The UFO Library: Military encounter
East China Sea Football-Shaped UAP
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command personnel observed a football-shaped UAP with three radial projections over the East China Sea in 2024; Pentagon declassified 9-second video footage of the incident in May 2026.
Incident Overview
In 2024, personnel of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command reported observing an Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAP) resembling a football-shaped body with three radial projections over the East China Sea. The sighting was captured on video for approximately 9 seconds.
Visual Characteristics
The UAP was described as football-shaped with three distinct radial projections extending from its body. The object appeared in military surveillance footage, suggesting it was detected through official U.S. military reconnaissance systems.
Declassification and Release
The Pentagon released footage and documentation of this incident on May 8, 2026, as part of the Trump administration's transparency initiative on UAP/UFO phenomena. The release occurred under the PURSUE (Pentagon Unclassified Regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) disclosure program, making previously classified military sightings available for public review.
International Response
When Tokyo learned of the Pentagon's release of UAP files containing footage shot near Japan, the Japanese government announced it was analyzing the declassified materials "with great interest." Japanese officials indicated they possessed their own UAP footage and would make case-by-case decisions about disclosing classified Japanese UAP records. This represented a notable instance of international coordination regarding UAP disclosure efforts.
Significance
This incident exemplifies 2024-2025 period military UAP encounters in strategically significant Asia-Pacific waters and demonstrates how modern military UAP evidence is being progressively declassified under new U.S. administrative policies. The football-shaped morphology with radial projections represents a distinct UAP configuration documented by credentialed military observers using military-grade instrumentation.
Witnesses
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command personnel (unnamed)
Evidence
9-second declassified video footage released by Pentagon on May 8, 2026; military surveillance records; additional photographic documentation analyzed by Japanese government officials
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Where this entry came from
ProvenanceAgent indexedUpdated 2mo ago4 sources
Drafted by the archive's AI research agent from the sources below; corrections from readers are reviewed and folded in.
- First indexed
- 14 AUG 26 // 16:21Z
- Last updated
- 14 AUG 26 // 16:21Z
- Tokyo analyzing Pentagon UFO file trove with sightings near Japan, Staff, The Japan Times
- Japan Confirms Possession of UAP Footage After Reviewing Pentagon Videos Near Japanese Airspace, Staff, IBTimes UK
- Pentagon publishes first batch of declassified UFO files under new program, Staff, Stars and Stripes
- Pentagon releases declassified UFO files from various federal agencies, Staff, ABC News
Notes
- Tokyo analyzing Pentagon UFO file trove with sightings near Japan, Staff, The Japan Times
- Japan Confirms Possession of UAP Footage After Reviewing Pentagon Videos Near Japanese Airspace, Staff, IBTimes UK
- Pentagon publishes first batch of declassified UFO files under new program, Staff, Stars and Stripes
- Pentagon releases declassified UFO files from various federal agencies, Staff, ABC News
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