DOW-UAP-PR40, Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2020
▮ AI SYNOPSIS · Sonnet 4.6
DOW-UAP-PR40 is a one-minute, three-second infrared sensor video submitted to AARO by U.S. Central Command, recorded from an unspecified military platform over the Arabian Gulf in 2020. The footage shows an unidentified small thermal signature tracked across the sensor field of view. The original reporter annotated the video at the ten-second mark by pausing playback and adding a white circle and the label "U/I SMALL THERMAL SIGNATURE." AARO released the material unmodified. No personnel names, platform identities, or additional contextual data are included in the available record.
The document is notable primarily as an example of field-submitted UAP reporting from the CENTCOM area of operations during a period of heightened military UAP awareness following the 2019 Navy reporting guidelines. The sensor cycles through contrast and zoom adjustments while tracking the object, suggesting the operator treated it as a genuine unknown worth sustained attention. No analytical conclusion or resolution is provided. The absence of OCR text means no accompanying written assessment is available, leaving the nature of the thermal signature entirely unresolved in this release.
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Redactions present in this record. Black bars protect identities of eyewitnesses, locations of facilities, or non-UAP-related sensitive material.
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and three seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2020. The original reporter digitally altered the imagery by pausing the video playback and adding a white line encircling an area of interest at timestamp 00:10, annotated with the phrase “U/I SMALL THERMAL SIGNATURE.” AARO did not edit the originally reported material, and this media is presented as received.
Video Description:
00:00-00:09: An area of contrast brightens within the sensor field-of-view, becoming increasingly distinct against the background.
00:10-00:14: Playback pauses to display a white line encircling an area of interest, annotated with the phrase “U/I SMALL THERMAL SIGNATURE.”
00:15-01:03: Playback resumes, with the sensor panning to track the area of contrast against the background, generally maintaining the area of contrast’s position within the top third of the display area. During this period, the sensor cycles through several contrast and zoom settings.
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.