The Pentagon on Monday, April 27 formally released three unclassified videos taken by Navy pilots that have circulated for years showing interactions with "unidentified aerial phenomena", CBS reports.

One of the videos shows an incident from 2004, and the other two were recorded in January 2015, according to Sue Gough, a Defense Department spokeswoman. The videos became public after unauthorized leaks in 2007 and 2017, and the Navy previously verified their authenticity.

"After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena," Gough said.

Gough, the Pentagon spokeswoman, said the department was formally releasing the videos to address questions about their veracity.