Mission Report: UAP Observations Over the United Arab Emirates, October 2023

Source file: dow-uap-d23-mission-report-united-arab-emirates-october-2023.pdf Originating agency: Department of Defense / DoD Modern UAP (USCENTCOM) Date range: October 24, 2023 Page count: 9 (all read) High-significance pages: 1 (main narrative and UAP incidents), 7 (first UAP details), 8–9 (second UAP details)

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Official Blurb (from war.gov)

This document is a Mission Report (MISREP), a standardized reporting form the U.S. Military uses to record the circumstances surrounding its operations. U.S. military services often use MISREPs to report Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) to AARO. The GENTEXT, or "general text" section of these reports often contains important qualitative, contextual information, distinguishing it from the more quantitative, or numerical, data found elsewhere in the report. A U.S. military operator reported observing one UAP. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter's subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.

Summary

This classified U.S. Air Force Mission Report (MISREP), internal number undefined-9319618, describes a prolonged single-aircraft ISR sortie that launched from Al-Dhafra Air Base (OMAM) in the United Arab Emirates on October 24, 2023. During the sortie, which lasted approximately 20 hours and 43 minutes, two unidentified objects (UAP) were observed in the early night hours. Both events were documented as "UAP events" and forwarded for formal reporting. The document was released to the public on September 12, 2025 by USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, Major General Richard A. Harrison.

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Research Article

Introduction

On October 24, 2023 a single U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flew a prolonged ISR sortie as part of Operation SPARTAN SHIELD, under the authority of USCENTCOM and NAVCENT. The aircraft launched from OMAM (Al-Dhafra, Abu Dhabi Emirate) at 00:15 Zulu and landed at 20:58 Zulu, after rejoining the command frequency (LRE) on the return leg. The sortie lasted nearly twenty-one hours. The crew belonged to the 50th Attack Squadron (50 ATKS), 432 AEW. The supervising air operations center was the 609 CAOC.

Operation SPARTAN SHIELD and the ISR mission

The mission was defined as ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) from station, with a tasking order of type "UR." The aircraft carried IMINT (imagery intelligence) equipment and collected SIGINT (signals intelligence) via the AIRHANDLER system, from 01:50 to 20:19 Zulu. The reconnaissance pod was an ANDAS1 with additional AH\GMESH avionics. "On Station" time totaled 17 hours and 17 minutes, on an ISR track called "SRO Track Irish Sickle." Precoordination (Precoord) was assessed as "SATISFACTORY" and the Precoord time was 154 minutes. Weather was not a factor.

The Iranian radio call incident: contact with Iranian air defense

At 01:45 Zulu, an hour and a quarter after the aircraft entered station, a Guard transmission came in on the emergency frequency from a party identifying itself as "IRANIAN AIR DEFENSE." The call was logged as a professional and single call. The content of the transmission: "maintain safe distance from the border." The aircraft replied: "this is a coalition aircraft conducting routine operations in international airspace." After this reply, the Iranian side stopped transmitting. At the time of the call the aircraft was operating at FL230 (approximately 23,000 feet), speed 158 knots, heading 031M (northeast).

Key UAP incidents

First UAP incident, 02:41 Zulu

At 02:41 Zulu, about an hour after the Iranian call, the crew detected a first unidentified object. The aircraft was at coordinates 39RYJ90, altitude FL243, speed 162 knots, and track 280 degrees (west). The object was classified as physically solid (Physical State: Solid), and the crew explicitly described its thermal signature: "THERMAL SHOWED COLD" (the object appeared cold on a thermal sensor). Observer assessment: "Benign" (no threat). No maneuvering was observed. Estimated kinetic speed: 320 miles per hour. No engagement was conducted by the aircraft. No effect on people or equipment was observed. No materials were recovered. The UAP type, propulsion, and payload remained unknown. Final position at MGRS coordinates: 39RYJ74 (radius 5).

