What did the crew members see?

They saw an unidentified object rapidly crossing the sensor image. A lens flare appeared there, which the reporter estimated was related to a significant heat source.

Is there a possible explanation for the flash?

The report describes a lens flare — a spot of light created in the imaging system — but does not offer a conventional explanation for what caused it in this case.

Who published the report and when?

The U.S. Department of War report was released to the public in May 2026. It documents an event in Iraq from September 2024.

Two Crew Members Saw a Hot Flash After Missile Launch

Incidents in the document

20 September 2024, 2027:59Z (Initial Contact DTG) · ROZ RAINDROP, Ayn Al Asad Airbase, Iraq; UAP first/last coordinate MGRS 38SKC59; friendly aircraft at MGRS 38SKC55, FL130, heading 096, 170 KIAS · Page 5

During an Armed Overwatch mission and weapons calibration, the aircraft received a call for fire at approximately 2025Z to employ an AGM-176. After weapons release, the WSO and CSO observed an unidentified object 'fly' through the aircraft sensors at a high rate of speed between munition release and munition impact. The UAP created an IR lens flare on the MX-20 and MX-25 sensors, indicating a significant heat signature. The crew maintained laser energy until the munition impacted its desired target. The aircraft did not reobserve the UAP. UAP Event Serial Number: 202027ZSEP2024-CENTCOM. Observer assessment: Benign. UAP physical state: Solid. Reaction to observation: 'NONE OBSERVED; PATH OF MOVEMENT APPEARED PREDETERMINED AND NOT IN RESPONSE TO [aircraft]'s DETECTION.'

After a missile launch during a training exercise in Iraq, two crew members saw something rapidly cross the aircraft's sensor image. It left a flash that appeared to be linked to a significant heat source.

The crew continued to track the missile until it hit its target. When they looked again, the object was gone. What exactly created the flash — and what might have separated from it just before it disappeared — remains unclear.

Appeared Between Launch and Impact

The incident occurred during a training exercise to test a U.S. Army weapon system. After the missile launch, two crew members observed an unidentified object through the aircraft's sensors, which display heat in the image.

The object rapidly crossed the area of the image captured by the sensors. The system showed a spot of light, a phenomenon known as a lens flare. The crew member who wrote the report estimated that the flash was related to a significant heat source.

The report on the incident was released to the public in May 2026. It was written following a mission in Iraq in September 2024 and documents what the crew members observed during the exercise.

Missile Continued to Target

While the object moved across the image, the crew continued to operate a laser beam that helped guide the missile. They maintained the beam until the missile hit its chosen target.

The report does not state that the crew saw the object outside the sensor image. After it disappeared from view, the crew members were unable to see it again.

What Remains Unknown

It is unknown what created the flash, if there was an identifiable object there, or if something separated from it just before it disappeared. A lens flare is a spot of light created in the imaging system, but the report does not offer a conventional explanation for what happened here.

The image showed a hot flash that crossed the field of view — and then vanished.

Two Crew Members Saw a Hot Flash After Missile Launch

Incidents in the document

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Appeared Between Launch and Impact

Missile Continued to Target

What Remains Unknown

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