DOW-UAP-D101
UnresolvedThe “cold orbs” of the Gulf of Oman (2021)
During a nighttime live-fire exercise, an AC-130 crew sees two “cold orbs” hovering over the water that dart away when the cannon fires, and some 25 more sightings at 250–1,300 mph. The recorder failed: only phone videos of the screen remain, and they allow nothing to be measured.
- Date
- Sep 8, 2021
- Location
- Gulf of Oman, about 100 km off the northern coast of OmanThe report's military grid coordinates, partly redacted, taken from the aircraft sensor's GPS.See the area on the globe →
- Platform
- U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130 gunship, on a nighttime live-fire exercise [1 · p. 2]
- Sensor
- The aircraft's electro-optical/infrared sensor · its recorder failed: what was released are phone recordings of the screen [1 · p. 2][2]
- Official status
- Unresolved · PURSUE publishes it among unresolved cases; there is no AARO analysis. It is a “not finally evaluated” intelligence report, from a single source [4][1 · p. 2, 6]
01 Sensor readout
Official video · verified linkWatch the DOW-UAP-D101 video DVIDS · PURSUE · 34.4 s · 1920×1080 · 16.4 MBReleased Aug 7, 2026 · checked Oct 7, 2026 · SHA-256 813bb8a6d993…Opens on the official site. The frames below are taken from this very file; the built-in player arrives in V2.
- 1●Larger blotch (“area of contrast” per DVIDS)
- 2●Smaller, elongated blotch
- 3+Center of the sensor crosshair
Frame from PR121, filmed with a phone off the screen. The two dark blotches are colder than the sea, like the report's “cold orbs”. No sensor data appear on screen: no range, angles or speed.
Frame · Video 14.0 s · U.S. Special Operations Forces (AFSOC) · USCENTCOM / DVIDS · PURSUE · Public domain
Image record
- Author
- U.S. Special Operations Forces (AFSOC) · USCENTCOM
- Origin
- DVIDS · PURSUE
- Original file
- 1017802 ↗
- License
- U.S. Government work: no U.S. copyright (17 U.S.C. § 105)
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-07
- Video SHA-256
- 813bb8a6d993568babf4c302a639596f9d764938a6458fad412ac4c865f5539e
The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
02 Timeline
At night, on a live-fire exercise, the AC-130 drops a flare as a target. Above it, the combat systems officer sees two “cold orbs” about 4 feet across, 0–20 feet above the water, hovering for 15 seconds. When the 105 mm cannon fires, they rapidly leave the frame without changing altitude. [1 · p. 2]
Over the rest of the sortie, some 25 sightings: pairs weaving “like dolphins”, groups of three, erratic flight. Speeds of 250 to 1,300 mph. The aircraft's recorder “inexplicably failed”; someone films the screen with a phone. [1 · p. 2][3]
Seven months later, at Cannon Air Force Base (New Mexico), the information is collected from a single source. The intelligence report is issued on April 27, “not finally evaluated”. [1 · p. 1, 6]
Central Command declassifies the report for AARO. [1 · p. 6]
PURSUE releases the report and the six phone videos, with a warning: they are not native sensor data. [4][2]
03 Hypotheses
Status as stated by the official sources cited. The archive takes no side.
- Not assessed
Objects with capabilities beyond the known
It is what the account suggests (1,300 mph skimming the water, reacting to the shot), but no source assesses it and the released video cannot measure speed or range. [1 · p. 2][2]
- Not assessed
Birds, drones or objects on the water
No source assesses it. The report mentions no conventional hypothesis; the catalogue warns that the descriptions and estimates are the reporter's subjective interpretation. [4]
04 Testimony
“Two UAPs were observed flying in a loose but coordinated formation increasing and decreasing altitude like a wave while maneuvering around, over, and under each other in a manner similar to how dolphins playfully swim in a pod.”05 Editor's reading
The editor's opinion, not an official finding. It rests on the records cited and changes if they do.
