DOW-UAP-D057, Range Fouler Reporting Form, Gulf of Aden, September 2020
Official description
This document is a Range Fouler Reporting Form, a standardized reporting form the U.S. Navy uses to record the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during active military operations or training. These reports contain a narrative description of the observer’s experiences. A U.S. military operator reported tracking a “round, cold object” over the Gulf of Aden for eight minutes via “black hot” IR sensor, making the UAP appear “bright white.” The report states that the UAP was “traveling 168 degrees at 277 mph” and “made a few abrupt directional changes” during the encounter. 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.
✦ AI summary
This is a Range Fouler Reporting Form (SPEAR data collection form used by U.S. Navy/USCENTCOM units) documenting a UAP encounter over the Gulf of Aden on 04 September 2020, 21:09-21:17Z, at night during an ISR mission. An aircrew (squadron redacted) tracked a round, cold (IR black-hot signature) object at 23,819 ft altitude, traveling at heading 168 degrees and speed 277 mph, which made a few abrupt directional changes during the roughly 8-minute contact. Sensor was aimed 39 degrees below aircraft altitude with a slant range of 6.1 NM and ground range of 8.81 km. The object was described as round-shaped with moving parts noted as a checkbox option, tracked via FLIR/TFLIR with AIM-9x self-track and radar equipped. Personnel names, squadron, and some coordinates are redacted (b)(1)/(b)(6). Document approved for release to MRO, marked FOUO, dated 03/16/26, reference USCENTCOM 26.0028.
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
▸Transcript(1 of 1 pages legible)
[PAGE 1] Range Fouler Reporting Form. Please complete this form to the best of your ability. If you do not have the requested information, please leave the field blank. If there was more than one "group" please report each on a separate form for data collection purposes. You should receive a response within 5 business days. Last Name, First Name; Rank; Squadron; SPEAR Email Address; Crew Position: 0-3, 1172, ATKS, Other. This information is for contact only. SPEAR sanitizes all reports of identifying information. Absolutely no identifying information for aircrew or squadron will be recorded for analysis. Date (mm/dd/yy): 09/04/20. Time of detection (hh:mm:ss Z): 21:09:00. Day/Night: Night. Mission Description (CAS, BFM, etc): ISR. Side No. Buno: 23819. LFE? Contact Working Area, Contact Latitude N/S, Contact Longitude E/W, Contact Altitude: 23,819. Please attempt to determine a Lat/Long for the contact at initial detection. We recommend using JMPS to reference the sensor-derived bearing and range relative to the bullseye you had in use. If that method is not available, any reasonable derivation of location will work, but please be as specific as possible and make a note in the comments section. These locations may be used to cue other means of tracking. Was the contact moving? Yes. Direction/Speed: 168/277 (Ex. 090/15). Constant? Contact Alt/Speed (From). Wind Dir at Wind (Ex: W-721A) (DD:MM:SS). Radar Equipped: AIM-9x Self-Track. Please check all that apply: Round: [checked]. Moving Parts: [checkbox]. Stable Trackfile?: A. TFLIR Autotrack: [checkbox]. Square: [checkbox]. Metallic: [checkbox]. # of Contacts in "Group": 1. Tally Achieved: [checkbox]. Balloon-shaped: [checkbox]. Marking(s): EA. Indications (Check all that apply): Wings/Airframe: [checkbox]. Translucent: [checkbox]. Other Shape: [checkbox]. Opaque: [checkbox]. Letter. False. Other/ECM. Apparent Propulsion: Reflective: [checkbox]. Any Identifier: Trackfiles. Ambiguous. Please use the field below to describe the contact and any interaction in your own words with as much detail as possible. Please be sure to include any detail not included in questions above. Contact at 21:09z to 21:17z 04SEP2020. MGRS location 38P [redacted] (estimated lat/long [redacted (b)(1)/(b)(6)]. While at 23,819 ft AGL/HAT over the Gulf of Aden we tracked a round, cold object in IR traveling 168 degrees at 277 mph. It made a few abrupt directional changes during the 8 minute contact. Our sensor was aimed -39 degrees below our altitude with a slant range of 6.1 NM and ground range of 8.81 KM. The IR sensor was set to black hot and the object in question was a [TRUNCATED / illegible] [redacted call sign] (b)(6) Thank you for your time. Please ensure all display tapes are ripped for the entire time of interaction and saved as a .wmv (Example: 4 May VFA-106 HUD.wmv). Squadron intel personnel shall upload those files to the repository located at this link. [redacted] (b)(3)(c), (b)(6) USCENTCOM 26.0028 Approved for Release to MRO — FOUO / PA applies 03/16/26 000001
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
Source: U.S. Department of War / AARO — public domain · war.gov/ufo
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