UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RELEASERELEASE 01 · MAY 8, 2026
PENTAGON UFO FILE · VIDEO · DOW-UAP-PR040Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2020
This is one of a handful of PURSUE videos that reached AARO already marked up. Whoever reported this 2020 footage paused the playback ten seconds in, drew a white line around a spot, and added the note “U/I SMALL THERMAL SIGNATURE.” AARO says it did not alter the material and is publishing it exactly as it arrived. No other description from the reporter is included.
What the annotation means
“U/I” is military shorthand for unidentified. A “thermal signature” is the heat an object gives off as seen by an infrared sensor, so the note amounts to “a small, unidentified heat source.” In other words, the reporter was flagging something warm that they could not name, not describing a shape or behavior.
The footage itself
In the first nine seconds a patch brightens until it stands out clearly against the background. After the paused, annotated frame, the video resumes and the sensor pans to follow the patch for the rest of the minute-long clip, keeping it mostly in the top third of the display and stepping through several contrast and zoom settings. AARO describes nothing else and draws no conclusion; the case is listed as unresolved. Because the media was edited by the reporter, it is not a raw sensor record. Compare DOW-UAP-PR020, a still image the reporter circled in red.
The official description
From war.gov/UFO, released May 8, 2026, quoted in full
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.