- Conventional explanation likely
- Open
- Anomalous
- What is described would be extraordinary: 1.2 m objects, colder than the sea, hovering just above the water and capable of 1,300 mph, moving off right as the cannon fires. [1 · p. 2]
- But it rests on a single source, collected seven months later, in a report the system itself marks as not evaluated. [1 · p. 1, 2, 6]
- The evidence that could settle it was lost: the aircraft's recorder failed. The phone videos show cold blotches by the crosshair, but no range, angle or speed data to check the account against. [1 · p. 2][2]
- No one has published an explanation, conventional or otherwise. With what is available it can be neither confirmed nor ruled out: it stays open. [4]
— Isaac Chaves, editor · Reading of
06 Discrepancies between sources
- The speeds: the catalogue presents them as “aircrew visual estimates”; the report says the officer calculated them with the aircraft's TACTOOL. [4][1 · p. 2]
- The video: the catalogue says the crew could not record because the recorder was not working; the report attaches six videos “captured via AC-130” without saying they come from a phone, which only the DVIDS pages make clear. [4][1 · p. 6][2]
- The aircraft: “AC-130 Gunship” in the report; “AC-130J” on the video pages. [1 · p. 2][2]
07 The case in PURSUE
How PURSUE publishes this case: its official description and every record, with links to the files. Reproduced as is, catalogue errors included.
Official description
This document is an Intelligence Information Report (IIR), the primary standardized format utilized by the Department of War, military services, and the broader Intelligence Community to disseminate unevaluated intelligence information derived from human sources (HUMINT), open sources, and field collection activities. IIRs are not finished intelligence products; they serve as inputs for subsequent all-source intelligence assessments. This report accompanies the footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122.
This report documents an observation by the aircrew of a U.S. Special Operations Forces (USSOF) AC-130 Gunship on September 8, 2021, during a nighttime live-fire training exercise over the Gulf of Oman. The aircrew reported first observing two unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) after dropping a water-activated flare. The report describes the UAP as stationary, approximately four feet in diameter, 0-20 feet above the water’s surface.
Throughout the training sortie, the aircrew reported observing approximately 25 instances involving similar phenomena via infrared sensor, describing them as “cold orbs.” Aircrew visual estimates of the UAP’s apparent speed range from 250 to 1,300 miles per hour. The report characterizes the UAP’s behavior as “maneuvering aggressively,” “flying in various formations,” and appearing to react to deployments of the aircraft’s onboard weapons systems. The aircrew stated that they were unable to capture video footage of the phenomena because the aircraft’s digital video recorder was not functioning during the incident.
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.
Catalogue records · 7
DOW-UAP-D101 · Document · Department of War · Aug 7, 2026 · Main record
Intelligence Information Report, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
9/8/21
DOW-UAP-PR117 · Video · Department of War · Aug 7, 2026
Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
9/8/21
Official description
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 16 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter.
Video description:
00:00-00:16: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. 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.
DOW-UAP-PR118 · Video · Department of War · Aug 7, 2026
Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
9/8/21
Official description
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 30 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter.
Video description:
00:00-00:30: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view, momentarily exiting the bottom of the frame.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. 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.
DOW-UAP-PR119 · Video · Department of War · Aug 7, 2026
Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
9/8/21
Official description
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of two seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter.
Video description:
00:00-00:02: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. 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.
DOW-UAP-PR120 · Video · Department of War · Aug 7, 2026
Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
9/8/21
Official description
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 13 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter.
Video description:
00:00-00:08: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. Visual elements of the sensor display enter and exit the frame throughout the duration of the video.
00:08-00:13: The sensor changes modalities twice and the area of contrast loses distinctiveness against the background.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. 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.
DOW-UAP-PR121 · Video · Department of War · Aug 7, 2026
Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
9/8/21
Official description
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 34 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter.
Video description:
00:00-00:12: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. Visual elements of the sensor display enter and exit the frame throughout the duration of the video.
00:13-00:18: A relatively larger area of contrast transits from the bottom of the frame to the top of the sensor’s field-of-view, then re-enters from the top left to the bottom left of the frame. The relatively smaller area of contrast exits the bottom of the frame, and re-enters from the upper-right quarter of the frame.
