Department of War PURSUE File
DOW-UAP-D3, Mission Report, Arabian Gulf, 2020
Editorial summary
A U.S. Air Force surveillance mission in the Arabian Gulf region in 2020 resulted in the observation of four unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that could not be identified or explained by military personnel. According to the file, an airborne observer using full-motion video (FMV) surveillance equipment detected the UAP at approximately 1736 Zulu time. The sightings occurred in sequence over a brief span: one UAP was observed at 17:36:22, two UAP were observed side by side at 17:36:30, and a fourth UAP was observed at 17:36:49. The observer described the objects as flying in formation beneath the surveillance asset's field of view.
Cloud coverage significantly hampered the observer's ability to maintain visual contact with the phenomena and obtain a clear view of the objects. This weather-related obstruction prevented the surveillance team from conducting sustained observation or gathering additional descriptive details about the UAP. The observer assessed the objects as following a pattern consistent with the descriptor "a line of dots followed by a trailing dot," reflecting the subjective interpretation of the witness at the time of the event.
The file is heavily redacted, with most tactical and operational details withheld from public release. This includes the specific location within the Arabian Gulf, the precise altitude and velocity measurements, the identity of the observing aircraft, sensor system specifications, and the assessment of the observer regarding possible explanations for the sightings. Only the factual timeline of the observations and the basic visual description remain accessible in this declassified version.
This mission report is among the records released under the Department of War's PURSUE disclosure initiative in May 2026, making it now available to the public archive.
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 a “line of dots followed by a trailing dot.” 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
Unspecified
Incident location
Unspecified
Release tranche
Release 01 (May 8, 2026)
Distribution
Cleared for public release