DOW-UAP-PR057a, "Spherical UAP in clouds"
▮ AI SYNOPSIS · Sonnet 4.6
DOW-UAP-PR057a is a 1-minute-10-second infrared video originating from an unspecified U.S. military platform operating over the Yellow Sea, with an incident date of January 2023. AARO assessed the footage in response to a March 2026 congressional request by eight House members seeking access to 51 potentially UAP-related records held by the Department of War and the Intelligence Community. The video, uploaded to a classified network in June 2024 under the title "Spherical UAP in clouds," shows one or more areas of contrast moving across the infrared sensor's field of view while the sensor pans and adjusts zoom levels. No audio or text content accompanies the footage.
The record is notable primarily for its provenance issues: AARO states the chain-of-custody is unsubstantiated, and the video is a duplicate of DOW-UAP-PR057b, which carries a different title and location reference — the East China Sea — suggesting inconsistent metadata between uploaders. The platform, sensor specifications, and original classification markings are not disclosed. AARO explicitly declines to draw analytical or investigative conclusions from the footage.
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Redactions present in this record. Black bars protect identities of eyewitnesses, locations of facilities, or non-UAP-related sensitive material.
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, “Spherical UAP in clouds,” is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating above the Yellow Sea in January 2023. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in June 2024.
Video Duration: 1:10
Video Description:
00:00-00:06: No content.
00:07-00:08: An area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from left and exits near the center of the right side of the frame.
00:09-00:20: The sensor pans and cycles zoom levels multiple times.
00:21-00:31: An area of contrast enters the frame from the left side of the screen. The area of contrast becomes indistinguishable against the background.
00:32-00:34: The sensor zooms in. An area of contrast becomes distinguishable against the background near the center of the frame.
00:35-00:52: The sensor pans to track the area of contrast from left to right.
00:53-00:56: The sensor zooms in. An area of contrast transits the sensor field-of-view from left to right in the bottom third of the frame.
00:57-01:10: 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.
AARO Comment: This media is a duplicate of DOW-UAP-PR57b, alternately titled, “[Platform] observes UAP in East China Sea 05 JAN 2023 INDOPACOM.” This discrepancy exists because two uploaders titled the underlying material differently on a classified network.