UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RELEASERELEASE 02 · MAY 22, 2026
PENTAGON UFO FILE · VIDEO · DOW-UAP-PR061Spherical UAP [CALLSIGN] 2021/04/12 vid 0
Of the four videos in the 2021/04/12 “Spherical UAP” series, this one, labelled “vid 0,” has the least happening for the longest time. AARO’s timeline starts only at 03:02, three minutes in; it records nothing of note before that. The office places the series in U.S. Central Command’s area in 2021 and believes the footage combines a full-motion video camera with an infrared sensor on a U.S. military platform. The clip was posted on a classified network in June 2024.
The final minute and a half
At 03:02 a patch of contrast comes in at the upper right of the frame and drops out at the lower right. The operator pans after it and brings it to the center of the picture, holding it there until about the four-minute mark. For the rest of the clip the sensor changes modes, and in the process the target becomes hard to pick out from its background.
The release does not say whether the earlier minutes show the platform’s original task, as happens in the companion “obj 2” clip, or simply empty sky.
Fitting the series together
The numbering suggests the uploader saved several recordings from the same day, but AARO does not establish their order or confirm they show the same object. It also does not explain why a mode change made the target fade, which can happen when switching between imaging types alters what stands out. As always in this set, AARO’s description is not a judgment on the event. More on infrared imaging is under FLIR.
The official description
From war.gov/UFO, released May 22, 2026, quoted in full
On March 6, 2026, eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives requested access to 51 potentially UAP-related records allegedly held by the Department of War and the Intelligence Community. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) identified a collection of responsive materials held on a classified network. Many of these materials lack a substantiated chain-of-custody.
AARO assesses that this video, whose uploader-defined title is “Spherical UAP [CALLSIGN] 2021/04/12 vid 0,” is likely derived from a full-motion video camera and an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the United States Central Command area of responsibility in 2021. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in June 2024.
Video Duration: 00:04:46 Video Description: 03:02-04:00: An area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the upper right corner of the frame, exiting in the bottom right corner of the screen. The sensor pans to track the area of contrast, centering it within the sensor field-of-view. 04:01-04:46: The sensor changes modes as the area of contrast becomes indistinct against the background.
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.