DOW-UAP-PR118, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
Gulf of Oman UAP infrared video, AC-130J gunship (2021)
niche or mildly interesting
UAP Insight significance score
- Incident date
- 9/8/2021
- Duration
- 30 seconds (video length)
- Witnesses
- Human + sensor
- Released
- August 7, 2026
UAP Characteristics
Evidence Types
Government Programs Referenced
Official Conclusion
Unresolved
Official Description
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 30 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter. Video description: 00:00-00:30: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view, momentarily exiting the bottom of the frame. 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
- →30-second video is a secondary capture, filmed with a cellular device from an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. SOF AC-130J, not native sensor data.
- →Video shows an area of contrast generally centered in the sensor field of view, momentarily exiting the bottom of the frame.
- →Companion Intelligence Information Report DOW-UAP-D101 describes the phenomena as 'cold orbs' approximately four feet in diameter.
- →Footage in DOW-UAP-PR117 through PR122 was captured contemporaneously, indicating a multi-clip event.
- →Secondary recording introduces fidelity limits such as blurring, flickering and reduced resolution.
AARO-held report from U.S. Central Command consisting of 30 seconds of cellular-device secondary capture of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. SOF AC-130J gunship over the Gulf of Oman on 9/8/2021. The video shows an area of contrast near the center of the field of view that momentarily exits the bottom of the frame; a companion IIR (DOW-UAP-D101) describes the phenomena as 'cold orbs' about four feet in diameter.
Analyst Notes
Secondary capture of a screen via cellular phone, not native sensor data, with degraded fidelity and possible screen artifacts. The visible content is only an undefined area of contrast with no scale, range or kinematic data. The 'cold orbs' characterization comes from a separate report, not the video itself. No corroborating sensors are described in this record, and mundane explanations such as debris, insects or sensor artifacts are not addressed.
Extracted Entities
Agencies & Organizations
Locations
Aircraft & Objects
Dates
Get the next PURSUE release in your inbox
We check war.gov every day. When a new PURSUE release drops, you get an email within a day: what's in it, in plain English, with links to the files. Plus a short Friday digest of the week's top UAP stories.