DOW-UAP-D058, Range Fouler Debrief, NA, October 2020
▮ AI SYNOPSIS · Sonnet 4.6
DOW-UAP-D058 is a U.S. Navy Range Fouler Debrief form documenting an incident on October 27, 2020, at 01:12:21 Zulu, involving a pilot from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (77 EFS). The mission was described as a DCA (Defensive Counter Air) sortie. The reporting pilot, directed by KINGPIN (an airborne or ground controller), attempted to identify two unknown contacts at approximately 26,000 feet altitude. The contacts were observed via radar and targeting pod (ATFLIR or similar). The operator described two IR-significant objects, one circling the other, characterized visually as balloon-shaped, metallic, reflective, and displaying red blinking strobes. The contacts disappeared in approximately 1/30th of a second. The pilot was unable to close within 16.9 nautical miles for a better identification.
Notable elements include the reported disappearance of the contacts in an extremely short timeframe, the receipt of noise jamming indicated by two chevrons on the pilot's display, and a confirmed radar lock and targeting pod track. The jamming indication is significant as it suggests potential electronic warfare activity associated with the contacts. Identifying information for the pilot and squadron has been sanitized per SPEAR protocols, and contact latitude and longitude fields were left blank in the released version. The document was approved for release to AARO on March 27, 2026, under USCENTCOM MDR 26-0038 to 26-0046.
▮ TOP WORDS IN THIS DOCUMENT
Redactions present in this record. Black bars protect identities of eyewitnesses, locations of facilities, or non-UAP-related sensitive material.
This document is a Range Fouler Debrief, a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training. These reports contain a narrative description of the observer’s experiences.
A U.S. military operator reported an encounter with a group of two UAP. The operator described the UAP as “balloon-shaped,” metallic, and reflective, characterizing them as “2x red blinking strobes.” The report states that “one range fouler was circling around the other.”
All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
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Declassified by MG Richard A. Harrison
usce lease do not use the purple
Decla"submit" button above, Save and
Range Fouler Debrief Form
email the complete file manually
(see below).
Please complete this form to the best of your ability. If you do not have the requested information,
please leave the field blank. If there was more than one "group," please report each on a separate
form for data collection purposes. You should receive a response within 5 business days.
Last Name, First Name
Rank
Squadron
S/PR Email Address
Crew Position
0-3 .
77 EFS
This information is for contact only. SPEAR sanitizes all reports of identifying information.
Absolutely no identifying information for aircrew or squadron will be recorded for analysis
10/27/20
Date (mm/dd/yy)
01:12:21
Time of detection
(hh:mm:ss Z)
Night
Day / Night
DCA
No
Side No.
Buna
Mission Description (CAS, BFM, etc)
LFE?
Contact Working Area
Contact Latitute
N/S
Contact Longitude
EW
(Ex: W-72 1A)
(DD:MM:SS)
(DD:MM:SS)
Please attempt to determine a Lat / Long for the contact at initial detection. We recommend
using JMPS to reference the sensor-derived bearing and range relative to the bullseye you had
in use. If that method is not available, any reasonable derivation of location will work, but please
be as specific as possible and make a note in the comments section. These locations may be
used to cue other means of tracking.
26000
No
Contact Altitude
Altitude
(Ex: 22000)
Constant?
Wind Dir at
Contact All
(From)
Was the contact moving?
Wind
Speed
Yes
Direction/Speed
(Ex. 090/15)
060/20
Radar Equipped: Other
Stable Trackfile?: Yes
# of Contacts in "Group": 2
EA Indications (Check all that apply):
AIM-9x Self-Track:
ATFLIR Autotrack:
Tally Achieved:
Please check all that apply:
Round:
Moving Parts:
Square:
Metallic:
Balloon-shaped:
Markings:
Wings/Airframe:
Translucent:
Other Shape
Opaque:
ECM
Letter
False
Other/
Arc
Apparent Propulsion.
Reflective:
Identifer
Trackfiles
Ambiguous
Please use the field below to describe the contact and any interaction in your own words with as much
detail as possible. Please be sure to include any detail not included in questions above.
KINGPIN DIRECTED ID OF UNKNOWN CONTACT.
1.4a
OBTAINED RADAR LOCK AND TARGET
POD VIDEO BUT UNABLE TO GET CLOSER THAN 16.9NM TO GET A BETTER ID. THE TARGET POD
SHOWED 2 IR SIGNIFICANT CONTACTS. ONE RANGE FOULER WAS CIRCLING AROUND THE
OTHER. IN 1/30TH OF A SECOND, THEY WERE GONE. TALLY ACHIEVED WAS 2X RED BLINKING
STROBES AND NOISE JAMMING WAS RECIEVED. NOISE JAMMING WAS INDICATED BY TWO
CHEVRONS.
FIRST DETECTION OF THE RANGE FOULERS WERE AT B/E ZIM 248/17
1.4a
Don't use the purple "submit" button! Save this form with filename "Date_Squadron_RF.pdf" and email
_ (A/so in the global). For troubleshooting, call
Thank you for your time. Please ensure all display tapes are ripped for the entire time of interaction and
saved as a wmv (Example: 4 May VFA-106 HUD.wmv). Squadron intel personnel shall upload those files
to the repository located at this link.
(b)(6)
USCENTCOM MDR 26-0038 to MDR 26-0046 Approved for Release to AARO
03/27/26 000001