Dark Object Above Targeting Reticle, Operator Unable To Identify

Brief

The FBI submitted this still image to AARO as a UAP report originating from a U.S. military platform in late 2025, somewhere in the Western United States. The original imagery was redacted prior to submission, and no accompanying mission report was provided. The capturing operator was unable to positively identify the object. The timestamp embedded in the image is officially acknowledged as incorrect because the system clock was not set.

Metadata

Agency

FBI

Release

5/8/26

Incident

Late 2025

Location

Western United States

Type

PDF • .pdf

Length

1 pages

Tags

irregular-shaped object, monochrome still image, military imaging system, Western United States, 2025, single object, redacted imagery

Key points

• The FBI submitted this UAP report to AARO; the original imagery was redacted before submission, limiting independent analysis.
• No mission report accompanied the image, removing the operational context — platform, altitude, heading, sensor settings — that analysts would normally use for identification.
• The operator on the capturing system could not positively identify the UAP.
• The embedded date/time in the image is officially acknowledged as incorrect because the system clock was not properly configured.
• The image is monochrome and grainy, centered on a simplified crosshair; a single dark, irregular-shaped object appears just above the reticle center.
• The incident is placed in late 2025 in the Western United States, captured by a U.S. military system.

Most interesting

• The FBI — not a traditional military intelligence or defense body — was the originating agency for this AARO submission, which is unusual for UAP reporting chains.
• The embedded timestamp is officially acknowledged as wrong due to an unsynchronized system clock, meaning the precise time of the encounter cannot be derived from the image metadata.
• Redactions were applied to the imagery before it reached AARO, meaning even the primary analytical body reviewing UAP evidence received a filtered version of the source material.
• The absence of a mission report removes all recoverable operational metadata; without it, analysts cannot determine platform speed, altitude, slant range, or sensor field of view — all inputs required to estimate object size or velocity.
• The object is described as 'irregular-shaped,' which distinguishes it from the geometric profiles typical of known drones, balloons, or birds under monochrome imaging systems.