Ex-Intelligence official details government investigations into UAPs
Retired Defense Intelligence senior executive Jay Stratton discusses government probes into unexplained UAP encounters on “Special Report” with Bret Baier. Stratton recounts startling military encounters involving black triangular aircraft, warns of potential national security implications and explains how the U.S. military used nuclear submarines as bait while attempting to track the mysterious objects.
Newly released Department of War records say FBI agents watched a silent, black triangular object hover above a mountain ridgeline before it suddenly accelerated at a speed comparable to that of a fighter jet.
The 2026 incident is one of several cases outlined in the documents on unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP. The files also revisit decades-old military encounters and accounts involving strange creatures, unexplained lights and alleged portals at a Utah ranch.
According to one FBI account, the object appeared dark and nonreflective, with a triangular shape similar to a drone. Its wingspan was estimated at 9 to 15 feet, and witnesses saw no exhaust or recognizable propulsion system.
The agents said the craft rose straight up above the ridgeline, then accelerated into a canyon without producing any audible sound.
An image released with a 2026 FBI report shows a black triangular object over mountainous terrain. Federal agents said they saw a silent triangular craft hover above a ridgeline before racing into a canyon. Authorities have not said whether the image is an original photograph or a reconstruction. (Department of War)
A separate account from the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, offers additional details about the reported encounter. The office is responsible for investigating UAP sightings.
AARO described a matte-black triangular object that climbed approximately 200 to 300 feet above the ridgeline and hovered for about 20 seconds. It then appeared to accelerate almost instantaneously, vanishing into a canyon within two to three seconds.
Witnesses reported seeing no engines, rotors, exhaust or other familiar features associated with conventional aircraft.
Using handheld thermal equipment, the agents said they detected an even heat signature across the object’s surface rather than the concentrated hot spots normally linked to propulsion systems.
The Pentagon cautioned that the object’s reported speed was based on witness estimates, not measurements recorded by instruments.
The FBI and AARO accounts also differ over how long the sighting lasted. The FBI estimated the encounter at roughly three seconds, while AARO described about 10 seconds of ascent, 20 seconds of hovering and an additional two to three seconds of rapid movement before the object disappeared.
Neither agency’s report determines what the object was or where it came from.
News Outlet has asked AARO for comment, including whether investigators have identified the object and whether the images released alongside the FBI report document the actual sighting or represent illustrations.
A declassified U.S. Air Force intelligence report dated Jan. 19, 1957, records an unidentified radar contact involving a B-52 bomber flying near Saudi Arabia during a Strategic Air Command mission. (Department of War)
The newly disclosed files also contain a Jan. 19, 1957, Air Force intelligence report about an unknown radar contact involving a U.S. B-52 bomber assigned to a Strategic Air Command mission near Saudi Arabia.
On Jan. 18, 1957, the bomber was flying at approximately 39,000 feet when its radar detected an unidentified target about 6,000 yards away.
MORE ON THIS: Bar Owner Says Conan O’Brien Video Jam Session Changed His Life
The radar contact remained visible for five to seven minutes before disappearing as the bomber made a left turn.
Air Force investigators said no other aircraft were expected in the area, though they acknowledged the contact could have vanished from the radar because of the bomber’s change in direction.
Additional historical documents recount alleged sightings in the vicinity of California’s Santa Catalina Island.
An Air Force intelligence report dated Aug. 28, 1952, documents claims by three Boy Scouts who reported seeing a silent, silver object moving faster than a conventional jet near California’s Santa Catalina Island. (Department of War)
In one case, three Boy Scouts attending summer camp reported seeing a silent, silver object moving faster than a conventional jet while hiking on the island June 25, 1952.
The scouts claimed the object made a climbing turn before appearing to disintegrate, an Air Force intelligence report states.
Investigators noted that the scouts had no instruments to measure its speed or altitude and that their limited experience made it difficult to assess the reliability of their account.
A separate March 15, 1955, report describes a witness near Avalon on Catalina Island who spotted a bright, round object that changed from orange to red before falling straight down.
The Air Force ultimately classified the sighting as a “probable meteor.”
The files also include a 60-page investigation conducted in 2010 by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) at a Utah ranch associated with reports of unexplained phenomena.
Investigators interviewed residents who described towering dog-like creatures walking on two legs, mysterious balls of light and other unusual sightings.
Other witnesses reported smaller, hairy creatures, a prehistoric-looking bird and a worm allegedly measuring 8 feet long. One witness also described a transparent, rippling structure she believed was a portal to another world.
Eyewitness sketches included in a 2010 investigation by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies depict mysterious creatures reportedly spotted at a Utah ranch associated with alleged paranormal activity. The sightings were not independently verified. (Department of War)
The investigation included eyewitness sketches, surveillance cameras, environmental monitoring and hair samples collected from areas associated with reported creature sightings.
Laboratory testing, however, identified the hair samples as coming from ordinary animals, including domestic dogs and a raccoon.
The report did not establish the existence of the alleged creatures or other extraordinary phenomena.
News Outlet reached out to the FBI for comment.
