CENTCOM Infrared Track, Arabian Gulf 2020

Brief

U.S. Central Command submitted a 1-minute-3-second infrared sensor video to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office documenting an unidentified aerial phenomenon over the Arabian Gulf in 2020. The original reporter paused playback at timestamp 00:10 and overlaid a white circle with the annotation 'U/I SMALL THERMAL SIGNATURE' before submission; AARO received and released the footage without further modification. The object appears as a brightening area of contrast that the sensor tracks — cycling through multiple zoom and contrast settings — across the full duration of the clip. AARO's release carries no analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination about the event.

Metadata

Agency

Department of War

Release

5/8/26

Location

Arabian Gulf

Type

VIDEO • .mp4

Classification

UNCLASSIFIED

Programs

AARO

Tags

infrared sensor, small thermal signature, Arabian Gulf, 2020, AARO, unresolved, source-annotated footage, CENTCOM

Key points

• Video duration is 1 minute and 3 seconds, captured by an infrared sensor aboard an unspecified U.S. military platform in 2020.
• The original reporter, not AARO, digitally altered the footage: playback was paused at 00:10 and a white encirclement with the text 'U/I SMALL THERMAL SIGNATURE' was added.
• AARO released the footage exactly as received, with no additional edits.
• During 00:00-00:09 the area of contrast brightens and becomes increasingly distinct against the background.
• From 00:15 to 01:03 the sensor actively pans to keep the target in the top third of the frame while cycling through contrast and zoom settings.
• The case remains classified as 'Unresolved' — no identification was reached from the available data.
• The incident is geolocated to the Arabian Gulf, falling within USCENTCOM's area of responsibility.

Most interesting

• Source-side annotation before submission is explicitly acknowledged in the release record — an unusual admission of chain-of-custody alteration that raises questions about how often unreported alterations occur in other UAP submissions.
• AARO's boilerplate disclaimer that the video description 'should not be interpreted as reflecting an analytical judgment' is attached even to basic timestamp descriptions, signaling institutional caution about any implied endorsement of the phenomenon's reality.
• The sensor platform type is withheld entirely — neither aircraft, ship, nor ground installation is specified — leaving the operational context of the encounter unresolvable from public records.
• The sensor's active tracking behavior (panning + cycling contrast and zoom across 48 seconds) suggests either automated lock-on or a trained operator who considered the object worth sustained attention.
• Reporting the annotation as 'U/I' (Unidentified/Unknown) rather than a classification marking is consistent with tactical reporting shorthand, suggesting the original reporter was military aircrew or an ISR operator.