Department of War PURSUE File
DOW-UAP-D27, Mission Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
Gulf of Oman·6/7/24
Editorial summary
A U.S. Air Force pilot operating an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission over the Gulf of Oman on June 7, 2024, observed an unidentified object while returning to base. According to the file, the pilot detected the object at 0457 Zulu time while transiting at approximately 24,000 feet altitude and traveling at 163 knots. The object was located in the vicinity of coordinates 40RFM60, positioned over water. The encounter lasted roughly one hour, with the object's last observed location recorded at coordinates 40QFM92.
The pilot described the object as a "glowing hot spherical unidentified object with a vertical unwavering cylindrical pole or bar attached on the bottom of the object." The file notes a "possible reflection from the object in the water." The observer estimated the object's speed at 140 knots and reported it was "flying straight just over the water." The object exhibited no response to the observer's presence, and the pilot assessed the encounter as benign. No interrogation of the object was conducted, no engagement occurred, and no hostile response was detected.
The mission was part of Operation Enduring Sentinel, a U.S. Central Command operation conducted by the Air Force Special Operations Command. The flight lasted 10 hours and 13 minutes, departing from Oman at 2100 Zulu on June 6 and landing at 0713 Zulu on June 7. The primary tasking involved maritime surveillance, scanning for dhow activity in the region. The object's propulsion means were recorded as unknown, and no advanced capabilities or recovered materials were reported.
The Department of Defense recorded no physical state anomalies, no effects on personnel or equipment, and no indication of intelligent control or exotic materials. This mission report was declassified on October 24, 2025, and is now publicly available through the 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 one UAP at an estimated altitude of approximately 24,000 feet. The observer estimated the UAP’s speed as 163 knots (187 mph). 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
6/7/24
Incident location
Gulf of Oman
Release tranche
Release 01 (May 8, 2026)
Distribution
Cleared for public release