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In a newly declassified mission report from the U.S. Department of War, a U.S. military operator detailed observing an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) executing “multiple 90-degree turns at an estimated 80 mph” while flying “just above the surface of the ocean” in the Aegean Sea. The document, released on May 8, 2026, under the Department of War’s PURSUE archive, provides a rare, granular look at a real-time military encounter with an unexplained object.
Document Details: The Aegean Sea Encounter
According to the Department of War document, titled “DOW-UAP-D33, Mission Report, Greece, October 2023,” the incident occurred on October 27, 2023. The report is a Mission Report (MISREP), a standardized form used by the U.S. military to record operational circumstances and often submitted to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) for UAP incidents.
The document’s narrative section, known as GENTEXT, contains the operator’s firsthand account. It describes the object as a “POSS UAP” (possible UAP) observed at 0035Z (Coordinated Universal Time) during an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission. The operator reported the UAP “flying just above the surface of the ocean” and noted it took “multiple 90-degree turns at an estimated 80 mph.” The Department of War’s official description of the document cautions that all descriptive and estimative language “reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event” and should not be taken as conclusive proof of the object’s intrinsic features or performance.
The mission report provides extensive operational context. The aircraft, identified by callsign data and tail numbers that are partially redacted, took off from LGLR (likely a military airfield code) at 2339Z on October 26, 2023. It proceeded to a “fragged tasking” (fragmented order) and arrived on station at 0342Z on October 27. The crew performed full-motion video (FMV) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection. The mission lasted 13 hours and 30 minutes total, with 6 hours and 29 minutes of FMV collection. The aircraft landed at OJMS at 1309Z. The report notes that “full motion video was exploited by GET” (likely a ground exploitation team), though the document does not specify what that analysis revealed.
The report lists the mission type as “ISR” (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and the domain as “AIR.” It was conducted under the 603rd Operations Center, with the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) as the major command and U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) as the combatant command. The primary sensor was listed as “FMV,” and the aircraft was equipped with an AN/DAS-4 targeting pod and LINK 16 data link. The document was declassified by Major General Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, on January 22, 2026.
Context: The AARO Framework
The document’s release to AARO aligns with the office’s mandate. Per a Wikipedia summary of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, AARO is an office within the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense that investigates UFOs and other phenomena in the air, sea, space, and/or on land. Its first director was physicist Sean Kirkpatrick, who reported to then-Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. Its current director is Jon T. Kosloski. The mission report explicitly notes it was “Approved for Release to AARO” on January 26, 2026, indicating the incident was formally submitted for review.
The Department of War’s PURSUE archive, from which this document was released, is a centralized repository for declassified UAP-related records. The document’s release date of May 8, 2026, suggests ongoing efforts to make historical military UAP encounters public.
What Remains Unanswered
While the mission report provides a detailed operational timeline, several key questions remain. The document does not identify the specific aircraft type, though the equipment list and mission profile suggest a platform capable of FMV and SIGINT collection. The operator’s subjective observation of “90-degree turns at 80 mph” is striking, but the report offers no explanation for how such maneuvers were possible or what the object was. The “full motion video was exploited by GET” line implies that video footage exists, but the document does not describe its contents or conclusions.
Additionally, the report’s GENTEXT sections contain numerous redactions, including operator names, unit designations, and specific mission taskings, citing exemptions under U.S. law (e.g., “3.5c, b 6”). These redactions limit the public’s ability to fully assess the encounter. Readers should watch for future PURSUE archive releases for additional details, particularly any analysis of the exploited FMV footage or supplementary reports from the same mission.
