UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RELEASERELEASE 02 · MAY 22, 2026
PENTAGON UFO FILE · VIDEO · DOW-UAP-PR09024 AUG 2020 [CALLSIGN] (Mission) Observes UAP
This recording, titled “24 AUG 2020 [CALLSIGN] (Mission) Observes UAP,” puts all its action at the start. AARO places it in U.S. Central Command’s area in 2020, believes an infrared sensor on a U.S. military platform recorded it, and notes it was posted on a classified network in August 2020 — the same month as the title’s date, as with several CENTCOM clips from that period.
The opening minute
From the very first frames the sensor follows a patch of contrast heading down the left side of the picture, then pans to bring it to the middle. From 00:22 the operator zooms in, keeping it in view until just after the one-minute mark. Between 01:05 and 01:14 the target leaves and returns to the picture several times. After that, AARO describes nothing at all for the rest of the file, close to four minutes.
The release does not say whether the target was lost, whether the operator stopped looking, or why the recording kept running.
What the record lacks
As with the other videos gathered after the March 2026 House request, AARO does not identify the platform or mission, and gives no altitude, heading or range for the target. A short zoomed view on an infrared display shows a heat contrast, not a shape, and AARO offers no description of the target’s appearance. It stresses that its timeline is not an analytical judgment. More on these sensors 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, “24 AUG 2020 [CALLSIGN] (Mission) Observes UAP,” is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the United States Central Command area of responsibility in 2020. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in August 2020.
Video Duration: 00:04:57 Video Description: 00:00-00:03: The sensor tracks an area of contrast as it moves down the left side of the screen. 00:03-00:21: The sensor pans to track the area of contrast within the center of its field-of-view. 00:22-01:04: The sensor zooms in on the area of contrast. 01:05-01:14: The area of contrast exits and re-enters the field of view several times. 01:15-04:57: No content.
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.