Arabian Gulf: ISR crew follows solid white object moving erratically above the water

The record is a one-page Range Fouler Debrief Form for an ISR mission on May 14, 2020, time of detection 20:40:00Z, night; the crew member's name, rank and squadron are withheld. The contact was logged at 28°31'N 49°52'E at 20,000 feet, altitude constant, moving, one contact in the group, shape 'Round' checked, trackfile intermittent; no radar, autotrack or electronic-attack indications are marked. The narrative states that while performing an ISR tasking with the sensor in black-hot infrared mode 'a solid white object flew through the FOV', was briefly lost and re-acquired, and that the crew followed it 'as it appeared to make erratic movements above the water', obtained 4x zoom and lost it 'due to poor track placement'; the sensor operator continuously manipulated the sensor, as shown by the waves in the background appearing and disappearing. USCENTCOM approved release to AARO on January 26, 2026 (MDR 26-0019). The details are taken from the records released by the U.S. Department of War (record code DOW-UAP-D38) and do not represent an independent determination by From Beyond Space.