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AARO Unresolved Case Analysis Update: Western United States Event

U.S. Department of War · 2023 · 4 pages · text from the file's own layer

This memorandum for record, dated 5 June 2026, comes from the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in the Office of the Under Secretary of War. It is an update on AARO's analysis of an October 2023 incident near a sensitive national security site in the western United States. Over two days, six federal agents reported orange "mother orbs" releasing smaller red orbs. AARO attributes about 60 percent of the activity to military aircraft dispensing flares, and the remaining 40 percent is still unresolved.

From the source: Release of 2026-06-12 Incident: 2023, Western United States. This memorandum summarizes the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office’s (AARO) ongoing analysis of a reported incident near a sensitive national security site in the western United States involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) over a period of two days in 2023. As of June 2026, the case remains unresolved.

UNCLASSIFIED
OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR
5000 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, DC 20301-5000
INTELLIGENCE
AND SECURITY
05 JUNE 2026
MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
SUBJECT: All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Unidentified Anomalous
Phenomena (UAP) Case Analysis Update: Western U.S. Event “Orbs Launching
Orbs”
References: (a) https://www.war.gov/ufo/#Western-US-Event, Incident 1 of 4, VIRIN: 260508-
D-D0360-1052, 08-MAY 2026.
1. Executive Summary.
This memorandum summarizes the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office’s (AARO)
ongoing analysis of a reported incident near a sensitive national security site in the western
United States involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) over a period of two days in
October 2023. As of June 2026, the case remains unresolved.
2. Incident Summary.1
Over a period of two days in October 2023, six federal law enforcement special agents
reported observing “orbs launching other orbs,” near a sensitive national security site in the
western United States at approximately dusk. Each team of two agents reported observing
phenomena with similar morphological features and performance characteristics from multiple
viewing angles.
The phenomena’s most distinctive reported feature was the repeating nature of their
pattern of behavior, in which a luminous orange “mother orb” appeared to produce smaller red
“orbs,” one after another, multiple times over a period of several hours. Reporters described the
orange “mother orbs” as appearing for one to two seconds, releasing a cluster of two to four red
“orbs,” and subsequently disappearing. The reporters characterized the behavior of the red
“orbs” as anomalous, describing varied kinematic profiles including seemingly coordinated
horizontal motion and apparent changes in altitude. The red “orbs” reportedly persisted for
several seconds before disappearing, however, in at least one instance, the agents described a red
“orb” as remaining stationary above a ridgeline for several hours. The reporters also described
the phenomena as “silent.” The agents provided consistent accounts using similar language to
characterize their experiences and the apparent behavior of both the red and orange “orbs.”
3. Analytic Factors.
1 AARO’s use of source-derived descriptive and evaluative language in this summary is intended to preserve the
integrity of narrative testimony as provided by first-hand observers.
1
UNCLASSIFIED

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