Circular Object in Crosshair, Source Withheld

Brief

FBI Photo A6 is a still image derived from an unspecified U.S. government system, forwarded to AARO as part of the May 2026 disclosure package. The original image was redacted before submission; the date and location of the incident are withheld and no accompanying mission report was provided. The monochrome frame shows a dark, circular object centered within a crosshair reticle against a lightly textured background. The operator on scene was unable to positively identify the object.

Metadata

Agency

FBI

Release

5/8/26

Incident

Late 2025

Type

IMAGE • .png

Programs

AARO

Tags

circular, dark object, monochrome image, crosshair reticle, redacted imagery, 2025, AARO submission, FBI

Key points

• The still image originated from a U.S. government system; the specific platform and sensor type are not identified in the release.
• The FBI submitted the image to AARO while withholding both the date and geographic location of the incident.
• The original imagery was altered with redactions prior to submission — the scope of those redactions is not characterized.
• No accompanying mission report was provided with the submission, removing any operator narrative context.
• The responding operator stated they were unable to positively identify the UAP.
• The UAP presents as a dark, circular object positioned at the center of a crosshair reticle in a monochrome image against a lightly textured background.

Most interesting

• The FBI is a domestic law enforcement and counterintelligence agency — its submission of a UAP report to AARO places the incident within the United States or a jurisdiction under FBI authority.
• The crosshair reticle in the image indicates the UAP was being actively framed or tracked by a government optical system at the moment the frame was captured.
• With date, location, sensor platform, and mission report all absent or withheld, FBI Photo A6 is among the most information-sparse individual releases in the disclosure corpus.
• The monochrome rendering combined with a reticle overlay is consistent with electro-optical targeting, surveillance drone, or fire-control camera systems operated by law enforcement or military assets.
• The circular morphology of the object — a shape that recurs across multiple UAP reports spanning decades — is consistent with the 'orb' classification used in recent AARO annual reports, though no formal classification is assigned here.