A Navy helicopter crew sees three unknown small air contacts with no radar, IFF or ES returns (24 August 2020)
This is a one-page Range Fouler debrief from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 (HSM-73), filed by an O-3 pilot for helicopter side number 705 (BuNo 168122). Late on the night of 24 August 2020, during routine operations in the North Arabian Sea, the crew saw three possible small unidentified air contacts. None produced an electronic-support, radar or IFF track. The first was on a westerly heading and went behind a cloud. Two more then appeared due east. All three seemed to keep their relative course, speed and altitude. The form ticks "Round" and "Wings/Airframe" for shape. No explanation is given. A PURSUE video from Release 02, DOW-UAP-PR090, carries the same date ("24 AUG 2020 ... Observes UAP"), but nothing in the release links the two. Its uploader title implies a different kind of mission. *Method note: war.gov blocks this server. The form was read from the original PDF served by the ufotransparency.com mirror. It is a one-page scanned form with a poor OCR text layer, so the quotations were read from the page image. Checkbox values are given as ticked on the scan. Redactions are shown as [redacted].*
How plausible · Moderate
A Navy helicopter debrief records three small contacts seen at night with no radar, IFF or ES returns.
- ●●Access The ISR crew tracked it on their own sensor.
- ●●No gain sought An official reporting form.
- ●●Checkable details check out Released in PURSUE.
- ●○Restraint Describes motion and signature, no explanation.
- ●○Character record An official report; crew names withheld.
- ●○Fits the documented skeleton Part of the documented Range Fouler and PURSUE record.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- "observed 3x possible unidentified small air contacts while conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea. Negative ES, radar track, and IFF track." (DOW-UAP-D56, p. 1; read from the page image)A contrast that leaves and re-enters the frame several times (24 August 2020)
- "appeared to be on a westerly heading" (DOW-UAP-D56, p. 1; read from the page image); the contact went "behind a cloud", after which "2x additional" contacts were seen "due east".
- "All 3x unknown air contacts appeared to maintain their relative course, speed, and altitude." (DOW-UAP-D56, p. 1; read from the page image)
- Form fields: squadron HSM-73; reporter an O-3 pilot; date 08/24/20; time 00:04:30; "Night"; side number 705; BuNo 168122; altitude constant "Yes"; wind 310/5; direction 270/UNK; radar "Other"; stable trackfile "No"; number of contacts 3; shape boxes "Round" and "Wings/Airframe" ticked. (DOW-UAP-D56, p. 1, read from the page image)