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A newly declassified Department of War document reveals that a U.S. military platform operating over Greece in October 2023 recorded an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) executing multiple “90-degree turns” at approximately 80 miles per hour near the ocean surface. The report, released on May 8, 2026, through the Department of War’s PURSUE archive, includes two minutes and 57 seconds of infrared video footage and a detailed mission narrative.
Document Details and Official Description
According to Department of War records released under PURSUE, the document is titled “DOW-UAP-PR34, Unresolved UAP Report, Greece, October 2023.” The official description states that the United States Central Command submitted the report to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). The submission consists of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform, accompanied by a mission report, DoW-UAP-D33. The description notes that the UAP was observed “flying near the surface of the ocean and making multiple ‘90-degree turns’ at approximately 80 miles per hour.”
The Department of War document, which includes a redacted mission narrative and administrative details, provides a timeline of the event. The mission narrative, partially redacted, states that at 0035Z on October 27, 2023, the crew “OBSERVED 1X POSS UAP.” The mission originated from LGLR at 2339Z on October 26, 2023, and involved an aircraft with the callsign “1.4a” performing FMV/SIGINT collection. The aircraft landed at OJMS at 1309Z on October 27, 2023, after a total mission time of 13 hours and 30 minutes. The document lists the primary sensor as FMV and the target pod as AN/DAS-4.
The official video description, provided for informational purposes only, outlines the footage’s content. At 00:04, an area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the bottom left quarter. Between 00:07 and 00:19, the area moves back and forth horizontally as the sensor pans to track it. From 00:20 to 01:00, the area remains generally centered. At 01:00, the sensor designates the area with a blue reticle, synchronizing its motion. Between 02:02 and 02:21, a contrast filter is engaged to better differentiate the area from the background. At 02:22, the area becomes indistinguishable against the background, and the reticle drops its lock. From 02:27 to 02:57, the sensor rapidly cycles zoom levels and contrast thresholds. The description explicitly cautions that readers “should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.”
Agency Context and the AARO
The report was submitted to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which is the office within the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense responsible for investigating UFOs and other phenomena. Per a Wikipedia summary of the office, AARO investigates “unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and other phenomena in the air, sea, and/or space and/or on land: sometimes referred to as ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’ or ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena’ (UAP).” Wikipedia’s entry on the topic notes that the office’s first director was physicist Sean Kirkpatrick, who reported to then deputy defense secretary Kathleen Hicks, and that its current director is Jon T. Kosloski.
The document itself is classified as a “MISREP” (mission report) and was declassified on January 22, 2026, by MG Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff. It was approved for release to AARO on January 26, 2026. The mission was conducted under the 603rd Operations Center, with the 33rd Special Operations Squadron as the originator unit. The aircraft was an Air Force asset, and the mission type was ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance).
What Remains Unanswered
The record’s official summary offers limited detail beyond the observation of the UAP and its reported maneuvers. The document does not identify the specific type of U.S. military platform involved, nor does it provide a definitive explanation for the phenomenon. The redacted mission narrative obscures the precise nature of the “DATA MASKED” tasks that the crew was supporting. The video description, while detailed, is explicitly not an analytical judgment or factual determination.
Readers should watch for future PURSUE releases, as the Department of War continues to declassify records related to unresolved UAP reports. The document’s classification as “Unresolved UAP Report” indicates that no definitive conclusion has been reached regarding the nature or origin of the observed phenomenon. The combination of the 90-degree turns at 80 miles per hour and the sensor’s inability to maintain lock on the object leaves the incident open to further analysis and investigation by AARO and other relevant agencies.
