The Department of War has declassified a report from 2022 concerning an unresolved aerial phenomenon (UAP) encounter over Europe. The document, released under the PURSUE policy framework, describes an incident involving a platform operating in European airspace. The report does not identify the specific platform or its mission, but it notes that the sensor recording occurred in 2022.
According to the report, the UAP was tracked by sensors on the platform for a period of time before being resolved as a balloon. The file metadata indicates the raw filename slug as pr-009-uap-report-resolved-balloon-europe-2022. The report does not specify the type of balloon or its origin, nor does it indicate any unusual flight characteristics beyond what would be expected of a balloon.
The declassification is part of ongoing transparency efforts by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). AARO was established to coordinate the investigation of UAP incidents across all domains. The report was reviewed and approved for public release by AARO in accordance with the PURSUE policy, which aims to provide timely information to the public while protecting sensitive sources and methods.
The report does not include any video or imagery from the sensor. It consists of a written summary and technical data. The document notes that the sensor recording was made in European airspace, but does not provide a precise location or date beyond the year 2022. The report also does not mention any interaction with foreign military or civilian authorities.
This release adds to a growing body of declassified UAP reports from the Department of War. Previous releases have included incidents from the Middle East and other regions. The report does not suggest any technological breakthrough or threat to national security. The resolution of the UAP as a balloon is consistent with many other cases where initial unknowns are later identified as mundane objects.
Moving forward, AARO can request additional data from the platform operators, interview the sensor operators, and analyze any remaining metadata. The office may also coordinate with allied nations if the balloon’s origin or flight path crossed international borders. The Department of War has stated that it will continue to declassify UAP reports as they are reviewed and cleared for public release.
