Summary
This brief infrared clip is assessed to have come from a U.S. military sensor operating above the East China Sea in 2021. The sensor tracks an area of contrast for roughly 18 seconds before losing sight of it. The 23-second file was uploaded to a classified network in June 2021 and released through the PURSUE declassification.
Detail
This Department of War video was identified by AARO among materials requested by U.S. House of Representatives members in March 2026. AARO assesses the footage likely originated from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating above the East China Sea in 2021. A user uploaded the 23-second clip to a classified network in June 2021.
The sensor pans to follow an area of contrast and loses track of the object at about the 18-second mark, with the remainder of the clip showing no content. AARO notes the description is informational only and reflects no conclusion about the event's validity or significance. The record was released through the PURSUE declassification.
