33rd SOW Tracks Low Circular Object Off Greece

Brief

MISREP 9337873, originating from the 33rd Special Operations Squadron (27 SOW, AFSOC) under USCENTCOM, covers a 20-hour ISR mission flown from Larissa Air Base (LGLR), Greece. At 0811Z on 29 October 2023 — during the return-to-base leg, not the planned ISR period — the crew observed a UAP described as seemingly circular and too small to resolve details, flying just above the ocean surface and moving toward land before disappearing from the sensor feed. The object was logged at an estimated 30 MPH, assessed as benign, with no detected propulsion signature, no emissions, no effects on personnel or equipment, and no intelligent control attributed. Full motion video was captured via AN/DAS-4 targeting pod and exploited by a ground exploitation team; the document was declassified 22 January 2026 by USCENTCOM Chief of Staff MG Richard A. Harrison under MDR 26-0019.

Metadata

Agency

Department of War

Release

5/8/26

Location

Greece

Type

PDF • .pdf

Length

7 pages

Classification

UNCLASSIFIED (declassified)

Programs

AARO

Tags

circular, low-altitude, ocean-surface, FMV/IR, Greece, Aegean, 2023, MISREP, AARO, special-operations, AN/DAS-4

Key points

• UAP contact at 0811Z on 29 October 2023 was logged while the crew was returning to base — not during the primary ISR tasking window, which ran 2018Z to 0542Z.p.1
• Object described as 'SEEMINGLY CIRCULAR, TOO SMALL TO MAKE OUT DETAILS,' flying just above the ocean surface and tracking toward land before being lost from the sensor feed.p.7
• Estimated kinetic velocity: 30 MPH. Propulsion means: UNK. Signatures: NONE. Advanced capabilities: UNK. RF frequency and duration: UNK.p.7
• Observer assessment: Benign. UAP explicitly logged as not under intelligent control.p.6
• UAP physical state recorded as Solid; no material recovered; no effects on equipment or personnel.p.6
• Primary sensor was FMV via AN/DAS-4 targeting pod; additional sensor G-MESH was aboard; data link was LINK 16. Full motion video exploited by a ground exploitation team (GET).p.4
• Aircraft carried combat ordnance: 2x AGM-114R9E and 2x AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles, confirming a combat-capable AFSOC platform rather than a dedicated surveillance asset.p.4
• UAP first and last coordinates both fall in grid zone 35SMV3[redacted], with a 5-unit estimated radius — placing the observation in the Aegean coastal zone consistent with LGLR operations.p.7
• Declassified 22 January 2026 by MG Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, under MDR 26-0019; approved for release to AARO 01/26/26.p.1

Verbatim

• SEEMINGLY CIRCULAR, TOO SMALL TO MAKE OUT DETAILS

  p.7

• AT 081 IZ,! 1.4a !WAS RIB WHEN THEY SPOTTE A UAP FLYING JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN WATER. THE UAP FLEWS IGHT ABOVE THE OCEAN TOWARDS LANDS. AT 081 IZ,~LOST THE UAP FROM HEIR FEED.

  p.7

• Observer Assessment of UAP: Benign

  p.6

• UAP Physical State: Solid

  p.6

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

  p.6

• UAP Effects on Equipment: NONE

  p.6

Most interesting

• The UAP contact occurred on the return-to-base leg at 0811Z — outside the planned ISR tasking window — meaning the crew was not actively searching when they spotted it.
• The object was lost from the sensor feed precisely when the background transitioned from ocean to land, consistent with thermal contrast loss in infrared, not with any evasive maneuver by the object.
• The aircraft was armed with four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles during what was officially logged as an ISR mission, indicating the platform had a strike-ready posture throughout.
• The 20-hour-plus mission duration and G-MESH sensor listing point strongly toward a fixed-wing Special Operations ISR platform with long-endurance capability.
• The grid coordinate family 35SMV places the observation in the Aegean coastal region of Greece, consistent with LGLR (Larissa Air Base) as the operating hub.
• The crew's administrative POC is listed as an Airman First Class — a junior enlisted rank — while the actual observer rank is left blank ('Rank/Grade: -'), leaving the seniority of the direct eyewitness unrecorded.