Second UAP incident, 03:22 Zulu

About 41 minutes later, at 03:22 Zulu, a second object was detected. The aircraft was in the same flight conditions: altitude FL243, speed 162 knots, track 280 degrees, coordinates 39RXK68. This object was also classified as physically solid, and its estimated kinetic speed was higher: 440 miles per hour. Here too: no maneuvers observed, threat assessment "benign," no engagement conducted. UAP signatures: unknown. No debris was found, and no effect on people or equipment was observed. Final observation position: 39RXL60 (radius 5). Both UAP were observed in the vicinity (IVO) of the ISR track coordinates, in the sector of the track being scanned.

UAP characterization and the absence of features

The two UAP share a substantively identical reporting profile: physical classification "solid," threat assessment "benign," absence of an identified engine, absence of weapons, no human intelligent control ("UAP Under Intelligent Control: NO"), no effect on the crew, and no materials recovered. The key difference between them is the thermal signature: the first showed "THERMAL SHOWED COLD," while the second's signature was not recorded, and its kinetic speed was higher (440 versus 320 miles per hour). Both bodies were detected by the same crew, in the same aircraft, within less than an hour, in a single area.

Significance

Operationally, the report presents several points of interest. First, the two UAP were detected in an operationally active area, in the early night hours, by a professional ISR crew with advanced sensor equipment. Second, the cold appearance of the first object on a thermal sensor indicates the object did not generate heat (unlike a powered aircraft). Third, speeds of 320 to 440 miles per hour are not anomalous in themselves, but combined with the absence of a known propulsion signature and at FL243, they are worthy of attention. Fourth, the location of the events close to the Iranian border, near the Iranian radio call incident, raises questions about a possible connection between the three events, although the report does not establish this. Fifth, no "intel gap" was filled (Intel Gap Filled: No), indicating the mission did not yield all the requested information.

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Key People

• MG Richard A. Harrison (Major General) — USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, the authority approving public release of the document (September 12, 2025)
• Primary point of contact (POC) — rank: A1C (Airman First Class), unit: 50TH ATKS, 432 AEW (name redacted)
• QC officer — rank: Ctr (contractor), unit: PAROC (name redacted)
• Approver — rank: SrA, unit: ISRD/ACF/UnitSupport, 609 CAOC (name redacted)

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Locations

• OMAM (Al-Dhafra) — launch and recovery base, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates
• SRO Track Irish Sickle — ISR track the aircraft operated on
• 39RYJ90 / 39RYJ74 — MGRS coordinates of the first UAP incident
• 39RXK68 / 39RXL60 — MGRS coordinates of the second UAP incident
• Iranian border — location of the Guard call from Iranian air defense (approximately 40RBP00)

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Incidents

Incident	Date and Time	Location (MGRS)	Pages
Guard call from Iranian air defense	Oct 24, 2023, 01:45Z	40RBP00 (approx.)	6
First UAP — solid object, cold signature, 320 mph	Oct 24, 2023, 02:41Z	39RYJ90 / 39RYJ74	7
Second UAP — solid object, 440 mph	Oct 24, 2023, 03:22Z	39RXK68 / 39RXL60	8–9

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Notable Quotes

"AT 0145Z, [REDACTED] RECEIVED 1X GUARD CALL FROM IRANIAN AIR DEFENSE STATING 'MAINTAIN SAFE DISTANCE FROM BORDER'. CALL WAS PROFESSIONAL. [REDACTED] RESPONDED 'THIS IS A COALITION AIRCRAFT CONDUCTING ROUTINE OPERATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE'." (page 6)

"AT 0241Z, [REDACTED] OBSERVED 1X UAP. SEE UAP LINE 1." (page 1)

"AT 0322Z, [REDACTED] OBSERVED 1X UAP. SEE UAP LINE 2." (page 1)

"UAP SIGNATURES: THERMAL SHOWED COLD" (page 7, first UAP incident)

"OBSERVER ASSESSMENT OF UAP: BENIGN" (pages 7 and 8, both incidents)