Range Fouler Reporting Form, Gulf of Aden, October 2020
- Date
- 15 Oct 2020
- Place
- Arabian Sea
- Record
- Pentagon file
- Assessment
- Not assessed
- Evidence strength
What was reported
Range Fouler Reporting Form: while at 19,073 ft over the Gulf of Aden, the crew tracked a round, cold object in infrared traveling 319 degrees at 20 mph, making a few abrupt directional changes during a roughly one-minute contact. Sensor was black-hot polarity; object appeared bright white (cold in that polarity).
What officials concluded
Unresolved
The file gives no official explanation.
- Agency
- Department of War
- Released in
- 123456
Evidence profile
- No: Visual
- Yes: Infrared
- No: Radar
- No: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
- No: Civilian
- Yes: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- No: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
- No: Light only
- Yes: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Why this rating Single sensor, low speed (20 mph) consistent with a drifting balloon or bird, thermally cold (i.e. not an engine/exhaust heat source), brief contact.
As described in the file
- Witnesses
- One aircrew (172nd Attack Squadron)
- Sensors
- IR sensor, black-hot polarity
- Shape
- Round
- Lights and colour
- Bright white (black-hot IR polarity, i.e. a cold object)
- Motion
- 319 degrees at 20 mph, with a few abrupt directional changes
- Duration
- Approx. 1 minute
- Altitude or range
- 19,073 ft (aircraft altitude)
Pentagon files
DOW-UAP-D044, Range Fouler Reporting Form, Gulf of Aden, October 2020
Open the original on war.gov
What the file claims
- Unverified
A round, thermally cold object was tracked by IR sensor traveling at 20 mph on a heading of 319 degrees, making a few abrupt directional changes over about one minute.
On the map
15.00° N, 65.00° E, a position at sea, approximate
Show on the map