View original document (0.1 MB) PDF viewer unavailable in this browser. Download the PDF to view. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of a still image derived from a U.S. military system in 2025, according to official records released under the PURSUE archive.
The document, titled “FBI Photo B14,” was released by the U.S. Department of War on May 8, 2026, and lists the incident as occurring in late 2025 in the Western United States. The official description accompanying the release states that the original imagery was altered with redactions before being submitted to AARO, and that an accompanying mission report was not provided.
The operator reported that they were unable to positively identify the UAP. The date in the image is incorrect due to the system date/time not being set, according to the FBI’s filing. The monochrome image, as described in the official narrative description provided for informational purposes, displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair.
Two small, dark, circular objects are visible near the center of the frame. A digital artifact or distortion is visible along the edge of the redaction box in the lower right quadrant.
The narrative description is explicitly labeled as provided for informational purposes only, and readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Context of the PURSUE Archive Release
The release of “FBI Photo B14” is part of a broader declassification effort. Per a Wikipedia summary of the United States UFO files, the collection of declassified United States government records concerning UFOs, also called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), was released by the administration of Donald Trump beginning on May 8, 2026. The Wikipedia entry notes that the releases were announced to continue as repeated, ongoing, expanding releases of UFO materials.
The FBI document itself consists of a single still image derived from a U.S. military system. The official description notes that the FBI submitted the report to AARO, the Pentagon’s office established to investigate UAP incidents across all domains.
The record’s official summary offers limited detail beyond the basic facts of the submission: the image was taken in late 2025, the operator could not identify the object, and the system date was incorrect. The redactions applied to the original imagery before submission to AARO are a significant detail, as they indicate that some information was withheld from the official reporting channel. The absence of an accompanying mission report further limits what can be verified about the incident.
The official description does not specify what was redacted or why the mission report was not provided.
What Remains Unanswered
Several key questions about “FBI Photo B14” remain unresolved. The official description does not identify the specific U.S. military system that captured the original imagery, nor does it explain why the system date was not set. The nature of the two dark circular objects visible in the image is not identified in any official documentation released to date.
The digital artifact or distortion visible along the edge of the redaction box in the lower right quadrant is acknowledged in the narrative description but not explained. Whether this artifact is related to the redaction process itself or represents something else is not addressed in the available records.
Readers should watch for future PURSUE releases, which per the Wikipedia summary are expected to continue as repeated, ongoing, expanding releases of UFO materials. Future documents may provide additional context for this incident, including the possibility that the missing mission report or unredacted versions of the image could be released in subsequent tranches. The official record as it stands presents a single image with limited corroborating information, leaving the nature and significance of the event open to interpretation based on whatever additional documentation may become available.
