DISCLOSURE / FILEF/A-18 FLIR UAP NORTHCOM 2022
DOW-UAP-PR069, "F/A-18 FLIR UAP"
A 29-second classified-network FLIR video, uploaded in July 2023 and released by AARO on 2026-05-22, showing a military infrared sensor tracking an unidentified area of contrast within U.S. Northern Command airspace in 2022.
Brief
DOW-UAP-PR069 is a 29-second infrared sensor video that AARO assesses was likely captured by a U.S. military platform operating within the U.S. Northern Command area of responsibility in 2022. The footage was uploaded to a classified network by an unidentified user in July 2023 and surfaced as part of a collection of 51 potentially UAP-related records requested by eight House members on March 6, 2026. AARO flags that many materials in this collection lack a substantiated chain-of-custody, a caveat that applies directly to this video. The footage shows a sensor panning to acquire an area of contrast, a reticle locking on at the 14-second mark, then losing track at the 27-second mark.
Metadata
- Agency
- Department of War
- Release
- 5/22/26
- Location
- NORTHCOM
- Type
- VIDEO • .mp4
- Length
- 0:30
- Classification
- UNCLASSIFIED
- Programs
- AARO
- Tags
- FLIR, infrared sensor, F/A-18, NORTHCOM, 2022, area of contrast, reticle track-break, chain-of-custody unknown, classified-network upload
Key points
- AARO assesses the video is 'likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform' — the hedge 'likely' signals unverified provenance, not confirmed origin.
- The video was not formally submitted to AARO; an unidentified user uploaded it to a classified network in July 2023, raising authenticity questions.
- AARO explicitly flags that many materials in this collection 'lack a substantiated chain-of-custody,' placing this footage in an uncertain evidentiary category.
- The congressional trigger was a March 6, 2026 letter from eight House members requesting access to 51 potentially UAP-related records held by the Department of War and the Intelligence Community.
- The reticle — indicating an automated tracking lock — loses track of the area of contrast at the 27-second mark, two seconds before the footage ends.
- The incident year is given as 2022; the area of responsibility is NORTHCOM, meaning domestic U.S. airspace or immediate approaches.
- AARO's release description explicitly disclaims any analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination about the event's validity, nature, or significance.
Most interesting
- The video's uploader-defined title is 'F/A-18 FLIR UAP' — AARO uses this title descriptively but stops short of confirming the platform was an F/A-18.
- At 29 seconds, this is one of the shorter UAP sensor recordings in the public AARO release corpus, giving analysts minimal dwell time to characterize the object.
- NORTHCOM's AOR covers North America, meaning if this footage is authentic, the encounter occurred in or near U.S. domestic airspace — a geopolitically significant detail.
- The automated reticle track-break at 27 seconds could indicate the sensor lost the target due to object maneuver, sensor limitations, or background contrast equalization — the footage alone cannot distinguish between these causes.
- The 15-month gap between the 2022 incident and the July 2023 classified-network upload is unexplained in AARO's release description.
- This video is one of 51 records identified in response to a single congressional request, suggesting a substantial backlog of potentially UAP-related material on classified networks that has not been formally reviewed.