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Range Fouler Reporting Form
Tracked round, cold object in IR traveling 168 degrees at 277 mph over the Gulf of Aden at 23,819 ft. Object made abrupt directional changes during 8-minute contact.
Analysis
A round object making abrupt directional changes showed up cold on infrared over the Gulf of Aden on October 15, 2020 — yet it appeared bright white on a sensor set to black-hot mode. That inversion means the object was colder than its surroundings while remaining visually prominent, a signature that doesn't match any conventional aircraft or balloon. The 172 ATKS ISR crew tracked it for 73 seconds from 19,073 feet, watching it travel at 319 degrees at 20 mph before it left range. A single contact. One minute. Then gone.
Key Findings
- Round, cold object tracked in IR traveling 319 degrees at 20 mph over the Gulf of Aden
- Abrupt directional changes during the 73-second contact window (14:18:39Z to 14:19:52Z)
- Appeared bright white on IR sensor set to black-hot mode — indicating cold thermal signature displayed inversely
- Sensor aimed -50 degrees below altitude; slant range 4.06 NM, ground range 4.78 KM
- Single contact, moving
Page Extractions 1 pages
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doc_typeform
classificationDeclassified by MG Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff; USCENTCOM MDR 26-0038 to MDR 26-0046, Approved for Release to AARO
page_descriptionRange Fouler Reporting Form documenting a UAP contact observed by ISR crew over the Gulf of Aden on October 15, 2020, tracking a round, cold infrared object.
dates
- 2020-10-15 | Date of contact
- 14:18:39 to 14:19:52 Z | Specific time window of contact on 15 October 2020
people
- O-2 Rank crew member | Squadron 172 ATKS | Other crew position | Observer/reporter
- MG Richard A. Harrison | USCENTCOM Chief of Staff | USCENTCOM | Declassification authority
organizations
- 172 ATKS | Air Force squadron conducting ISR mission
- USCENTCOM | U.S. Central Command
- SPEAR | Reporting and analysis organization
- AARO | All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (recipient of release)
locations
- Gulf of Aden | Primary location of sighting
- MGRS location: 40Q BD 6[1.4a]1[8(b)(6)] | Military grid reference system coordinates (partially redacted)
- 19,073 feet HAT (Height Above Terrain) | Altitude during contact
- Slant range: 4.06 NM | Distance to contact from sensor
- Ground range: 4.78 KM | Ground distance to contact
observationsRound, cold object tracked in infrared (IR); traveling 319 degrees at 20 mph; made a few abrupt directional changes during the 1 minute contact; sensor was aimed -50 degrees below altitude; IR sensor set to black hot mode; object appeared bright white in IR; contact moving at direction/speed 261/30; round shape confirmed; contact was moving; single contact in group
sensor_details
- IR sensor set to black hot mode | Infrared sensor configuration
- Slant range: 4.06 NM | Distance measurement
- Ground range: 4.78 KM | Distance measurement
- Sensor aimed -50 degrees below altitude | Sensor pointing angle
assessments
- Cold object in IR | Thermal signature
- Abrupt directional changes | Observed behavior
- Contact duration: Approximately 1 minute
redactions
- Crew member name, rank | Contact information sanitized from analysis
- SIPR email address | Classified contact information
- "(b)(6)" redactions appear throughout | Classified contact/repository information
- "1.4a" redaction in MGRS grid and lat/long | Classified location coordinates
- Repository link redacted | Classified file upload location
- Flagged redaction box at bottom of form | Contains unspecified classified information
quotes"Contact at 14:18:39Z to 14:19:52Z on 15OCT2020. MGRS location 40Q BD 6[1.4a]1[8(b)(6)] (estimated lat/long) [1.4a]. While at 19,073 HAT over the Gulf of Aden we tracked a round, cold object in IR traveling 319 degrees at 20 mph. It made a few abrupt directional changes during the 1 minute contact. Our sensor was aimed -50 degrees below our altitude with a slant range of 4.06NM and ground range of 4.78KM. The IR sensor was set to black hot and the object in question was a bright white." | Crew description of contact