The surviving observation.
An MQ-9 recorded an apparently silver, orb-like object crossing its field of view in the Middle East. AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick presented the clip at an open Senate hearing in April 2023. The official description is unusually clear about the boundary of the finding: AARO did not assess the object as exhibiting anomalous behavior, but could not identify it from the available material. It retained the case in its active archive pending additional information. The short recording is compelling because it preserves an observation while also showing how little a brief image can tell investigators about the thing being observed.
The player loads from the original media host only when requested. Official player & record ↗
- Official record
- Middle East Object / DVIDS 880273
- Release date
- 2023-04-19
No map pin: the public source names only the Middle East
What the record establishes.
- 01
An MQ-9 captured the released clip; its public record gives 12 July 2022.
- 02
AARO assessed no anomalous behavior in the clip.
- 03
The official description retained the unidentified case pending more data.
Where the evidence stops.
The exact site, size, distance and identity are not established by this public clip. A broad Middle East label is insufficient to assign the encounter to a particular country.
Open the original sources.
Descriptions and assessments belong to the named source. An official report can preserve a witness’s claim without independently confirming it.