ISR Crew Tracks Silent Sphere Over Syria

Brief

This Secret//NOFORN MISREP, filed through USCENTCOM and forwarded to AARO, documents a UAP sighting by an Air Force ISR asset returning to base after an 11-hour target-development mission over Syria. At 2153Z on November 9, 2023, the crew observed a solid, spherical object — described as 'shaped as a bouncy ball' — approach from the south at near co-altitude, drop altitude, and safely pass their aircraft while maintaining an estimated 424 knots consistently for at least seven minutes. The object produced no RF or other emissions, showed no response to observers, and was assessed as benign with no effects on the crew or equipment.

Metadata

Agency

Department of War

Release

5/8/26

Incident

11/9/23

Location

Syria

Type

PDF • .pdf

Length

10 pages

Classification

SECRET//NOFORN

Programs

Operation INHERENT RESOLVE

Tags

spherical, bouncy ball shape, FMV platform, Syria, 2023, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, USCENTCOM AOR, ISR asset, no emissions, sustained speed

Key points

• UAP was observed at 2153Z on 9 November 2023 while the ISR asset was returning to base (RTB) after an 11-hour mission over Syria.p.1
• The UAP was described as 'shaped as a bouncy ball' — solid and spherical — approaching from the south at near co-altitude before dropping altitude and passing the aircraft.p.10
• Estimated speed: approximately 424 knots, maintained consistently for at least seven minutes.p.9
• No RF emissions were detected and no interrogation of the UAP was performed; the UAP showed no response to observer actions.p.9
• Observer assessed the UAP as benign; it had no effects on the aircrew or equipment.p.10
• UAP propulsion means logged as 'UNK' (unknown); intelligent control was assessed as NO.p.9
• The UAP advanced capabilities field was marked YES, attributed explicitly to the consistent 424-knot speed and spherical form.p.9
• The mission was conducted under Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, targeting violent extremist organizations, with FMV and SIGINT as primary sensors.p.2
• Kinetic altitude of the UAP was estimated at 170 (units not specified in the report); all kinetic data accuracy is flagged as 'Estimated' throughout.p.9
• UAP event serial number: 092153ZNOV2023-CENTCOM; document classified SECRET//NOFORN with a scheduled declassification date of 20481109.p.2

Verbatim

• WHILE RTB AT 2153Z, 1.4a OBSERVED 1X PROB HC UAP SHAPED AS A BOUNCY BALL COME FROM THE SOUTH AT NEAR CO-ALT. 1.4a OBSERVED THE PROB UAP DROP ALTITUDE AND SAFELY PASS THEIR AIRCRAFT WHILE CONSISTANTLY MAINTAINING ~424KN. AFTER 7MIN OF WATCHING, THE PROB UAP BECAME OUT OF RANGE AND 1.4a CARRIED ON THEIR RTB. NO EMISSIONS CAME FROM THE PROB UAP, UAP WAS NOT CONSIDERED A THREAT TO THE AIRCRAFT OR PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THE UAP HAD NO EFFECTS ON THE AIRCREW.

  p.10

• UAP Advanced Capabilities And/Or Materials (yes/no; if yes, describe): YES, TRAVELED ~424KN CONSISTANTLY FOR AT LEAST 7MINS IN THE SHAPE OF A BOUNCY BALL.

  p.9

• AT 2153Z, 1.4a OBSERVED AN UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENON AT 37D ST 69 1.4a 07 1.4a (SEE UAP 1).

  p.1

• Observer Assessment of UAP: Benign

  p.9

• UAP Under Intelligent Control (yes/no; if yes, describe): NO

  p.9

• UAP Propulsion Means: UNK

  p.9

• UAP Maneuverability Observations: NONE

  p.9

Most interesting

• The UAP was not encountered during active ISR tasking but during the crew's return to base after a 22-hour-window mission — meaning no dedicated sensor collection was initiated against the object.
• The report simultaneously marks 'UAP Advanced Capabilities: YES' (citing the consistent 424-knot speed) and 'UAP Under Intelligent Control: NO' — an internal tension the report's own structured fields do not resolve.
• The scheduled declassification date (20481109) falls exactly 25 years after the incident date (09NOV23), consistent with a standard Mandatory Systematic Review 25-year classification window.
• The kinetic altitude is recorded as '170' with no unit specified — an unusual omission for a military MISREP that leaves ambiguity about whether the UAP altitude was 170 feet or 170 meters.
• The UAP 'Observation Interrogation' field is marked NO, meaning no active sensor (radar lock, FLIR interrogation, etc.) was directed at the object during the encounter despite an FMV-equipped platform being on scene.
• The designation 'PROB HC' preceding 'UAP' in the gentext is partially redacted by context; 'HC' does not correspond to any standard aircraft type in this configuration and may reflect an internal AARO or CENTCOM UAP sub-classification code.
• Prior to the UAP encounter, the crew had conducted a six-stop vehicle and personnel follow over 11-plus hours, successfully generating probable identity matches for at least one person of interest — making the UAP report an addendum to an otherwise completed kinetic-targeting mission.