DISCLOSURE / FILE

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023

DOW-UAP-PR151, Unresolved UAP Report, Yellow Sea, 2023

A 49-second infrared video clip recorded from a U.S. military platform in the Yellow Sea in 2023, submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to AARO and released by the Department of War as an unresolved UAP report.

Brief

The Department of War released this file on September 18, 2026 under the identifier DOW-UAP-PR151. It consists of 49 seconds of footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform, recorded in 2023 in the Yellow Sea and submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). The release's own description breaks the clip into three spans: the sensor pans to track an area of contrast (00:00 to 00:15), increases its level of magnification while continuing to pan (00:16 to 00:18), then tracks the area of contrast through 00:49, keeping it generally within the center of the frame. That description carries an explicit disclaimer that it is not an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination about the event's validity, nature, or significance.

Metadata

Agency: Department of War
Release: 9/18/26
Incident: 2023
Location: Yellow Sea
Type: VIDEO • .mp4
Length: 0:50
Tags: Yellow Sea, 2023, infrared sensor, area of contrast, magnification increase, unresolved, U.S. military platform, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, AARO, video only, no extractable text, DOW-UAP-PR151

Key points

The report was submitted to AARO by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a combatant command; the release does not name the service, unit, or platform type (aircraft or vessel) that carried the sensor.
The footage runs 49 seconds and comes from an infrared sensor, so any object in frame appears as thermal contrast rather than visible-light imagery.
The incident is placed in the Yellow Sea in 2023; the release gives no month, day, coordinates, altitude, range, or heading.
The government's video description divides the clip into three timestamped spans: 00:00 to 00:15 (sensor pans to track an area of contrast), 00:16 to 00:18 (sensor increases magnification and pans), and 00:19 to 00:49 (sensor keeps the area of contrast generally centered in the frame).
The only change in sensor behavior the description records is a magnification increase during the 3-second window from 00:16 to 00:18; the release does not state the magnification levels or whether the change was operator-commanded or automatic.
The description includes a disclaimer that it is provided for informational purposes only and should not be read as an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination.
The file is titled an unresolved UAP report; the release offers no resolution, object characterization, or explanation.
The file has no extractable text. It is a video asset, so the release description is the only written content available for citation.

Most interesting

The phrase 'an area of contrast' is the full extent of the government's characterization of what the sensor tracked; the release does not say whether the contrast reads hot or cold against the background, or how large it appears in frame.
The same September 18, 2026 release carries a second Yellow Sea 2023 infrared clip, DOW-UAP-PR152, also submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; the release does not state whether the two clips document the same event, the same platform, or the same day.
The submitting organization is U.S. Indo-Pacific Command rather than a service branch, which places the report in a combatant-command reporting channel to AARO.
The Yellow Sea sits between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula; the release does not state the platform's mission or its position within that body of water.
The disclaimer attached to the description is a statement about the description itself, not a case-status finding; the 'unresolved' label comes from the file's title.

Common questions

What is Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023?

What does Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 reveal?

The report was submitted to AARO by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a combatant command; the release does not name the service, unit, or platform type (aircraft or vessel) that carried the sensor. The footage runs 49 seconds and comes from an infrared sensor, so any object in frame appears as thermal contrast rather than visible-light imagery. The incident is…

Which agency produced Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023?

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 is a primary-source record from Department of War.

When is Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 dated?

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 is dated 2023. It was disclosed 2026-09-18.

What programs and topics appear in Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023?

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 references Yellow Sea, infrared sensor, area of contrast, magnification increase, unresolved and U.S. military platform.

Brief

Key points

The report was submitted to AARO by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a combatant command; the release does not name the service, unit, or platform type (aircraft or vessel) that carried the sensor.

The footage runs 49 seconds and comes from an infrared sensor, so any object in frame appears as thermal contrast rather than visible-light imagery.

The incident is placed in the Yellow Sea in 2023; the release gives no month, day, coordinates, altitude, range, or heading.

The government's video description divides the clip into three timestamped spans: 00:00 to 00:15 (sensor pans to track an area of contrast), 00:16 to 00:18 (sensor increases magnification and pans), and 00:19 to 00:49 (sensor keeps the area of contrast generally centered in the frame).

The only change in sensor behavior the description records is a magnification increase during the 3-second window from 00:16 to 00:18; the release does not state the magnification levels or whether the change was operator-commanded or automatic.

The description includes a disclaimer that it is provided for informational purposes only and should not be read as an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination.

The file is titled an unresolved UAP report; the release offers no resolution, object characterization, or explanation.

The file has no extractable text. It is a video asset, so the release description is the only written content available for citation.

Most interesting

The phrase 'an area of contrast' is the full extent of the government's characterization of what the sensor tracked; the release does not say whether the contrast reads hot or cold against the background, or how large it appears in frame.

The same September 18, 2026 release carries a second Yellow Sea 2023 infrared clip, DOW-UAP-PR152, also submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; the release does not state whether the two clips document the same event, the same platform, or the same day.

The submitting organization is U.S. Indo-Pacific Command rather than a service branch, which places the report in a combatant-command reporting channel to AARO.

The Yellow Sea sits between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula; the release does not state the platform's mission or its position within that body of water.

The disclaimer attached to the description is a statement about the description itself, not a case-status finding; the 'unresolved' label comes from the file's title.

Common questions

What is Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023?

What does Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 reveal?

Which agency produced Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023?

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 is a primary-source record from Department of War.

When is Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 dated?

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 is dated 2023. It was disclosed 2026-09-18.

What programs and topics appear in Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023?

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023 references Yellow Sea, infrared sensor, area of contrast, magnification increase, unresolved and U.S. military platform.

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023

Brief

Metadata

Key points

Most interesting

Cross-references

Related topics

Common questions

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023

Thermal Contact, Yellow Sea 2023

Brief

Metadata

Key points

Most interesting

Cross-references

Related topics

Common questions