Mission Report: Formation of Unknown Flying Objects over the Persian Gulf, August 2020

Source file: dow-uap-d61-mission-report-persian-gulf-august-2020.pdf Originating agency: Department of Defense / DoD Modern UAP — USCENTCOM MDR 26-0019 Date range: August 26–27, 2020 Page count: 7 (all read) High-significance pages: 1, 5, 6, 7

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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 a "formation of unknown flying objects" traveling northeast to northwest along the coast for approximately two minutes. The report notes that light cloud coverage "prevented the continuous tracking of the formation." 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

MISREP number 4685903 was filed by the 482 ATKS unit of the 432 AEW under USCENTCOM command. The mission, which lasted approximately 21 hours and 5 minutes, encompassed ISR/SIGINT operations over the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman. At 1527Z on August 27, 2020, a formation of unidentified flying objects was observed. The aircraft tracked the formation for roughly two minutes before losing contact in cloud cover. The crew was unable to reacquire the formation. Weather conditions prevented continuous tracking.

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Research Article

Introduction

On August 26, 2020, at 2307Z, a U.S. Air Force aircraft departed base OKAS on an extended reconnaissance sortie over the Persian Gulf region. The mission was classified as type AREC and was designed to support NAVCENT under the USCENTCOM umbrella, with operations directed from the 609th Combined Air Operations Center (609th CAOC). The aircraft was equipped with an ANDAS4 sensor and an AH_GMESH system for intelligence collection.

Mission details and progression

The aircraft arrived on station at 0041Z on August 27, 2020, having coordinated with NAVCENT 24 hours before takeoff. Mission objectives included characterizing Iranian naval vessels and unmanned aerial system (UAS) activity, monitoring activity outside ports, and establishing a pattern of life across the area of operations.

The sequence of main events unfolded as follows:

• At 0532Z, the aircraft was hailed on the Guard frequency by Iranian air defense. The call was professional in tone and had no impact on the mission.
• At 0611Z, a single small vessel was observed anchored at the large naval port of Greater Tunb Island, in the vicinity of grid 40RCQ30.
• At 0702Z, an aircraft assessed as a "possible IL-76 Candid" was observed over Abu Musa Island airfield, in the vicinity of grid 40RCP02.
• At 1527Z, a formation of unidentified flying objects was observed — the central finding of this report.
• At 1742Z, a vessel assessed as a "Naser WAP" was observed alongside an M/V craft, both dead in the water (DIW) in the vicinity of 39RUN49. Two adult males were visible on the deck of the Naser WAP.
• At 1840Z, the aircraft was released from its tasking and returned to base.

The UAP incident: formation of unknown flying objects

This is the most significant finding in the report. Between 1527Z and 1529Z on August 27, 2020, the aircraft observed a formation of unknown flying objects traveling northeast to northwest (NE-NW) along the coastline in the vicinity of grid 39RVM8. The crew tracked the formation for approximately two minutes using a sensor whose identity is redacted under classification exemption 1.4(a), before losing positive identification (PID) in cloud cover.

Official details of the formation as documented in the report:

• Observed activity description: FORMATION OF UNK FLYING OBJECTS
• Method of observation: sensor (classified — 1.4a)
• Location of observed activity: 39RVM8 (partial grid coordinates, partially redacted)
• Direction of travel: NE–NW along the coast
• Duration of tracking: approximately two minutes
• End of tracking: loss of PID in cloud cover; crew unable to reacquire

The weather note in the report states explicitly: "LIGHT CLOUD COVERAGE PREVENTED CONTINUOUS TRACKING OF UAP EVENT" — light cloud cover prevented continuous tracking of the UAP event. This phrasing is significant: the official report used the term "UAP" in describing the incident.

Analysis of technical data

Several technical details in the report reinforce both the credibility of the observation and the seriousness with which the military system treated the event.

ANDAS4 sensor. This is an advanced sensor suite installed on Air Force surveillance aircraft for reconnaissance and intelligence collection. Its use indicates the observation was not purely visual.

AH_GMESH system. A secondary sensor listed as available during the mission, likely associated with a data network.

21-hour sortie. The mission lasted 21 hours and 5 minutes, of which 17.9 hours were IMINT (imagery intelligence) hours and 19.2 hours were SIGINT (signals intelligence) hours. This level of coverage reflects the operational intensity of the tasking.

