View original document (0.1 MB) PDF viewer unavailable in this browser. Download the PDF to view. According to FBI records released under the Department of War’s PURSUE archive on May 8, 2026, the bureau submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of a single still image. The document, titled “FBI Photo B10,” describes the image as being derived from a U.S. military system in late 2025.
The location of the incident is listed as the Western United States. The original imagery was altered with redactions before being submitted to AARO, and an accompanying mission report was not provided.
The official summary notes that the operator reported being unable to positively identify the UAP. It also states that the date in the image is incorrect due to the system date and time not being set. A narrative description of the image—provided for informational purposes only—describes a monochrome, grainy texture with a central crosshair reticle.
A small, dark, circular object is visible just to the top right quadrant of the center of the reticle. The background shows an indistinct mountain range.
The narrative description explicitly cautions readers not to interpret any part of it as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Limited Details in Official Record
The record’s official summary offers limited detail beyond the basic facts of the submission. The document does not specify the exact date in late 2025 when the image was captured, nor does it identify the specific military system that produced the original imagery. The redactions applied to the original image are not described in terms of what information they obscured.
The absence of a mission report means that no operational context—such as the type of aircraft or sensor involved, the duration of the sighting, or any communications from the operator—is available in the released file. The FBI’s role in the submission is noted, but the record does not explain why the bureau, rather than a military branch, was the reporting entity.
The document was released as part of the PURSUE archive, which, according to a Wikipedia summary of the United States UFO files, is a collection of declassified U.S. government records concerning UFOs, also called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). Per the Wikipedia entry, the releases began on May 8, 2026, under the administration of Donald Trump, and were announced to continue as repeated, ongoing, expanding releases of UFO materials. The “FBI Photo B10” document is one of the initial entries in this archive.
What Remains Unanswered
Several key questions are left unresolved by the released document. The nature of the dark, circular object in the image is not identified. The operator’s inability to positively identify the UAP is stated, but no further analysis from AARO or the FBI is included in the file.
The reason for the redactions to the original imagery is not explained. The incorrect date stamp on the image raises questions about whether the system’s time settings were deliberately altered or simply malfunctioned, but the document provides no clarification.
Readers should watch for future PURSUE releases to see if additional documentation—such as the missing mission report, unredacted versions of the image, or analytical assessments from AARO—is made available. The ongoing nature of the releases, as noted in the Wikipedia summary, suggests that more records may provide context for this and other incidents. For now, the “FBI Photo B10” document stands as a sparse record of a single UAP sighting, with its most significant details remaining obscured by redactions and a lack of supporting information.
