Summary
On September 8, 2021, the crew of a U.S. Special Operations Forces AC-130 gunship reported multiple unidentified objects during a nighttime live-fire exercise over the Gulf of Oman. Initially, two approximately four-foot-wide “cold orbs” appeared stationary just above the water near a training flare before rapidly leaving the infrared sensor view as the aircraft fired its 105 mm cannon. During the mission, the crew reported approximately 25 UAP observations involving unusual formations and apparent speeds of 250 to 1,300 mph. The incident remains officially unresolved. This case is classified as a Current Case because previously unavailable official documentation and video material were publicly released in August 2026. The underlying incident occurred in September 2021.
Additional Notes
The encounter began during a nighttime live-fire training exercise on September 8, 2021, after the USSOF AC-130 dropped a water-activated flare to serve as a mock target. While the aircraft orbited the flare, the Combat Systems Officer scanned the area with the electro-optical/infrared sensor. When the sensor returned to the flare in infrared mode, two approximately four-foot (1.2 m) “cold orbs” appeared stationary 0–20 feet (0–6 m) above the water for about 15 seconds. According to the report, immediately after the officer pulled the trigger to fire the 105 mm cannon, both objects rapidly left the flare and sensor view during the brief delay before recoil, apparently without changing altitude. The initial pair was only part of the reported activity. During the sortie, the crew recorded approximately 25 UAP observation instances in infrared, visible in both white-hot and black-hot modes. Two objects were described flying in a loose but coordinated formation, repeatedly changing altitude and maneuvering around, above and below each other in a motion compared in the report to dolphins swimming playfully together. A separate formation of three objects was also observed, along with other instances described as erratic or aggressive. The Combat Systems Officer used the aircraft’s TACTOOL to estimate maneuvering speeds ranging from approximately 250 to 1,300 mph, and no visible means of propulsion were reported. The crew attempted to preserve the complete EO/IR footage, but the aircraft’s digital video recorder reportedly failed and the data became corrupted. Six surviving clips, DOW-UAP-PR117 through PR122, were later released; the publicly available footage consists of secondary recordings of the infrared display rather than the original sensor data. The Intelligence Information Report was created in April 2022 and later declassified and released publicly in 2026. It is explicitly marked as information that had not been finally evaluated, and its descriptions of the objects’ behavior and performance reflect the reporting source’s interpretation rather than independently confirmed physical characteristics. The report nevertheless preserves an unusual military encounter involving repeated infrared observations, coordinated formations and apparently rapid movement for which no identification is provided in the released record.
The Location Today
Gulf of Oman; exact encounter coordinates remain undisclosed.
- Environment
- Ocean / Sea, Airspace
- Time of Day
- Night
- Evidence Level
- Official Record
- Visiting the Location
- Not Applicable
- Ownership of the Location
- Not Applicable