Department of War PURSUE File
DOW-UAP-D42, Range Fouler Debrief, Japan, 2023
Arabian Gulf·8/31/20
Editorial summary
A U.S. Navy pilot operating in the Arabian Gulf on August 31, 2020, at dusk reported observing unidentified objects moving through his radar display during an active training or operational mission. According to the Range Fouler Debrief Form filed by the pilot, the initial object appeared on screen and was subsequently surpassed by a second object of similar size and shape but traveling at a significantly higher speed. The pilot reported that at one point during the tracking sequence, three objects were visible on the display simultaneously, moving amongst each other. The objects were detected at approximately 22,000 feet altitude and remained at a constant altitude throughout the observation.
The pilot achieved radar contact and maintained a trackfile on the objects. The radar contact indicated the objects were moving at a velocity of 150 knots in the direction of 230 degrees. The pilot checked "Other Shape" when describing the contact's physical characteristics but did not specify what that shape was. No electronic warfare indications, false trackfile signatures, or ambiguous radar returns were recorded. The report notes that display tapes covering the entire interaction period were to be preserved and archived for analysis, though the content of those recordings is not included in the declassified file.
The form itself, a standardized Range Fouler Debrief used by the U.S. Navy to document unauthorized airspace intrusions during military operations, contains the pilot's subjective interpretation of the events recorded on radar. The document emphasizes that such characterizations reflect what the observer could identify at the time and should not be interpreted as conclusive evidence of any particular object features or performance capabilities. This report is now part of the public record through 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 Range Fouler Debrief 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 observing an “object fly through the screen.” The observer described a second object surpassing the first, at a higher speed. The report describes a total of three UAP “moving amongst each other.” 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
8/31/20
Incident location
Arabian Gulf
Release tranche
Release 01 (May 8, 2026)
Distribution
Cleared for public release