UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RELEASERELEASE 05 · AUGUST 7, 2026
PENTAGON UFO FILE · VIDEO · DOW-UAP-PR122Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
AARO says this 26-second clip overlaps heavily with DOW-UAP-PR121, and the descriptions bear that out: both show the same sequence of events. It is one of six cell-phone recordings of an AC-130J gunship’s infrared display made on September 8, 2021, during a nighttime live-fire training flight over the Gulf of Oman by U.S. Special Operations Forces.
Same scene, different timing
Here the opening stretch with a single centered patch lasts only about five seconds. The crossing follows at six to seven seconds: a larger patch runs upward across the whole picture and returns down the left side, while a smaller one drops out of the bottom and reappears in the upper right. In PR121 the same sequence starts later and is described as taking several seconds. After the sensor is adjusted, a patch comes in from the top and sits near the center for the rest of the clip.
Background
The aircrew’s intelligence report, DOW-UAP-D101, described the objects as “cold orbs” about four feet across and said the aircraft’s video recorder was not working. The report’s characterizations are the crew’s impressions. AARO lists the event as unresolved.
The official description
From war.gov/UFO, released August 7, 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 26 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter.
Video description:
00:00-00:05: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. Visual elements of the sensor display enter and exit the frame throughout the duration of the video.
00:06-00:07: A relatively larger area of contrast transits from the bottom of the frame to the top of the sensor’s field-of-view, then re-enters from the top left to the bottom left of the frame. The relatively smaller area of contrast exits the bottom of the frame, and re-enters from the upper-right quarter of the frame.
00:08-00:26: The sensor adjusts, and an area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the top of the frame, and remains generally within the center of the frame.
AARO Comment: This video footage significantly overlaps in content with DOW-UAP-PR121.
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.