Summary
This infrared video is assessed to have come from a U.S. military sensor operating in the U.S. Central Command region in 2020. On three separate occasions, an area of contrast briefly transits the screen from bottom to top, with no content in between. The nearly five-minute file was uploaded to a classified network in September 2020 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 came from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in 2020, uploaded to a classified network in September 2020. The clip runs about four minutes and 54 seconds.
The video is mostly empty, punctuated by three brief, similar transits in which an area of contrast enters at the bottom of the frame and exits at the top. AARO notes the description is informational only and reflects no analytical judgment about the event. The record was released through the PURSUE declassification.
