The Pentagon has released a newly declassified video that appears to show a US fighter jet taking down an unidentified aerial object over Lake Huron in Michigan in February 2023. The footage is part of the latest batch of previously classified UFO-related files made public by the US government.
Details of the Video
The infrared footage, included in a second tranche of declassified records released on Friday, shows an F-16 fighter jet locking onto an unidentified object. The Pentagon described a “kinetic interaction” that causes the object to fragment mid-air. According to a description from the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the footage “appears to depict a kinetic interaction between two distinct areas of contrast”, after which the object fragments “in a radial displacement pattern that suggests a high-energy event”.
Release of Files
The video was among 222 files released by the Pentagon on Friday, following an initial release of 161 files on May 8 under an order issued by US President Donald Trump. The material includes documents, photographs, audio recordings, and 51 videos linked to what the US government officially calls “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP). AARO stated that the video was uploaded to a classified network in February 2023 with the title: “USAF ANG F-16C ... Shoots Down UAP over Lake Huron”.
Pentagon's Caution
However, the Pentagon also cautioned that many of the released materials “lack a substantiated chain-of-custody”, meaning officials cannot fully verify how the files were handled before being archived. Most of the newly released videos contain grainy infrared footage captured by US military systems between 2018 and 2023.
Additional Reports
The disclosure also included reports of “green orbs”, “discs”, and “fireballs” observed near military facilities dating back to the late 1940s. Additionally, an account from a senior US intelligence officer reported seeing “countless orange orbs swarming in all directions” during a helicopter mission in 2025. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the files had long fueled public speculation. “It’s time the American people see it for themselves,” he said.
