Range Fouler Reporting Form, Gulf of Aden, September 2020
- Date
- 4 Sep 2020
- Place
- Gulf of Aden
- Record
- Pentagon file
- Assessment
- Not assessed
- Evidence strength
What was reported
Range Fouler Reporting Form (172nd Attack Squadron): an 8-minute contact tracking a round, cold object in black-hot IR traveling 168 degrees at 277 mph, with a few abrupt directional changes; object appeared bright white against the black-hot background.
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; 277 mph is within the performance envelope of conventional high-altitude balloons under strong winds, and 'cold' IR signature indicates no propulsion heat source, weighing against a powered craft.
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
- 168 degrees at 277 mph, with a few abrupt directional changes
- Duration
- 8 minutes
- Altitude or range
- 23,819 ft (aircraft altitude)
Pentagon files
DOW-UAP-D057, Range Fouler Reporting Form, Gulf of Aden, September 2020
Open the original on war.gov
What the file claims
- Unverified
A round, thermally cold object was tracked for 8 minutes traveling at 277 mph with a few abrupt directional changes.
On the map
12.00° N, 48.00° E, a position at sea, approximate
Show on the map