DOW-UAP-D57, Range Fouler Reporting Form, Gulf of Aden, September 2020

Department of WarPDFIncident ReportUNCLASSIFIEDLight redaction6/10— solid newsworthy itemPURSUE Release 1

Location: Gulf of Aden
Incident date: 9/4/20
Released: May 8, 2026

AI Analysis

A Range Fouler Reporting Form submitted by a U.S. Navy O-3 from the 172 ATKS squadron documents an 8-minute sensor contact over the Gulf of Aden on September 4, 2020. The aircrew tracked a round, cold object in infrared (appearing bright white on black-hot setting) traveling at approximately 277 mph on a heading of 168 degrees at 23,819 feet altitude. The object made several abrupt directional changes during the contact period from 21:09Z to 21:17Z.

Key Findings

→A round, cold IR object was tracked for 8 minutes (21:09Z–21:17Z) over the Gulf of Aden at 23,819 feet HAT on September 4, 2020.
→The object was traveling at 277 mph on a heading of 168 degrees and made several abrupt directional changes during the contact.
→The IR sensor was set to black-hot, causing the cold object to appear bright white; sensor slant range was 6.17 NM with a ground range of 8.81 KM.
→The contact was assessed as a single object (1 contact in group), described as round with a stable trackfile; no wings/airframe, propulsion, markings, or metallic characteristics were noted.
→The report was submitted through the SPEAR system, which sanitizes all identifying information; display tapes were requested to be preserved as .wmv files for repository upload.

Analyst Notes

Single-crew report with no explicit corroborating sensor data beyond the onboard IR system; radar track stability and tally achievement are not confirmed (checkboxes blank). The document itself notes all descriptive language reflects subjective interpretation and should not be taken as conclusive regarding object features or performance. Abrupt directional changes are reported but not independently verified. Aircrew identity is fully sanitized per SPEAR protocol, limiting accountability tracing. The object's cold IR signature is consistent with certain balloons or passive objects, though the reported speed and directional changes complicate that explanation.

Extracted Entities

Agencies & Organizations

172 ATKS (squadron)SPEAR (reporting/sanitization system)USCENTCOMAARO

Locations

Gulf of AdenMGRS location 38P LT (redacted)

Aircraft & Objects

Round, cold IR object appearing bright white on black-hot IR settingSingle contact with stable trackfile, no apparent propulsion, wings, or markings

Dates

09/04/202021:09:00Z to 21:17:00Z

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AI analysis by claude-sonnet-4-6 · May 17, 2026