50th Attack Squadron's Unidentified Track, Eastern Mediterranean

Brief

The 50th Attack Squadron (432nd Air Expeditionary Wing) filed this SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEY MISREP covering an ISR mission launched from Sigonella Airbase on 29 May 2022. The platform collected against 39 Syrian and Russian military targets — Syrian Navy facilities, coastal defense sites, and Russian naval vessels transiting the Eastern Mediterranean — over a 20.5-hour sortie. At 0117Z on 30 May, a single UAP was observed flying north to northeast; the screener followed it as long as possible but could not obtain a positive identification, and no physical characteristics or RF signatures were recorded. The same mission was intercepted by 1-3 Russian aircraft including a possible RFAF SU-30, which flew directly under the U.S. platform's orbit at FL190 for approximately two minutes before departing west.

Metadata

Agency

Department of War

Release

5/8/26

Incident

5/29/22

Location

Syria

Type

PDF • .pdf

Length

9 pages

Classification

SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEY

Programs

OP HUMMER SICKLE

Tags

UAP unidentified, single object, north-northeast trajectory, no RF signature, no physical characteristics recorded, Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, 2022, OP HUMMER SICKLE, ISR mission context

Key points

• The mission launched from Sigonella Airbase (LICZ) at 1355Z on 29 May 2022 and recovered at 1025Z on 30 May, totaling 20 hours 30 minutes.p.4
• At 0117Z on 30 May 2022, a single UAP was observed from the U.S. platform at FL240/142 KIAS, flying north to northeast from grid 37SBV28[redacted]; the screener followed the object as long as possible and could not obtain a positive identification.p.8
• The UAP section records no physical characteristics, no RF signatures, and no altitude, velocity, or trajectory measurements — all estimative data fields are either blank or redacted under EO 1.4a.p.8
• At 2147Z on 29 May, 1-3 Russian aircraft including a possible RFAF SU-30 intercepted the U.S. platform, approaching from the Syrian coast and flying directly under its orbit (FL190 vs. FL243) for approximately 2 minutes before departing west.p.8
• The ISR mission collected on 39 designated targets across the Syria-Lebanon littoral, including Syrian Navy operations areas, Latakia Naval HQ, Tartus Naval Base, and Bassel al-Assad International Airfield.p.5
• Russian naval vessels observed in transit included a probable Gorshkov-class FFG (hull 461), a Slava-class CG (hull 055), and two Udaloy I-class DDs (hulls 626 and 564).p.6
• An A-50U Mainstay AEW aircraft and two IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft were observed parked at Latakia airfield during the same mission window.p.6
• The mission supported 603 AOC under OP HUMMER SICKLE in the 41EMD area of the Eastern Mediterranean.p.1

Verbatim

• AT 01172, ONE POSSIBLE SMALL UAP WAS OBSERVED. SEE UAP LINE 1.

  p.1

• OBSERVED A UAP AT 0117Z FLY NORTH TO NORTH EAST AND FOLLOWED AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.~SCREENER COULD NOT GET A POSITIVE ID ON THE UAP.

  p.8

• THE ACFT APPROACHED WESTWARD FROM THE SYRIAN COAST, FLEW DIRECTLY UNDER! 1.4a !ORBIT (FL190, VS ~ FL243) FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 MIN, FLEW SOUTH FOR ABOUT 10NM, AND THEN RETURNED WEST. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE MISSION.

  p.8

• FROM 19382 TO 02302,~ CONDUCTED IMINT ISO 603 AOC\OP HUMMER SICKLE IYO 41EMD IYO EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. SEE ISR LINE 1.

  p.1

• AT 2120Z, IX A-50U MAINSTAY D AND 2X IL-38 OBSERVED PARKED IVO 36SYE6~~

  p.6

Most interesting

• The war.gov index entry titles this document 'Iraq, May 2022,' but every grid coordinate, named facility, and navigational reference in the actual text places operations over Syria, Lebanon, and the Eastern Mediterranean — the public listing location is mislabeled.
• The 50th Attack Squadron (50 ATKS) is an MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft unit within the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing; a 142 KIAS cruise speed and 20.5-hour endurance are consistent with that platform, though the aircraft type is fully redacted under EO 1.4a and 1.4g.
• No observation method is recorded for the UAP — unlike the secondary SU-27/35 sighting logged on the same mission, which specifies FMV, the UAP section leaves the sensor field blank, leaving the detection modality unknown.
• The Russian A-50U Mainstay — one of Russia's most capable airborne early warning and control aircraft — was parked at Latakia during the same operational window that the UAP was observed over the Eastern Mediterranean.
• The Russian SU-30 intercept placed the Russian aircraft at FL190 and the U.S. platform at FL243, a vertical separation of roughly 5,300 feet — close enough to constitute a deliberate show of presence without triggering a weapons engagement.
• The document's embedded declassification date (20470529) falls exactly 25 years to the day after the incident date, consistent with standard USAF MISREP classification period practice.