Atmospheric Wakes Over Middle East, 2022-2023
UAV operators reported potential anomalous propulsion signatures resolved as sensor artifacts.
Jan 1, 2022
Middle East
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
AI Disclosure Brief
AI assistedReported Object Read
Three cases of reported UAP exhibiting potential anomalous propulsion signatures and atmospheric wakes, captured on IR sensors by UAV operators; objects not fully identified in all cases but assessed as prosaic aircraft with wakes as sensor artifacts.
Notable Characteristics
- Environment: sky
Reported Motion
No confident entries yet.
Evidence Notes
- IR sensor videos from three missions
- Photogrammetry analysis
- Flight track correlations
AARO resolved three IR detections of apparent atmospheric wakes as sensor artifacts from prosaic aircraft, with high-confidence identifications in two cases and strong prosaic assessment in the third.
Unclear
Infrared (IR)
90%
Prosaic Leads
- Sensor artifacts from rapid object traversal of camera field
- Known military aircraft track match (Case Two)
- Identified Airbus A380 via flight data and photogrammetry (Case Three)
Anomalous Indicators
- Initial reports of potential anomalous propulsion signatures
Evidence Gaps
- Object in Case One remains unidentified
- Second object in Case Two unidentified but assessed as small aircraft
Evidence Quotes // source statements
Open archive"AARO assesses that the UAP reported in these three cases almost certainly were not exhibiting anomalous propulsion or atmospheric wakes, rather the observed effect was the result of a sensor artifact in all cases"
Unknown speaker / AARO
Case Overview
Source"Intelligence partners assess with high confidence that the atmospheric wake in each video is a sensor anomaly."
Unknown speaker / AARO Intelligence Partners
Intelligence Assessment
Source"Case Three object identified as specific Airbus A380 commercial aircraft based on flight data and photogrammetry."
Unknown speaker / AARO Intelligence Partners
Intelligence Assessment
SourcePattern Mesh // linked sightings
Western US Equidistant Lights, 2021
Military sensors captured five lights resolved as distant commercial aircraft.
Same source archive
Shared tags: case-resolution, infrared
Al Taqaddum Balloon Cluster, 2017
Infrared sensor on Iraqi blimp captured floating object resolved as balloons.
Same source archive
Shared tags: case-resolution, infrared
Puerto Rico Infrared Objects, 2013
AARO resolves CBP thermal video of drifting objects as likely sky lanterns.
Same source archive
Shared tags: case-resolution, infrared
Southeast Asia Triangles Resolved as Fishing Nets
AARO resolves 2017 satellite imagery of six dark triangles as static cone-shaped fishing nets.
Same source archive
Shared tags: case-resolution
Mt. Etna Spherical Object, 2018
UAS operators tracked a round object transiting volcanic ash plume at high speed.
Same source archive
Shared tags: case-resolution
Go Fast FLIR Object Off Florida, 2015
Navy pilot's infrared video shows object at 13,000 feet moving with wind, not anomalous speeds.
Same source archive
Shared tags: case-resolution
Chronology Trace // before & after
No dated sibling signals are available yet.
Official Files // source material
1 linkedAtmospheric Wake Case Resolution
UNCLASSIFIED 1 UNCLASSIFIED All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office U.S. Department of Defense (U) Case: “Atmospheric Wakes” Case Resolution | 8 May 2023 (U) Case Essentials (U) These reports were submitted after three different missions in the Middle East, and the Mediterranean Sea in 2022 and 2023. The reports were filed due to the potential hazard posed to the mission and because the videos depict a potentially anomalous propulsion signature (U) Location: Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea (U) Date: 2022 and 2023 (U) Altitude: N/A (U) Shape: N/A (U) Reporter: Theater UAV operators (U) Sensor: Infrared (IR) (U) Behavior: Exhibited potential anomalous propulsion (U) Case Status: Resolved; prosaic aircraft; the “wake” is a sensor artifact in each case