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According to the Department of War document, titled ‘DOW-UAP-PR20, Unresolved UAP Report, Kuwait, May 2022’, released under the PURSUE archive on May 8, 2026, the United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). The report consisted of a still image derived from a U.S. military system in 2022, which included a digitally altered image with a red line encircling an area of interest. The image description provided in the document notes an encircled, elongated area of contrast in the top left quarter, with the area of contrast increasing in intensity along its length from top left to bottom right.
The document also references an accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D12, which described the UAP as moving from north to northeast. The operator reported that they were unable to positively identify the UAP. The Department of War document was recommended for open publication by MG Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, on October 8, 2025. The release of this document is part of the Department of Defense’s efforts to provide more information to the public about UAP sightings.
Agency Context and UAP Reporting
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which received the UAP report, is an office within the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense that investigates unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and other phenomena, according to Wikipedia’s entry on the topic. The AARO’s role in investigating UAP sightings is to gather and analyze data to better understand these phenomena. Per Wikipedia, the AARO’s first director was physicist Sean Kirkpatrick, who reported to then-deputy defense secretary Kathleen Hicks, and its current director is Jon T. Kosloski.
The Department of War’s release of the ‘DOW-UAP-PR20’ document provides insight into the process of reporting and investigating UAP sightings within the U.S. military. The document’s official description offers limited detail beyond the image description and the operator’s inability to positively identify the UAP. However, the release of this document and others like it may help to shed more light on the phenomenon of UAP sightings and the efforts of the U.S. military to understand and investigate them.
Future Releases and Unanswered Questions
While the release of the ‘DOW-UAP-PR20’ document provides some information about UAP sightings, many questions remain unanswered. The document does not provide a specific date or location for the incident, despite listing the location as Iraq. Additionally, the document does not offer any analysis or conclusions about the nature or significance of the UAP sighting. Readers should watch for future releases from the PURSUE archive, which may provide more information about this and other UAP sightings. As the Department of Defense continues to release more documents and information about UAP sightings, the public may gain a better understanding of this phenomenon and the efforts of the U.S. military to investigate and understand it.
The release of the ‘DOW-UAP-PR20’ document is an important step in providing more transparency and information to the public about UAP sightings. As more documents are released, it is likely that more will be learned about the phenomenon of UAP sightings and the efforts of the U.S. military to investigate and understand them. For now, the ‘DOW-UAP-PR20’ document provides a glimpse into the process of reporting and investigating UAP sightings, and highlights the need for continued investigation and analysis to better understand this phenomenon.
