DOW-UAP-PR081, "18 Oct 2020 [CALLSIGN] observes UAP

Department of WarVideoVideo ReportLight redactionPURSUE Release 2

3/10

niche or mildly interesting

UAP Insight significance score

Location: AFRICOM
Incident date: 2020
Duration: approximately 5 seconds of observable content
Witnesses: Sensor only
Released: May 22, 2026

UAP Characteristics

? Unknown shape

Evidence Types

IR Video

Government Programs Referenced

AAROPURSUE

Official Conclusion

No analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination provided by AARO.

Official Description

On March 6, 2026, eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives requested access to 51 potentially UAP-related records allegedly held by the Department of War and the Intelligence Community. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) identified a collection of responsive materials held on a classified network. Many of these materials lack a substantiated chain-of-custody. AARO assesses that this video, whose uploader-defined title is, “18 Oct 2020 [CALLSIGN] observes UAP,” is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the United States Africa Command area of responsibility in 2020. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in October 2020. Video Duration: 00:04:59 Video Description: 00:00-00:57: No content. 00:58-01:03: An area of contrast transits the sensor field-of-view, entering from near the top left corner of the screen and exiting near the bottom right corner of the screen. 01:04-04:59: No content. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.

Key Findings

→AARO identified this video as part of a collection of 51 potentially UAP-related records requested by eight U.S. House members on March 6, 2026.
→The video is approximately 5 minutes long but contains only about 5 seconds of observable content (00:58-01:03), with the remainder showing no content.
→The observable content consists of an area of contrast transiting the sensor field-of-view from upper left to lower right.
→AARO assessed the video was likely captured by an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in the AFRICOM area of responsibility in 2020.
→AARO explicitly noted the materials lack a substantiated chain-of-custody, raising provenance concerns.

UAP Insight Analysis— AI generated, not official

This document is an AARO-generated description of a classified infrared sensor video uploaded to a classified network in October 2020, released in response to a Congressional request. The video, titled '18 Oct 2020 [CALLSIGN] observes UAP,' was recorded by a U.S. military platform operating in the AFRICOM area of responsibility. AARO explicitly notes the materials lack a substantiated chain-of-custody and provides no analytical judgment regarding the event's nature or significance.

Analyst Notes

The video contains only approximately 5 seconds of actual content out of nearly 5 minutes. The observable phenomenon is described only as 'an area of contrast,' providing minimal characterization. AARO explicitly states no analytical judgment or factual determination is offered. The materials lack a substantiated chain-of-custody, significantly undermining evidential value. The uploader and platform callsign are redacted.

Extracted Entities

Agencies & Organizations

Department of WarAll-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)U.S. House of RepresentativesIntelligence Community

Locations

United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) area of responsibility

Aircraft & Objects

Area of contrast transiting infrared sensor field-of-view, entering top left and exiting bottom right

Dates

October 18, 2020 (incident date)October 2020 (video upload date)March 6, 2026 (Congressional request date)

Official video via DVIDS · Open on DVIDS ↗

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AI analysis by claude-sonnet-4-6 · May 22, 2026