Gulf of Aden: Aircrew tracks round, cold object making abrupt turns for eight minutes
On 4 September 2020 from 21:09 to 21:17 UTC, a U.S. military aircrew at 23,819 feet over the Gulf of Aden tracked on infrared a single round, cold object travelling on a heading of 168 degrees at 277 mph that made a few abrupt directional changes during the eight-minute contact. The crew filed a Range Fouler reporting form; the object remained unidentified.
Background
The Range Fouler Reporting Form, a U.S. Navy (SPEAR) form for unauthorised intrusions into controlled airspace, was filed by an O-3 officer of an attack squadron (squadron and crew position partly redacted) for a night ISR mission on 4 September 2020, time of detection 21:09:00 Z. The narrative states: contact from 21:09 Z to 21:17 Z, MGRS location 38P (remainder redacted); while at 23,819 feet above terrain over the Gulf of Aden the crew tracked a round, cold object in infrared travelling 168 degrees at 277 mph, which made a few abrupt directional changes during the eight-minute contact. The sensor was aimed 39 degrees below the aircraft's altitude at a slant range of about 6.1 nautical miles and a ground range of 8.81 km; the IR sensor was set to black-hot, so the object appeared bright white. The form records one contact in the group, the contact moving, shape 'round' checked, and no tally, radar or other identification. The form was approved for release to AARO by USCENTCOM in March 2026. The details are taken from the records released by the U.S. Department of War (record code DOW-UAP-D57) and do not represent an independent determination by From Beyond Space.