AFSOC's Misshapen Light Ball Over Syria, October 2024

Brief

An AFSOC platform conducting ISR under Operation INHERENT RESOLVE observed multiple unexplained light or glare events between 1559Z and 1644Z on 20 October 2024, while orbiting at 20,088 feet and 144 knots. The UAP was described in the report as a 'MISHAPEN AND UNEVEN BALL OF WHITE LIGHT,' with a halo effect appearing at the top of the FMV feed on two separate occasions. The aircrew ruled out a laser event, assessed the phenomenon as benign with no mission impact, and did not engage or interrogate the object. The report formally categorizes the UAP's physical state as 'Plasma' with propulsion means unknown.

Metadata

Agency

Department of War

Release

5/8/26

Location

Syria

Type

PDF • .pdf

Length

10 pages

Classification

SECRET//REL TO USA, FVEY (declassified)

Programs

INHERENT RESOLVE

Tags

ball of light, plasma (field-reported), halo effect, FMV camera anomaly, Syria, 2024, INHERENT RESOLVE, AFSOC ISR platform, light/glare, non-lasing assessed

Key points

• UAP first observed at 1559Z on 20 October 2024; multiple light/glare events continued until 1644Z at different angles and directions.p.9
• The reporting unit formally logged the UAP's physical state as 'Plasma' and propulsion means as 'UNKNOWN.'p.8
• Aircrew explicitly assessed the anomaly was not a lasing event.p.8
• A halo effect was observed at the top of the FMV feed specifically at 1609Z and 1620Z — distinct from the direct camera crossings at 1559Z, 1602Z, and 1644Z.p.9
• The observing aircraft was in an orbit at 20,088 feet altitude and 144 knots; no interrogation of the UAP was conducted.p.7
• The observer was an E-4 (enlisted grade), and the UAP event serial number is recorded as 201559ZOCT2024.p.8
• The mission narrative on page 1 contains an apparent transcription error: the phenomenon is labeled 'UNIDENTIFIED ARRIEAL PHENOMENON' rather than aerial.p.1
• The document was declassified by MG Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, on 24 October 2025 and released to AARO on 28 October 2025.p.1

Verbatim

• MISHAPEN AND UNEVEN BALL OF WHITE LIGHT.

  p.9

• LIGHT/GLARE FROM UNKNOWN ORIGIN FLASHED ACCROSS FMV CAMERA FEED. AIRCREW ASSESSED THIS NOT TO BE A LASING EVENT.

  p.8

• AT 1609Z AND 1620Z, (b)(1)1.4a OBSERVED A LIGHT/GLARE HALO EFFECT AT THE TOP OF (b)(1)1.4a FMV FEED.

  p.9

• AIRCREW CONSIDERED THIS NO MISSION IMPACT OR CHANGE AND UAP WAS BENIGN.

  p.9

• LIGHT/GLARE FLASHED OF UNK ORIGIN FLASHED ACCROSS FMV CAMERA FEED

  p.7

• AT 1559Z, (b)(1)1.4a (b)(1)1.4a OBSERVED AN UNIDENTIFIED ARRIEAL PHENOMENON (SEE UAP 1).

  p.1

Most interesting

• The report lists 'Plasma' as the UAP's physical state — a formal field entry, not a speculative label — while simultaneously noting no advanced capabilities or materials were observed.
• The document misspells both 'AERIAL' (as 'ARRIEAL' on page 1) and 'MISSHAPEN' (as 'MISHAPEN' on page 9), suggesting the report was dictated or transcribed under operational tempo rather than carefully edited.
• The UAP maneuverability field on page 7 repeats the word 'FLASHED' twice in the same sentence, a verbatim artifact of the original report.
• No third-party observers are listed, and no interrogation of the UAP was attempted — the crew collected no additional sensor data beyond the FMV footage.
• The sighting window (1559Z–1644Z) lasted 45 minutes with five discrete events recorded at different times and angles, suggesting something more sustained than a single camera artifact.
• The same grid coordinate (37SFU36) is listed for both the UAP's first and last seen location, implying no tracked lateral displacement was recorded.
• The AN/DAS-4 targeting pod and a system designated 'SANTA FE' were available aboard the platform, yet only FMV footage was used — no multi-sensor cross-check was performed.
• The mission totaled 20 hours 24 minutes with 14 hours 22 minutes of FMV collection — the UAP window represents a narrow slice of an otherwise routine ISR sortie targeting a violent extremist group.