. intelligence community official who witnessed the UAP with the naked eye, while accompanied by two pilots under NVGs. Other pilots in separate aircraft, and ground-based observers with night vision, also witnessed UAP during the exercise. The photos of UAP underneath the helicopter are from this same set of observations, taken through night vision devices by ground-based personnel.
✦ AI summary
A SECRET//NOFORN statement (2025; the date is redacted) in which a senior US intelligence official (Witness 1) recounts a night helicopter search involving a second senior US intelligence official (Witness 2), federal partner personnel, and two pilots of a state partner organization's helicopter (call sign 1). The helicopter left an operations center at about 1700 hours for a daytime aerial search of a mountain range west of a site, after earlier eyewitness reports of orbs/lights and thuds "as if something has fallen and hit the ground." At 2141 hours it lifted off to look for debris spotted by a Listening Post/Observation Post (LP/OP) of federal partner personnel using FLIR and night-vision goggles; the search found nothing. Around 2202 the LP/OP reported an orb that appeared "super-hot" under FLIR, hovering at ground level, then moving east and south at a high rate of speed and breaking into two objects. The LP/OP reported the orb came within ten feet of the helicopter, which could not locate it itself and could not match its speed; the co-pilot reported seeing, under night vision, something emerge from the two objects and travel in a different direction at high speed. At 2207 the operations center reported five military aircraft in the airspace on a training mission, and at 2218 it said they were en route to assist. At 2218 the crew saw a swarm of lights, too many to count, moving in all directions. Between about 2227 and 2257 the witness (naked eye) and the pilots (night vision) saw repeated orb "flares": two large oval, orange orbs with a white or yellow center that emitted light in all directions appeared close to the helicopter above the rotor disk, followed by four or five more below them; then groups of four or five, five or six, four, and three (in a triangle) orbs flared up one at a time in a horizontal formation, over the mountains, above the military aircraft, and toward nearby towns, and flared down in reverse order, usually after about ten to fifteen seconds, until visual was lost. The helicopter returned low on fuel at 2316. In the comments section, Witness 1 says the pilots indicated they were recording, but many sightings were above the helicopter, outside its FLIR camera angle; some things could not be seen with the naked eye and were called out by the pilots; and the orbs appeared to break off from the helicopter and pursue the military aircraft. Names, coordinates, call signs and other identifying details appear as placeholders or are redacted.
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
▸Transcript(3 of 3 pages legible)
[PAGE 1] SECRET//NOFORN On [redacted] 2025, at approximately 1700 hours [redacted] [WITNESS 1 (a senior US intelligence official)], [FEDERAL PARTNER 1] and [FEDERAL PARTNER 2], accompanied by [WITNESS 2 (a senior US intelligence official)], and two pilots from [STATE PARTNER ORGANIZATION], departed the [redacted] [OPERATIONS CENTER] ([COORDINATES]), [redacted] ([FACILITY]) main [redacted] area via a [STATE PARTNER ORGANIZATION] helicopter (call sign [CALL SIGN 1]) to conduct a daytime ariel search of the [MOUNTAIN RANGE NAME] west of [SITE CODE NAME] on [FACILITY]. Previous eyewitness reports from personnel who observed orbs/lights IVO [redacted] [COORDINATES]) cited hearing thuds as if something has fallen and hit the ground. (Note: Earlier that day the [redacted] [redacted] Office [redacted] completed a successful test of the [redacted] [redacted] at [SITE CODE NAME] ([COORDINATES]) on [FACILITY]. At 1751 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] spotted a large cavern entrance ([COORDINATES]) and conducted a short orbit of the location [redacted] At approximately 2050 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] landed west of the [redacted] [redacted] mountains and dropped off [WITNESS 2] with [FEDERAL PARTNER 3] personnel. At 2052 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] headed toward [SITE CODE NAME] to refuel. A second helicopter ([STATE PARTNER ORGANIZATION] – [CALL SIGN 2]) briefly landed at [SITE CODE NAME] to await refueling but then lifted off and returned to the [redacted]. At 2141 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] lifted off from [SITE CODE NAME] and headed toward debris spotted by the Listening Post/Observation Post (LP/OP - [FEDERAL PARTNER 4] personnel using Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) and Night Vision Goggles (NVG)- position ([COORDINATES]) located approximately four miles east of [SITE CODE NAME] in the mountains [redacted] location ([COORDINATES])). [CALL SIGN 1] orbited the location while searching with NVGs (pilots) and the naked eye ([WITNESS 1]) with the aid of the helicopter's spotlight in near full darkness for several minutes with negative results. At approximately 2149 hours, [CALL SIGN 1] departed the search location to return to base and received notification from LP/OP that [redacted] had [redacted] hits bearing [redacted], 4 miles out from their location. The JOC then provided coord ([COORDINATES]). [CALL SIGN 1] moved to intercept. At 2202 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] arrived at the aforementioned coordinates and spotted a possible aircraft on the horizon moving away to the west. LP/OP confirmed the sighting then relayed they spotted