A mission report that was added to the PURSUE archive on May 8, 2026 describes an incident that occurred more than three years earlier. On February 21, 2023 a U.S. Air Force pilot flying an F‑15E launched from Jordan recorded three unidentified aerial objects near Shaddadi, Syria while cruising at 24,000 feet. Shortly afterward the same pilot noted a single possible balloon at 21,000 feet. The document is a standard military MISREP form and includes a disclaimer stating that the narrative reflects the pilot’s subjective interpretation at the time of the sighting.
This caveat means the government is not endorsing the accuracy of what the pilot saw; it is merely acknowledging that the pilot reported seeing something. The report was released through the Department of War’s PURSUE archive, a system created to channel cases to the All‑domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the Pentagon’s official UAP investigative unit.
Every MISREP submitted to AARO becomes a data point for analysis, and this particular entry is now publicly available. It represents the third known UAP report linked to Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The flight in question was a routine combat air patrol.
Two F‑15Es departed from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The pilot’s weapons‑system video recorded something, as indicated by the notation “WSV PRODUCED” in the report.
The video itself has not been released. The report does not claim that the objects performed any maneuvers, nor does it assert that they posed a threat. Instead it contains the code “NFTR” (no further transmission required), suggesting the pilot did not escalate the sighting and continued with the planned defensive counter‑air mission.
Although the flight proceeded without incident, the report was entered into the system because, since 2022, military guidance has required personnel to log any anomalous object, even if it appears ordinary. A balloon at 21,000 feet over Syria is not inherently extraordinary; balloons frequently drift at such altitudes.
Nevertheless, the document lists the possible balloon together with the three higher‑altitude objects. The pilot labeled the first group as “POSS UAP” and the later sighting as “POSS BALLOON,” reflecting personal judgment. The report does not draw a connection between the two observations.
The procedural implication of this release is significant. The PURSUE archive is intended to enforce transparency by automatically declassifying documents after a set period, unless the Secretary of War intervenes.
Consequently, additional reports are expected to surface, increasing pressure on AARO to deliver timely public assessments. AARO has faced criticism for slow progress and opaque conclusions, and each newly available MISREP invites independent analysts to scrutinize the data. The February 2023 Syria case is not presented as definitive evidence of exotic technology.
It is a routine patrol record with an unusual footnote, now part of the open record. Anyone can download the accompanying PDF, which includes the precise coordinates, altitude, and timestamp.
Analysts can cross‑reference this information with flight tracks, weather data, and known balloon launches in the region to form their own evaluations.
