The Department of War has made public a previously classified report that details an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) observed during a routine military mission in the Middle East in 2013. Processed under the department’s PURSUE policy framework, the document was handled by the All‑domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in partnership with the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
The declassified file, titled “dow‑uap‑pr38‑unresolved‑uap‑report‑middle‑east‑2013,” is part of a series of reports labeled PR38. While the total number of reports in this series has not been disclosed, the release follows the department’s broader commitment to increase transparency on historical UAP incidents that do not threaten national security. According to the report, an unspecified aircraft’s sensor system detected an object that displayed flight characteristics beyond the capabilities of known conventional platforms.
The sensor recorded rapid acceleration and sustained high‑speed travel without any visible propulsion system. The object remained within sensor range for roughly 90 seconds before exiting the detection envelope.
During the encounter, no communications, electronic emissions, or other signatures were captured from the phenomenon. The report does not identify the platform involved, nor does it attribute the observation to any foreign adversary, natural atmospheric event, or other known source. As a result, the incident remains classified as “unresolved.” The document does not contain video footage or additional sensor data, although it references a separate data file that has not been released to the public.
AARO officials indicated that the office may seek further information from the original operating unit, including possible interviews with the personnel who operated the sensor and analyzed the data. Established in 2022, AARO is tasked with coordinating the collection and analysis of UAP information across the Department of Defense and related agencies.
The office has emphasized that its ongoing work will continue to focus on factual reporting while avoiding speculation. Future declassifications are anticipated as part of the department’s transparency initiative. The 2013 Middle East report is now accessible through the Department of War’s public UAP repository. Its release aligns with the PURSUE policy’s objective to share historical UAP records that pose no risk to national security, thereby providing the public and interested stakeholders with verifiable information about past encounters.
While the report does not reveal the number of similar incidents in the region, it adds to a growing collection of declassified UAP documents from recent years, including releases covering 2020, 2023 and 2024 Middle East observations.
