{"id":20722,"date":"2025-07-12T05:17:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T05:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/?p=20722"},"modified":"2025-07-12T05:17:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T05:17:02","slug":"u-s-government-confirms-multiple-drone-incursions-over-pantex-nuclear-facility-newly-released-documents-reveal-previously-unreported-security-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/u-s-government-confirms-multiple-drone-incursions-over-pantex-nuclear-facility-newly-released-documents-reveal-previously-unreported-security-events\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Government Confirms Multiple Drone Incursions Over Pantex Nuclear Facility; Newly Released Documents Reveal Previously Unreported Security Events"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a series of previously undisclosed documents confirming multiple drone incursions over the Pantex Plant<\/a> in Amarillo, Texas\u2014a facility that plays a critical role in the nation’s nuclear weapons program. The records, released as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by The Black Vault on January 16, 2024, reveal significant security concerns dating back at least two years, including incidents in 2022 and 2023 that were not previously made public.<\/p>\n

The FOIA request sought all records, including photos, videos, reports, and internal communications related to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), or Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) over Pantex. It also specifically requested any communications between Pantex and the U.S. government’s UAP Task Force (UAPTF) or the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).<\/p>\n

The Pantex Field Office, along with its Management and Operating (M&O) contractor PanTeXas Deterrence, LLC, identified seven responsive records. Among them were internal reports that detailed two distinct drone incursions\u2014one occurring in October 2022 and another in June 2023. Both incidents were classified as “Management Interest (AMI)” level security concerns.<\/p>\n

September 2015 Encounter: The First Known Incident Over Pantex<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first publicly known aerial incursion over the Pantex Plant occurred on September 2, 2015. This event was further brought to light through reporting by journalist Dustin Slaughter<\/a>, who published a redacted version<\/a> of the incident report and a still image<\/a> reportedly captured during the encounter. The image showed a dark object in the sky above the nuclear facility. While the document confirmed the incident had occurred, the version released to Slaughter was heavily redacted, limiting insight into the nature of the object or the government\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

The newly released FOIA records now offer significantly more detail, along with new documents from 2022 and 2023 that reveal similar aerial security concerns involving unidentified drones.<\/p>\n