View original document (0.1 MB)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has submitted a still image of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the Pentagon’s primary UAP investigation office, according to a document released by the U.S. Department of War. The record, titled “FBI Photo B15,” was published on May 8, 2026, as part of the PURSUE archive and describes an incident from late 2025 in the Western United States.
The FBI document states that the bureau submitted a report to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of a still image “derived from a U.S. military system in 2025.” The official description notes that “the original imagery was altered with redactions before being submitted to AARO” and that “an accompanying mission report was not provided.” The operator of the system reported that they “were unable to positively identify the UAP.” The document further notes that the date in the image “is incorrect due to system date/time not being set.”
The record’s official summary offers limited detail beyond the image itself. A narrative description accompanying the release states that the monochrome image “displays a grainy texture with a simplified central crosshair” and that “two small, dark, circular objects are visible near the center of the frame in the upper right quadrant.” The description adds that it is provided “for informational purposes only” and that 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 B15” is part of a broader declassification effort. Per a Wikipedia summary of the United States UFO files, these records are “a collection of declassified United States government records concerning UFOs, also called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), released by the administration of Donald Trump beginning on May 8, 2026.” Wikipedia’s entry on the topic notes that the releases were “announced to continue as repeated, ongoing, expanding releases of UFO materials.” The PURSUE archive, hosted at war.gov, serves as the official repository for these documents.
The FBI’s submission to AARO represents a notable instance of the bureau engaging with the Pentagon’s UAP investigation office. The document does not specify the type of military system that captured the original imagery, nor does it explain the nature of the redactions applied to the photo before it was sent to AARO. The absence of an accompanying mission report means that operational context—such as the duration of the sighting, the altitude or speed of the objects, or any sensor data—is not available in this record.
What Remains Unanswered
The “FBI Photo B15” document raises several questions that the available records do not address. The official description does not clarify why the original image was redacted, who authorized the redactions, or what information was removed. The incorrect date stamp on the image, attributed to an unset system clock, further complicates efforts to place the event in a precise timeline. The operator’s inability to identify the UAP is noted, but no additional analysis or follow-up investigation is documented in this release.
Readers should watch for future PURSUE releases, which per Wikipedia’s summary of the U.S. UFO files are expected to be “repeated, ongoing, expanding” in nature. Subsequent documents may provide additional context for this incident, such as sensor logs, operator statements, or analytical reports from AARO. Until then, the record stands as a single, redacted image with limited corroborating information, submitted by a federal law enforcement agency to the military’s UAP investigation office under a broader government declassification initiative.
