"UFOs in formation over Persian Gulf?": a 17-minute infrared recording (uploaded October 2019)
At 17 min 36 s, this is the longest video in Release 02. It is an infrared recording from a U.S. military platform in the CENTCOM area, uploaded in October 2019 under the question-titled name "UFOs in formation over Persian Gulf?". The sensor repeatedly zooms in and out on a contrast that, at higher magnification, appears as several distinct contrasts and at times blends into the video grain. *Method note: war.gov blocks this server, and the video itself was not viewed. Everything here comes from the official war.gov description, as reproduced and summarised on the ufotransparency.com mirror page. Release 02 states that on 6 March 2026 eight members of the House asked for 51 potentially UAP-related records. AARO found the responsive material on a classified network, and many items "lack a substantiated chain-of-custody". The quoted titles are uploader-defined, not AARO's, and AARO describes its descriptions as informational only, not analytical judgments. No DVIDS copy of the Release 02 videos was found.*
Evidence, in date order (1)
- Oct 2019CENTCOM area platform (via AARO, PURSUE)sensor datainfrared video DOW-UAP-PR098 released by the Department of War DOW-UAP-PR098 (war.gov), mirror page with the official description
How plausible · High
Released official sensor footage of unresolved contrasts; no identified witness or independent backing, but the data itself is real.
- ●●Access A U.S. military sensor recorded it.
- ●●No gain sought Released by the government; nobody profits.
- ●●Checkable details check out Released on war.gov (PURSUE).
- ●●Physical traces or official reaction Instrument data: the clip itself.
- ●○Restraint The uploader's title frames it as UAP without explaining it.
- ●○Character record An official record, uploader unnamed.
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
- The video's uploader-defined title is "UFOs in formation over Persian Gulf?" (DOW-UAP-PR098, official description as summarised by the mirror)
- AARO assesses the video is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (DOW-UAP-PR098, official description as summarised by the mirror)
- A user uploaded the video to a classified network in October 2019; total duration is 00:17:36. (DOW-UAP-PR098, official description as summarised by the mirror)
- The sensor repeatedly zooms in and out to track an area of contrast that at higher magnification appears as multiple distinct areas of contrast, and at times is indistinguishable from the video grain. (DOW-UAP-PR098, official description as summarised by the mirror)