DOW-UAP-PR085, "16 Sept 2020 [CALLSIGN] [CALLSIGN] observes UAP"
▮ AI SYNOPSIS · Sonnet 4.6
DOW-UAP-PR085 is a 4-minute, 44-second video record associated with an incident dated September 16, 2020, within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. It was released on May 22, 2026, as part of the PURSUE Release 01 program, following a March 2026 congressional request by eight House members for access to potentially UAP-related records held by the Department of War and the Intelligence Community. AARO assessed the footage as likely originating from a full-motion video camera aboard a U.S. military platform. The video was uploaded to a classified network in September 2020 by an unidentified user. The pilot callsigns referenced in the title are redacted. Approximately 77 seconds of the video contain no content, and the observable event — an area of contrast tracked by a panning, zooming sensor — spans roughly three minutes.
The record's primary limitations are the absence of a substantiated chain-of-custody and the lack of accompanying metadata, sensor identification, or analytical reporting. The pilot identities are redacted. AARO explicitly declines to characterize the observed contrast area. The document fits a pattern within this release of sensor footage uploaded informally to classified networks without formal incident reporting, complicating any assessment of the original observation's context or credibility.
▮ 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.
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, “16 Sept 2020 [CALLSIGN] [CALLSIGN] observes UAP,” is likely derived from a full-motion video camera aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the United States Central Command area of responsibility in 2020. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in September 2020.
Video Duration: 00:04:44
Video Description:
00:00-01:17: No Content.
01:18-02:24: An area of contrast enters the bottom of the screen and moves up the screen as the sensor pans and zooms to hold it in the center of the frame.
02:25-04:29: The sensor zooms in, with the area of contrast remaining generally within the center of the frame.
04:30-04:44: The area of contrast leaves the field-of-view in the lower left-hand quarter of the screen.
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.