Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) formally requested that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth release 46 military UAP videos by April 14, 2026, citing national security concerns. The Pentagon missed the deadline without response. Days later, a War Department official told Liberation Times that AARO was actively working with the White House to prepare the releases. Three weeks after that, PURSUE launched.
The sequence matters. The missed deadline and Luna’s public outrage created the political pressure that accelerated the May 8 PURSUE launch. Congressional deadlines work — even when they’re missed — because the public accountability creates forward momentum.
The 46 Videos
The 46 videos referenced by Luna were reportedly captured by fighter jets, drones, surveillance aircraft, and naval assets across multiple operational theatres. Luna’s task force has emphasised the national security dimension — unexplained objects operating in restricted military airspace represent an intelligence failure regardless of their origin.
The War Department Response
After the deadline passed, a War Department official told Liberation Times: “The Department of War’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is working in close coordination with the White House and across federal agencies to consolidate existing UAP records collections and facilitate the expeditious release of never-before-seen UAP information.”
Rep. Tim Burchett simultaneously stated that “names, dates, people, and locations” tied to the UAP phenomenon are set to emerge in upcoming briefings — suggesting the PURSUE release is not the ceiling of disclosure but the floor.
What Remains Unreleased
PURSUE’s first tranche contained 162 files. Luna’s 46 videos may or may not have been included. The Pentagon has not confirmed which specific requests the PURSUE release satisfies. The gap between what lawmakers have been shown in classified briefings and what has been publicly released remains enormous. The 78 classified UAP photographs the Navy refused to release under FOIA — citing a UAP Classification Guide — are not in the PURSUE tranche. The contractor-held materials Grusch testified about are not in the PURSUE tranche. This is the beginning of a process, not its conclusion.
Sources: Liberation Times (Christopher Sharp), Modernity News (April 15, 2026), Rep. Luna public statements, Rep. Burchett public statements.