UFOs and UAPs

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides access to many government records on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) through the National Archives Catalog and NARA’s website. Additionally, NARA has been actively digitizing historical records from its holdings over the past few months, in support of the Department of Defense. Digitized records are being made available in the Catalog on a rolling basis as the work is completed.

Please explore the links below to find out more about UFO records in NARA’s holdings. All links to Catalog items are downloadable and can be republished with attribution to the National Archives and Records Administration. This Special Topics page will be updated as additional records are digitized and made available online.

Blog posts and articles

From the National Archives Catalog

Selected Motion Picture Films

• The original documents are located in Box D9, folder “Ford Press Releases—UFO, 1966” of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

***Header image: Detail of the record: “Scientific Study of UFOs—Second photo of alleged UFO.” This item was produced or created in ca. 1969. The creator compiled or maintained the parent series, Black and White and Color Photographs of U.S. Air Force Activities, Facilities, and Personnel, Domestic and Foreign, between 1954–1980. Original caption on the back of the photo reads, “Photo by the witness.” This photo was used by the Condon Committee, which later published the Condon Report. NAID 295136808

This information is made available, in part, as a result of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which directed NARA to support the Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). For more information, visit www.aaro.mil.