Documents / Report
This declassified U.S. Central Command mission report (MISREP) describes an AC-130 type armed overwatch sortie flown from OKAS on 20 September 2024 under Operation Inherent Resolve. While the crew was doing a weapons calibration in Ayn al Asad Airbase's restricted operating zone, the weapons systems officer and combat systems officer saw an unidentified object fly through the aircraft's sensors at high speed after an AGM-176 was released. The object caused an infrared lens flare that pointed to a significant heat source. The crew assessed it as benign, and it was not seen again. The pages were declassified on 24 October 2025 and approved for release to AARO.
From the source: Release of 2026-05-08 Incident: 9/20/24, Iraq. Released with redactions. This document is a Mission Report (MISREP), a standardized reporting form the U.S. Military uses to record the circumstances surrounding its operations. U.S. military services often use MISREPs to report Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) to AARO. The GENTEXT, or “general text” section of these reports often contains important qualitative, contextual information, distinguishing it from the more quantitative, or numerical, data found elsewhere in the report. While conducting a weapons calibration test, U.S. military operators reported observing a lens flare via MX-20 and MX-25 IR sensors after firing an AGM-176 Griffin air-to-surface missile. The operators described the source of the flare as a UAP moving through the aircraft’s sensor’s field-of-view at a high rate of speed. The reporter assessed that the flare was associated with “a significant heat source.” All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.
SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEYDeclassified by MG Richard A. Harrison USCENTCOM Chief of Staff Declassified on: 24 October 2025 • Data Link: GATEWAY (IF BOTH) • Gentext: 1020x30mm / 80x105mm Timeline Takeoff • Callsign: • Number of Aircraft: 1(b)(1)1.4a • Asset Type (Aircraft):(b)(1)1.4a, (b)(1)1.4g • Aircraft Tail Number(s):(b)(1)1.4a, (b)(1)1.4g • Takeoff Location (ICAO Code): OKAS • Takeoff Time DTG: 201740:00ZSEP24 • Mode 3 (IFF Codes): • Gentext/Additional Details: • Mission Canceled: Landing • Last Land Location (ICAO Code): OKAS • Last Land Time: 210046:00ZSEP24 • Last Engine Shutdown Time: 200101:00ZSEP24 • Total Mission Time: 7 hours 6 minutes • Gentext/Additional Details: On Station • Time On Station DTG: 201930:00ZSEP24 • Callsign: • JTAR Number:(b)(1)1.4a • Killbox (Location): • Mission Type: ARMED OVERWATCH • JTAC Callsign: • Gentext/Additional Details: • Did not Arrive On Station: Off Station • Time Off Station DTG: 202323:00ZSEP24 • Total Time On Station: 3 hours 53 minutes • Gentext/Additional Details: 3.5c, FOIA Exemption (b)(6) SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEYUSCENTCOM MDR 25-0100 thru 25-0103 / JS-250710-TM8SApproved for Release to AARO10/28/25 004
Not linked to a story yet.
Report, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 6 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.