an orb under FLIR and described as "super-hot" hovering at ground level before heading bearing [redacted] from LP/OP. LP/OP reported the orb was heading east and then south at a high rate of speed and then broke into two objects. LP/OP directed [CALL SIGN 1] to head south to [COORDINATES] to intercept. SECRET//NOFORN [PAGE 2] SECRET//NOFORN At 2207 hours [redacted] JOC reported five [MILITARY AIRCRAFT] from [redacted] were in the air space conducting a training mission. Once on station, [CALL SIGN 1] searched the location with FLIR, NVG, and the naked eye but did not locate the orb. LP/OP reported the orb gained elevation, came within ten feet of [CALL SIGN 1] and then headed east to [redacted] [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] moved to intercept but LP/OP reported the orb continued southeast and estimated it to be past [ROAD NAME], some 20 miles from the current position at [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1], unable to match speed, broke off pursuit, however the co-pilot reported seeing under NVG something emerge from the two objects and then travel in a different direction and a high rate of speed. At 2218 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] remained at [COORDINATES] awaiting instructions when the pilots (NVG) and [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) spotting a swarm of lights (too many to count) moving in all directions but generally located west of [redacted] and headed south. JOC relayed they contacted the [MILITARY AIRCRAFT] who were enroute to assist, eta two minutes. At 2227 hours [redacted], [CALL SIGN 1] lost visual of the swarm. At approximately 2227 hours [redacted] (possible out of order), in proximity of [SITE CODE NAME] headed south, [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) and the pilots (NVG) spotted two large orbs appear in close proximity to [CALL SIGN 1] to the west and above the rotor disk. From the naked eye perspective, the two orbs appeared to flare up and remain stationary side by side. They appeared to be oval shaped, orange in color with a white or yellow center and emitting light in all directions. After a few seconds, a third orb flared up below the two, and then another one below that one until there were four or five in total below the original two. After a few seconds the orbs began to flare down in reverse order while appearing to be stationary until visual was lost. At approximately 2228 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] - [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) and the pilots (NVG) spotted four or five orbs (similar to the orbs that were in close proximity to the helicopter) appear to the west over the mountains above the [MILITARY AIRCRAFT]. The orbs flared up one at a time in a horizontal formation and after approximately ten – fifteen seconds, flared down in the opposite order. At approximately 2233 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] - [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) and the pilots (NVG) spotted a similar orb formation to the east in the direction of [NEARBY TOWN NAME]. The orbs flared up one at a time in a horizontal formation and after approximately ten – fifteen seconds, flared down in the opposite order and lost visual. At approximately 2241 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] - [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) and the pilots (NVG) spotted a similar orb flare up west of [SITE CODE NAME] over the mountain. After several seconds the orb flared down and lost visual. SECRET//NOFORN [PAGE 3] SECRET//NOFORN At 2249 hours [redacted] while positioned IVO [SITE CODE NAME], [CALL SIGN 1] - [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) and the pilots (NVG) spotted a swarm of lights moving in all directions west of [redacted] with three distinct orbs in a triangle formation. After several seconds the orbs flared down and lost visual. At 2252 hours [redacted] while positioned approximately ten miles north of [SITE CODE NAME], [CALL SIGN 1] - [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) and the pilots (NVG) spotted five to six orbs flare up IVO [LOCAL TOWN] (east of [SITE CODE NAME]). The orbs flared up one at a time in a horizontal formation and after approximately ten seconds, flared down in the opposite order and lost visual. At 2257 hours [redacted] while positioned approximately ten miles north of [SITE CODE NAME], [CALL SIGN 1] - [WITNESS 1] (naked eye) and the pilots (NVG) spotted four orbs flare up over the [MILITARY AIRCRAFT] as they descended to land at [redacted] [redacted]. The orbs flared up one at a time in a horizontal formation and after approximately ten seconds, flared down in the opposite order and lost visual. At approximately 2306 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] [redacted] [redacted]. At 2316 hours [redacted] low on fuel, [CALL SIGN 1] returned to the [OPERATIONS CENTER]. At approximately 2320 hours [redacted] [CALL SIGN 1] headed southbound for the [OPERATIONS CENTER] and already in air-to air contact with [FEDERAL PARTER AIRCRAFT], passed each other as [FEDERAL PARTER AIRCRAFT] headed north toward [SITE CODE NAME]. [WITNESS 1] Comments: [redacted] – Pilots indicated they were recording however many sightings were above the helicopter which was outside of the helicopters FLIR camera angle. Some things I could not see with the naked eye, but I recall the pilots calling out sightings. The orbs appeared to break off from [CALL SIGN 1] and pursue the [MILITARY AIRCRAFT]. SECRET//NOFORN
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
Source: U.S. Department of War / AARO — public domain · war.gov/ufo