Weather factors. The report's explicit statement that weather prevented continued tracking — while also noting that the coverage was only "light" — raises a question worth examining: why did light cloud coverage succeed in causing a loss of identification on a formation of objects described as "flying." This incongruity between the modest weather description and the outcome warrants attention.

Significance

This report was declassified and released by Major General Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, on January 22, 2026, as part of the Department of Defense's broader institutional disclosure of UAP-related materials.

Several points highlight its significance.

Institutional recognition. The use of the term "UAP" in an official Air Force report — embedded in the weather section, no less — confirms that the crew understood they were tracking an unexplained phenomenon and recorded it as such through formal channels.

Intelligence gap not filled. The report explicitly records "Intel Gap Filled: No," meaning the mission failed to fully characterize the observed phenomenon. This is a formal acknowledgment that the objects were not identified.

Regional context. The event occurred in one of the most geopolitically sensitive waterways in the world — the Persian Gulf, where Iranian air defense operates, U.S. naval forces conduct continuous patrols, and maritime traffic from multiple nations converges. This environment adds considerable complexity to any interpretation of the incident.

Formal documentation. A MISREP is an operational document submitted by the crew and approved by officers. Incorporating a UAP event into such a document is not a trivial act; it reflects a deliberate choice to record the observation through the standard military reporting chain.

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Key People

• MG Richard A. Harrison — USCENTCOM Chief of Staff; authorized release of this document on January 22, 2026
• POC (point of contact): 1st Lt (name redacted — 3.5c, b(3), 130b, b(6)), 482 ATKS, 432 AEW, 609 CAOC
• QC (quality control): Ctr (name redacted — 3.5c, b(6)), 12AF Det 3, PAROC
• Approver: 1st Lt (name redacted — 3.5c, b(3), 130b, b(6)), 609th AOC, 609 CAOC

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Locations

• OKAS — takeoff and landing base (location classified)
• Arabian Gulf — primary area of operations
• Strait of Hormuz — secondary area of operations
• Gulf of Oman — secondary area of operations
• Greater Tunb Naval Port — IVO 40RCQ30 — observation site
• Abu Musa Island — IVO 40RCP02 — observation site
• 39RVM8 — grid location of the UAP event
• 39RUN49 — location of observed naval vessels
• 40RCP78 — aircraft position during Iranian air defense Guard call

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Incidents

Incident	Date	Location	Pages
Takeoff from OKAS	August 26, 2020, 2307Z	OKAS	1, 4
Arrival on station	August 27, 2020, 0041Z	Arabian Gulf	4
Iranian air defense Guard call	August 27, 2020, 0532Z	40RCP78	1, 6
Vessel observed at Greater Tunb Port	August 27, 2020, 0611Z	40RCQ30	5
Possible IL-76 observed over Abu Musa Island	August 27, 2020, 0702Z	Abu Musa, 40RCP02	5
UAP formation — unknown flying objects	August 27, 2020, 1527–1529Z	39RVM8	1, 6, 7
Naser WAP and M/V observed	August 27, 2020, 1742Z	39RUN49	5
Released from tasking, returned to base	August 27, 2020, 1840Z	—	1, 4
Landing at OKAS	August 27, 2020, 2012Z	OKAS	1, 4

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Notable Quotes

"FROM 1527Z TO 1529Z, [REDACTED] OBSERVED A FORMATION OF FLYING OBJECTS TRAVELING NE-NW ALONG THE COAST IVO 39RVM8[...] WAS TRACKING THIS FORMATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES BEFORE PID WAS LOST IN CLOUD COVER. AIRCREW WAS UNABLE TO GAIN PID AGAIN ON THIS FORMATION" — pages 6–7, primary finding

"LIGHT CLOUD COVERAGE PREVENTED CONTINUOUS TRACKING OF UAP EVENT" — page 5, ISR weather note

"LIGHT CLOUD COVERAGE PREVENTED THE CONTINOUS TRACKING OF THE FORMATION" — page 7, OBSERVATION weather note

"Observed Activity Description: FORMATION OF UNK FLYING OBJECTS" — page 6, official description of observed activity

"Intel Gap Filled?: No" — page 5, mission effectiveness