Department of War PURSUE File
DOW-UAP-D20, Mission Report, Iraq, 2023
Iraq·3/31/23
Editorial summary
On March 31, 2023, a two-ship formation of fighter aircraft conducting Defensive Counter Air operations over Iraq observed multiple unidentified objects moving rapidly across the sky. According to the file, the aircrew reported sighting between 10 and 20 possible UAP traveling west to northeast near their operational range, beginning at 2302 hours. The pilots noted that the objects were bright and maneuvering quickly, and crucially, that none appeared in formations consistent with observations from previous sorties in the same area.
The aircrew achieved tracking on at least one of the objects using an onboard targeting pod, which operated in television mode. The track persisted for approximately 20 seconds before the object dimmed and disappeared from the targeting pod display. According to an analyst comment in the file, the flight crew conducted a comparison between the targeting pod image of the possible UAP and a known star, with results described as different. No effects on personnel were reported, and the objects generated no detectable radar frequency signatures.
The two aircraft were equipped with standard Air Force targeting and sensor systems including a SNIPER targeting pod, radar warning receiver, electronic countermeasures, and Link 16 data link capability. The flight remained on station for three hours and two minutes before checking off with their forward air controller and returning to base. The document, produced by the 77th Fighter Squadron and submitted through the 609th Combat Operations Center, has now been declassified and released to the public as part of the Department of War PURSUE release.
Editorial summary written by govweird from the declassified document text. The official government description follows below.
Government description
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. A U.S. military operator reported observing “several bright objects maneuvering quickly” west to east northeast. The operator reported achieving a track on the UAP via an onboard targeting pod for approximately 20 seconds. The report describes that UAP then dimmed and disappeared from the targeting pod. 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.
Caption issued by the U.S. Department of War on war.gov/ufo. Verbatim, unedited.
Originating agency
Department of War
Record type
Incident date
3/31/23
Incident location
Iraq
Release tranche
Release 01 (May 8, 2026)
Distribution
Cleared for public release