Senior Intelligence Official's Multi-Hour Orb Encounter, 2025

Brief

On an evening in late 2025, WITNESS 1 — a senior US intelligence official — and federal and state partners conducted an aerial search of a mountain range near a US military facility aboard a state partner helicopter. LP/OP personnel detected a 'super-hot' orb hovering at ground level via FLIR; it then split into two objects and outran the helicopter over an estimated 20 miles before a third object separated from the pair. Over the following 90-plus minutes, crews observed recurring formations of 4-5 oval, orange orbs flaring up and down in horizontal sequences, a swarm of lights too numerous to count, and a distinct triangle formation — all corroborated simultaneously by FLIR, NVG, and naked-eye observation. WITNESS 1's closing assessment was that the orbs appeared to break off from the helicopter and turn to pursue the military aircraft in the area.

Metadata

Agency

FBI

Release

5/8/26

Incident

Late 2025

Location

United States

Type

PDF • .pdf

Length

3 pages

Classification

SECRET//NOFORN

Tags

orb, swarm, triangle formation, horizontal formation, FLIR, NVG, military facility, 2025, bifurcation/split, close approach, pursuit behavior, orange oval

Key points

• WITNESS 1, a senior US intelligence official, along with federal and state partners departed an Operations Center at approximately 1700 hours and did not return until 2316 hours, logging over eight hours of airborne observation.p.1
• LP/OP personnel using FLIR described a detected orb as 'super-hot' hovering at ground level before it accelerated east then south at high speed and split into two objects.p.1
• CALL SIGN 1 broke off pursuit after the orb traveled an estimated 20 miles — a distance and speed the helicopter could not match.p.2
• The co-pilot observed via NVG a third object emerge from the two split objects and travel independently at high speed, producing at least three separately maneuvering objects from one original contact.p.2
• Two large orbs appeared in close proximity to the helicopter above the rotor disk, visible to pilots via NVG and to WITNESS 1 with the naked eye, described as oval, orange, with a white or yellow center emitting light in all directions.p.2
• A swarm of lights too numerous to count was observed moving in all directions at 2218 hours, with military aircraft two minutes out to assist.p.2
• Recurring formations of 4-5 orbs flaring up sequentially in horizontal arrangement then extinguishing in reverse order were observed at 2227, 2228, 2233, 2241, 2249, 2252, and 2257 hours across multiple bearings from the helicopter.p.2
• A triangle formation of three distinct orbs was observed at 2249 hours while positioned near the site.p.3
• Pilots indicated they were recording, but many sightings occurred above the helicopter and outside the FLIR camera angle.p.3
• WITNESS 1's closing comment assessed that the orbs appeared to break off from the helicopter and pursue the military aircraft.p.3

Verbatim

• LP/OP confirmed the sighting then relayed they spotted an orb under FUR and described as "super-hot" hovering at ground level before heading bearing-from LP/OP.

  p.1

• LP/OP reported the orb was heading east and then south at a high rate of speed and then broke into two objects.

  p.1

• [CALL SIGN 1], unable to match speed, broke off pursuit, however the co-pilot reported seeing under NVG something emerge from the two objects and then travel in a different direction and a high rate of speed.

  p.2

• From the naked eye perspective, the two orbs appeared to flare up and remain stationary side by side.

  p.2

• They appeared to be oval shaped, orange in color with a white or yellow center and emitting light in all directions.

  p.2

• After a few seconds, a third orb flared up below the two, and then another one below that one until there were four or five in total below the original two.

  p.2

• The orbs appeared to break off from [CALL SIGN 1] and pursue the [MILITARY AIRCRAFT].

  p.3

Most interesting

• The orb closed to within ten feet of the helicopter before accelerating away — a controlled, proximate approach rather than an incidental trajectory.
• From a single original contact, at least three independently maneuvering objects were ultimately produced: the original orb split into two, then the co-pilot observed a third separate object emerge from the pair.
• Both FLIR/NVG sensors and simultaneous naked-eye observation corroborated the same events in real time, substantially reducing the likelihood of sensor-specific artifacts.
• Military aircraft from an undisclosed unit were conducting a training mission in the same airspace, and the orb formations appeared to react to their presence — appearing above them and later apparently pursuing them.
• The orb formations exhibited a consistent, repeating behavioral signature across at least seven distinct events: sequential illumination from one end of a horizontal line, stationary hold, then sequential extinguishing in reverse order within 10-15 seconds.
• The sightings spanned over 90 minutes and covered a broad geographic area, with formations appearing at multiple compass bearings and altitudes relative to the helicopter — suggesting coordinated or distributed activity rather than a single source.