US Military Releases Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Sighting

Sebastian Smith

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August 5, 2026

Redacted Pentagon document titled DOW-UAP-D28 lies atop a map of Iraq with sensor icons.

In a recent disclosure, the U.S. Department of Defense unveiled a previously undisclosed incident report stemming from a mission in Iraq, which took place in December 2024. The document, marked as DOW-UAP-D28, offers an account of an unexpected event that unfolded during a routine weapons calibration exercise. On September 20, 2024, an aircraft crew was conducting an armed overwatch mission in Iraq.

As part of the exercise, they discharged 20 rounds of 105mm, 101 rounds of 30mm, and one AGM-176 Griffin missile. During the course of this test, an additional, inexplicable object was detected by the aircraft’s MX-20 and MX-25 infrared sensors.

The observer on the scene, the individual filing the report, described it as a fast-moving object that appeared within the sensor’s field of view, emanating from a substantial heat source. It’s crucial to note that the document’s language indicates that the report’s contents reflect the observer’s subjective interpretation at the time. This is not a definitive conclusion, but rather a logged observation. The document also lists the aircraft’s sensor suite, which includes AN/APN-241 radar, AN/ALR-56M radar software load, and AAR-47 missile warning system.

These are all standard equipment, without any apparent unusual components. The timing of the report’s release is noteworthy, as it was disclosed in May 2026, nearly two years after the initial incident.

This lengthy delay in reporting a routine MISREP (Military Incident Reporting and Analysis System) is peculiar, unless the document underwent a review or classification process prior to its release. The Department of Defense did not provide an explanation for the 20-month delay. The report does not contain certain crucial pieces of information.

For instance, there is no corroboration from secondary sensors, no radar tracking aligning with the visual observations, and no other aircraft reporting the same object. The account is based solely on the observations of one crew, using one sensor during a missile test.

The object in question appeared, crossed the sensor’s frame, and vanished. The crew filed the report, which was later released after a significant delay. This pattern is reminiscent of the manner in which the Department of Defense has handled similar incidents in the past, with reports being gradually disclosed with minimal context.

The public receives the form, but not the subsequent analysis. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) receives the data, while the public receives a redacted PDF, with a disclaimer acknowledging the possibility of the reporter’s error.

The crew members themselves and their respective chains of command are not identified within the document. The AARO’s assessment of the report is not included in the document either. In summary, a U.S. aircraft crew reported an inexplicable, fast-moving heat source during a weapons calibration exercise in Iraq in September 2024.

The Department of Defense released a report detailing this incident 20 months later. The report, while providing some insight, is missing crucial corroborating evidence, and its delayed release is unusual for a routine MISREP.