00:19-00:34: The sensor adjusts, and an area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the top of the frame, and remains generally within the center of the frame.
AARO comment
This video footage significantly overlaps in content with DOW-UAP-PR122.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. 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.
DOW-UAP-PR122 · Video · Department of War · Aug 7, 2026
Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
9/8/21
Official description
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 26 seconds of video footage. This footage is a secondary capture, recorded via a cellular device, of an infrared sensor display aboard a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130J Gunship. This footage does not represent native primary sensor data, and the secondary recording method introduces limitations in fidelity, resolution, and overall visual quality. Artifacts inherent to filming a screen, such as blurring or flickering, may be present. The footage contained within DOW-UAP-PR117 through DOW-UAP-PR122 was captured contemporaneously. An accompanying Intelligence Information Report, DOW-UAP-D101, describes the phenomena as “cold orbs” approximately four feet in diameter.
Video description:
00:00-00:05: An area of contrast remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view. Visual elements of the sensor display enter and exit the frame throughout the duration of the video.
00:06-00:07: A relatively larger area of contrast transits from the bottom of the frame to the top of the sensor’s field-of-view, then re-enters from the top left to the bottom left of the frame. The relatively smaller area of contrast exits the bottom of the frame, and re-enters from the upper-right quarter of the frame.
00:08-00:26: The sensor adjusts, and an area of contrast enters the sensor field-of-view from the top of the frame, and remains generally within the center of the frame.
AARO comment
This video footage significantly overlaps in content with DOW-UAP-PR121.
This video description is provided for informational purposes only. 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.
Catalogue discrepancies
Errors or inconsistencies in the catalogue itself, noted as they appear. They do not change what the documents say.
- DOW-UAP-PR117 cites “DOW-UAP-PR-101”; read here as DOW-UAP-D101.
- DOW-UAP-PR118 cites “DOW-UAP-PR-101”; read here as DOW-UAP-D101.
- DOW-UAP-PR119 cites “DOW-UAP-PR-101”; read here as DOW-UAP-D101.
- DOW-UAP-PR120 cites “DOW-UAP-PR-101”; read here as DOW-UAP-D101.
- DOW-UAP-PR121 cites “DOW-UAP-PR-101”; read here as DOW-UAP-D101.
- DOW-UAP-PR122 cites “DOW-UAP-PR-101”; read here as DOW-UAP-D101.
08 Sources
- [1]
Record · U.S. Department of War · PURSUE (AFSOC / USCENTCOM) · Aug 7, 2026
DOW-UAP-D101 · Intelligence Information Report, Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021
Air Force intelligence information report (7 pp.), dated 2022-04-27 and “not finally evaluated”: an AC-130 crew describes about 25 sightings of “cold orbs” on 2021-09-08. Declassified by Central Command on 2026-03-20.
Checked on Oct 7, 2026 · Open the original ↗
- [2]
Record · U.S. Department of War · PURSUE (DVIDS) · Aug 7, 2026
DOW-UAP-PR121 · Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021 (phone recording of the IR display, 0:34)
Phone recording of the AC-130J infrared sensor display. The DVIDS page describes it second by second and warns it is not native sensor data; it overlaps PR122.
Checked on Oct 7, 2026 · Open the original ↗
- [3]
Record · U.S. Department of War · PURSUE (DVIDS) · Aug 7, 2026
DOW-UAP-PR117 to PR122 · Unresolved UAP Report, Gulf of Oman, 2021 (six phone recordings)
The case's six videos (2 to 34 s), filmed at the same time with a phone off the screen. PR117, PR118 and PR121 reviewed; PR119, PR120 and PR122 through their DVIDS pages.
Checked on Oct 7, 2026 · Open the original ↗
- [4]
Record · U.S. Department of War
Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE)
Department of War program, supported by ODNI, that releases declassified records of unresolved UAP cases from several agencies in tranches. None of the three Navy videos is in it.
Checked on Oct 4, 2026 · Open the original ↗
May contain errors by the AI and the editor · always check the official source. · Privacy