Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov, 2020 — Department of War Video
AARO assesses that this video, whose uploader-defined title is, “Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020,” is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S.
Incident Overview
In 2020, in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, the Department of War preserved a sensor video that was declassified and published on May 22, 2026 as part of the second tranche of the Department of War’s Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). These records were identified by AARO in response to a March 6, 2026 request from eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives for potentially UAP-related material; AARO notes that many of the items lack a substantiated chain of custody.
What the government released
AARO assesses that this video, whose uploader-defined title is, “Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020,” is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating in the United States Central Command area of responsibility in November 2020. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in June 2024.
Video Duration: 00:00:47 Video Description: This media was digitally altered prior to its upload to a classified network, and is presented as received.
00:00-00:02: A black screen appears featuring the phrase “zoomed in.” 00:03-00:10: An area of contrast becomes visible near the top left corner of the screen, transiting from left to right before losing distinctiveness against the background. 00:11-00:12: A black screen appears featuring the phrase “sharpened, zoomed motion tracked contrast enhanced slow to 60% speed.” 00:12-00:28: The video replays at reduced speed and increased zoom level. 00:28-00:29: A black screen appears featuring the phrase, “original video.” 00:30-00:47: An area of contrast appears near the center of the top of the frame, transits downward to the left, before moving to the right and losing distinctiveness against the background.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Status of the case
Records released under the PURSUE program are designated unresolved by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which means the federal government has not concluded the events were anomalous, has not concluded they were conventional, and has not ruled out either possibility. Where AARO has offered a likely source for an item — an infrared sensor aboard a military aircraft, a commercial camera, or a known optical effect — that attribution is the agency’s working assessment rather than a final determination. Conventional candidates such as drones, balloons, flares, satellites, parallax and forced-perspective artifacts, and ordinary aircraft remain on the table for any unresolved case absent better data than a single sensor pass or a witness recollection.