The Pentagon releases 40 more UFO files again: the clearest 2020 video, possibly a “transforming balloon”

Pentagon on July 10 released the fourth batch of Unidentified Atypical Phenomena (UAP, formerly widely known as UFO) files in one go, totaling 40 entries, including 14 files, 19 video segments, 4 audio segments, and 3 images. The sources span the Department of Defense, NASA, the CIA, the FBI, and the Department of Energy. This is the fourth wave of releases since President Trump launched the PURSUE declassification system in May of this year. Among them, one 32-second infrared video from 2020 provided by Northcom (NORTHCOM) has been viewed by some foreign media as the “clearest to date,” but the object in the footage was described by a Navy operator as a deformed big balloon.
(Background: Trump cashes in on his promise! The U.S. Department of Defense releases the first batch of top-secret UFO files: PURSUE system officially launched)
(Additional background: Trump: The first batch of UFO files “very, very soon” will be released, digging out a lot of interesting content)

Table of contents

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• The clearest segment
• Two files involving a nuclear base and a 28-year veteran
• Declassification hasn’t reached the last batch

Key takeaways

• On 7/10, the Pentagon released its fourth batch of UAP files totaling 40 entries, including 14 files, 19 video segments, 4 audio segments, and 3 images
• The files come from institutions including the Department of Defense, NASA, CIA, FBI, and the Department of Energy, with about half from after 2010
• The so-called clearest 2020 Atlantic 32-second video describes the object as a deformed balloon about 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 meters) tall

On July 10, the Pentagon opened the file cabinet again and released a fourth batch of data related to Unidentified Atypical Phenomena (UAP—i.e., what people have long been familiar with as UFO). In total, there are 40 entries. Broken down, they include 14 files, 19 video segments, 4 audio segments, and 3 images. The sources span multiple agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, the CIA, the FBI, and the Department of Energy, with about half dating from after 2010.

This is the fourth wave of releases since Trump signed an executive order and launched PURSUE (President’s UAP Encounter Declassification and Reporting system) in May this year. The official materials are all posted under the war.gov/ufo website. The earlier batches already dumped hundreds of files; this time, another 40 are added—clearly the pace is meant to lay open decades of sealed military sighting records one batch at a time. The fact that the government is willing to proactively open the file cabinet is, in itself, rarer than the file contents.

The clearest segment

In this batch of materials, the most attention-grabbing is a video shot in 2020 that some U.S. media have dubbed “the clearest footage to date.” The video is 32 seconds long, provided by Northcom (NORTHCOM). It was captured via infrared sensors on a U.S. military platform, then submitted to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the office tasked with investigations. The accompanying textual report is heavily blacked out. In the report, a Navy weapons systems operator describes that he spotted the object over the Atlantic: darker in color, chestnut-brown, about 12 to 15 feet tall (3.7 to 4.6 meters).

Structurally, it looks like a somewhat deformed balloon. When we flew past it, we couldn’t confirm that, so we continued on, returned to the ship, and landed safely.

After analysts reviewed it, they believed the object drifted with the wind without making any maneuvers; its flight characteristics matched those of an inflated object, and it could even be only a small string of balloons tied together.

Two files: a nuclear base and a 28-year veteran

Not every file is this deflating. One file the Department of Energy turned over this time records that in September 2015, an unidentified object entered the airspace above the Pantex nuclear weapons facility near Amarillo, Texas. Two officers in aircraft chased it, and the entire nuclear base was briefly placed under lockdown. Another mission debrief report from 2019 mentions that a pilot and four other crew members witnessed an object over the eastern United States. In his report, the pilot wrote one line: the flight characteristics of this thing were ones he had never seen in 28 years serving in the Air Force and Navy.

Declassification hasn’t reached the last batch

A Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, emphasized that this Friday’s batch is not the final time the information will be made public. The government and its partner agencies are organizing the next batch of UAP files, and this UFO declassification show during Trump’s term will keep getting bigger.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Pentagon’s fourth batch of UFO files include?

The fourth batch of UAP files released on July 10, 2026 totals 40 entries, including 14 files, 19 video segments, 4 audio segments, and 3 images. The sources cover the Department of Defense, NASA, CIA, FBI, and the Department of Energy, with about half coming from after 2010.

What did the clearest 2020 UFO video capture?

It’s a 32-second infrared video shot over the Atlantic by Northcom. The Navy operator described the object as chestnut-brown and about 12 to 15 feet tall, like a deformed balloon that drifted with the wind without maneuvering. Analysts believe its characteristics match an inflated object.