CENTCOM·2022-12-01·Released 2026-05-08·Status: unresolved·1 min read

Iraq Small UAP Encounter

10-second IR sensor footage paired with mission reports describing a small unidentified object observed during ISR operations in Iraq, December 2022.

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DOW-UAP-PR23: 10-second IR sensor footage from CENTCOM, December 2022. An area of contrast moves diagonally across the frame.

AARO / US Central Command

Incident date

2022-12-01

Released

2026-05-08

Source

CENTCOM

Location

Iraq

Sensors

Infrared sensor, Witness report

Media

video, document

Last verified

2026-05-08

Provenance metadataFields marked “not disclosed” are transparent gaps in the release, not omissions on our end.

Coordinates: Not disclosed in this release
Altitude: Not disclosed in this release
Sensor detail: Not disclosed in this release
Encounter duration: Not disclosed in this release
Witness count: Not disclosed in this release
Operational context: Not disclosed in this release
Weather / visibility: Not disclosed in this release
Chain of custody: Not disclosed in this release
Classification: Not disclosed in this release

Official description

Infrared imagery showing an area of contrast moving from the lower left to upper right of the frame. Accompanied by mission narrative reports from CENTCOM personnel.

Editor's context

Brief observation and limited sensor data make this case representative of a common pattern in the PURSUE release: short military encounters with small unidentified objects observed during routine ISR operations.

In the margins

Transcribed redactions, stamps, and handwritten markings, the paratext of the file. Often the most human part of a declassified document, and worth reading on its own.

Stampp. DVIDS metadata
U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND, DOW-UAP-PR23
Stamp
VIRIN 221201-D-D0360-5883
Annotation
10-second IR clip recorded during CENTCOM ISR operations. Subject described as 'area of contrast' rather than a structured object, typical phrasing when sensor resolution is insufficient for morphology assessment.

Cite the primary source

Citations center the originating government agency and link to the official record. This archive is listed as the access point, not the author.

U.S. Central Command. "Iraq Small UAP Encounter." Released via PURSUE program, 2026-05-08. https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1006062. Accessed 2026-08-12 via Social Media for Aliens archive, https://socialmediaforaliens.com/files/iraq-small-uap-2022.

Sources

Search declassified PDFs for “Iraq 2022” →

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