To download UAP records, open the official PURSUE database, choose a release, search the asset name and open its details. Use the download control after checking the agency, dates and file type. Browser Find searches only loaded content; use the database search to locate records.
In this article
The Birth of PURSUE: A New Chapter in Government Transparency
The portal publishes multiple releases. Select a release filter to define the collection you are studying. Keep the incident date separate from the publication date, and note the title and identifier before saving a file.
A record’s appearance in PURSUE does not establish that it was never previously public, that it has no redactions, or that the account is independently verified. Publication dates describe releases, not necessarily the first availability of every underlying document.
Accessing war.gov/UFO: Your Gateway to Declassified Records
Visit war.gov/UFO. Use the release filters and Search records field. Open a matching asset and inspect its description before downloading. A digital rendering can depict a reported event without being an original photograph of it.
Step-by-Step: How to Browse, View, and Download Files
Download a specific record
- Open the official portal and locate the records database.
- Select the release you want, or leave the broader collection selected.
- Enter a distinctive title, identifier or term in Search records. A browser’s Find command searches only the loaded page, not necessarily the complete database.
- Open the matching asset to inspect its agency, incident date, publication date, type and description.
- Use the asset’s download button. For large videos, check the file size and destination before downloading.
- Save the original file with its identifier and maintain a separate note of the catalog URL and date accessed.
An example you can reproduce
Search for FBI September 2023 Sighting – Composite Sketch. The entry reviewed on 7 October 2026 is identified by VIRIN 260508-O-D0360-1053 and appears in Release 01, published 8 May 2026. Its description identifies a site photograph with a graphic overlay based on witness accounts. It should not be treated as a direct photograph of an unidentified object.
Compare it with FBI September 2023 Sighting – Serial 003, VIRIN 260508-O-D0360-1054, an interview record. Our FBI record guide explains the distinction.
Download a whole release
Where a release offers a ZIP archive, use that official batch download rather than collecting files from an unofficial mirror. Releases can separate document and video packages. Check which package you have obtained before treating it as the complete release.
For a documented example, see our Release 05 file guide and the official Release 05 document ZIP. The download begins when that archive link is selected.
Check your files and citations
- Separate the historical incident date from the date of publication.
- Retain classification markings, redactions, cover sheets and page numbers.
- Distinguish an original scan from OCR text, a reconstruction or a rendering.
- If you calculate a file checksum, record the algorithm; it helps compare copies, not authenticate the underlying claim.
- If a link fails, return to the catalog and search the identifier. Do not substitute a similarly named file without checking its metadata.
INSIGHTS
How PURSUE differs from NARA
PURSUE is the release portal used here. The NARA UAP Records Collection, Record Group 615, provides a separate archival discovery route. Availability in one system does not establish that the other holds every equivalent record.
To follow new releases and agency activity over time, The UAP News Center keeps an Official Government UAP Records & Activity Tracker.
Guide updated, 7 October 2026: The instructions now follow the record-search interface and avoid a fixed file count. Public release does not necessarily mean that a record was previously unavailable, unredacted or scientifically verified.
FAQs
Do I need an account?
The public catalog can be browsed without a government clearance. Download availability can vary by asset.
Is every image a photograph of a UAP?
No. Read the description: illustrations, graphic overlays and digital renderings are not equivalent to direct sensor imagery.
What if the file will not download?
Return to the catalog and search the exact identifier. Check your browser’s download list and available storage before retrying a large file.
Conclusions and Key Takeaways
Keep original records and their metadata together. Use the source portal to verify updates, and separate what an account reports from what independent evidence establishes.
Insider Release
Declassified. Analyzed. Explained.