Department of War PURSUE File
DOW-UAP-D75, Mission Report, Gulf of Aden, July 2024
Gulf of Aden·7/14/24
Editorial summary
On July 14, 2024, a U.S. Air Force operator aboard an airborne surveillance platform detected one unidentified anomalous phenomenon while conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the Gulf of Aden. The observation occurred at approximately 0517 UTC that morning, in the vicinity of coordinates 38P MT 53. The operator, a senior enlisted airman, reported the sighting to military authorities, and the incident was formally documented in a mission report submitted to the U.S. Central Command.
According to the file, the operator observed the UAP maintaining a straight flight path at a constant altitude. The most notable characteristic reported was the object's speed, which the operator assessed as faster than the aircraft's own flying speed. The operator followed the UAP until the distance between the two objects became too great to maintain visual tracking. No interrogation of the UAP by radar or electronic sensors was conducted, and the operator reported no hostile response or reaction from the object to the presence of the military aircraft. The operator evaluated the phenomenon as benign and noted no effects on personnel or equipment.
The report indicates that weather conditions were not a factor in visibility or sensor effectiveness during the mission. Certain technical details regarding the UAP's physical characteristics, propulsion system, and sensor signatures remain redacted in the declassified version. The operator's assessment of whether the object was under intelligent control, as well as its description and several other specifics, could not be included in the public release. No materials were recovered, and no third-party observers were identified.
This mission report has now been released to the public as part of the Department of War's PURSUE declassification initiative, having been cleared for release on May 8, 2026.
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 on July 14, 2024. The observer reported that the UAP maintained a “straight flight path at same altitude”. The report notes that the UAP’s “speed was faster than flying speed,” and the operator assessed the object as “benign.” The operator reported following the UAP “till the distance became too far.” 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
7/14/24
Incident location
Gulf of Aden
Release tranche
Release 01 (May 8, 2026)
Distribution
Cleared for public release