Baghdad Westbound Object, 482nd Squadron ISR

Brief

An Air Force ISR asset assigned to the 482nd Attack Squadron flew a 19-hour, 17-minute sortie from OKAS on December 1-2, 2022, collecting SIGINT and conducting FMV surveillance under Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. At 1620Z, while at FL180, the crew observed a single possible UAP/UAV traveling west to east in the vicinity of Baghdad; no pursuit was conducted and the mission continued as tasked. No UAP signatures, RF emissions, or effects on persons were recorded. FMV footage was exploited by DGS-AR post-mission.

Metadata

Agency

Department of War

Release

5/8/26

Incident

12/1/22

Location

Iraq

Type

PDF • .pdf

Length

6 pages

Classification

UNCLASSIFIED (formerly classified)

Programs

INHERENT RESOLVE

Tags

UAP/UAV, west-to-east trajectory, FMV, Baghdad Iraq, 2022, INHERENT RESOLVE, ISR, FL180, no-pursuit

Key points

• One possible UAP/UAV was observed at 1620Z on December 1, 2022, flying west to east near Baghdad, Iraq (grid 38SMB).p.6
• The observing aircraft was at FL180 (18,000 feet) at the time of contact.p.6
• No UAP signatures were detected; no RF frequency, duration, altitude, velocity, or physical state data were recorded for the object.p.6
• Effects on persons: none reported.p.6
• The crew did not pursue the UAP and continued the assigned ISR mission with no further events observed.p.6
• Primary sensor was FMV; available sensors listed as AH and BLASPHEMY. FMV was exploited by DGS-AR post-mission.p.4
• Total mission time was 19 hours 17 minutes; total time on station was 18 hours 35 minutes.p.4
• Operation: INHERENT RESOLVE; COCOM: USCENTCOM; MAJCOM: ACC; originating unit: 482ATKS.p.1
• Original declassification date was December 2, 2047; declassified early on October 8, 2025 by MG Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff.p.1
• Weather was not a factor; the intelligence gap was marked not filled.p.5

Verbatim

• AT 1620Z,! 1.4a !OBSERVED POSSIBLE UAP. SEE UAP LINE l.

  p.1

• FMV WAS EXPLOITED BY DGS-AR

  p.1

• AT 16202, I 1.4a !OBSERVED lX POSSIBLE UAP/UAV FLYING WEST TO EAST IVO 38SMB4~831I:4al ~DID NOT FOLLOW UAP. ~CONTINUED THE MISSION AS TASKED, NO FURTHER EVENTS WERE OBSERVED.

  p.6

• UAP Effects on Persons: (U) NONE REPORTED

  p.6

• UAP Signatures: No

  p.6

• Total Mission Time: 19 hours 17 minutes

  p.4

• (U) WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR

  p.5

Most interesting

• One of the available sensors is codename BLASPHEMY — an operationally unusual name that does not appear in any publicly known ISR sensor registry, suggesting a classified or compartmented system.
• The aircraft's callsign, tail number, asset type, and supported task force are all redacted under FOIA exemption 1.4a. The 18-hour-plus on-station time and zero kinetic payload (all weapons fields are dashes) are consistent with a remotely piloted platform such as an MQ-9.
• The original classified-until date was December 2, 2047 — exactly 25 years from the incident date — indicating the government's initial intent to suppress this report for a quarter century before early declassification under MDR 25-0094.
• Despite a possible UAP sighting, the report's effectiveness section records zero essential elements of information observed and marks the intelligence gap as not filled — the sighting generated no formal collection outcome.
• The UAP section leaves altitude, depth, velocity, and trajectory entirely blank. The only quantitative position data in the report belongs to the observing aircraft, not the object.