UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RELEASERELEASE 04 · JULY 10, 2026
PENTAGON UFO FILE · VIDEO · DOW-UAP-PR115Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of America, 2019
The U.S. Air Force reported this brief clip to AARO as a UAP. It is just 8 seconds of infrared footage, recorded in 2019 by a U.S. military platform over the Gulf of America, the name the U.S. government now uses for the Gulf of Mexico. It was published in July 2026 as part of the fourth PURSUE release. Some of the material is redacted, and no written account from the crew is quoted.
What is visible
For about five seconds a patch sits near the middle of the display, partly covered by the symbols and numbers of the heads-up display, the flight and targeting information overlaid on the image. The sensor zooms and pans to follow it, and the patch flickers as it does. The final second or two is blank.
Why infrared targets flicker
The useful part of this file is AARO’s explanation of the flicker. An infrared camera records only a particular band of wavelengths, effectively a picture of heat. When the thing being tracked is close in temperature to what is behind it, it can melt into the background. The camera’s automatic gain control, which constantly readjusts contrast to keep the picture readable, can then make such a target seem to wink on and off.
AARO does not say that this explains the sighting, which remains unresolved, but it identifies a common, mundane reason for this kind of appearance. See also FLIR.
The official description
From war.gov/UFO, released July 10, 2026, quoted in full
The United States Air Force submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 8 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2019.
00:01-00:02: An area of contrast is visible near the center of the sensor field-of-view, partially obscured by visual elements of the heads-up display. 00:03-00:06: The sensor zooms and pans to track the area of contrast, which visually flickers in the display. 00:07-00:08: 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.
AARO Comment: Infrared sensor systems capture information within a specific range of electromagnetic wavelengths. When a tracked source’s temperature is similar to that of the surrounding environment, it can visually blend into the background or appear to flicker due to dynamic contrast adjustments applied by the system’s auto-gain control filters.