A US fighter jet was training at night over the Gulf of Oman. The crew dropped a flare into the water to illuminate the surface and serve as a simulated target. Using a thermal camera that works in the dark, one crew member spotted two orbs near the sea’s surface.
The orbs stayed beside the flare, then moved away as soon as the crew member pulled the trigger. The crew reported seeing other similar phenomena during the flight, but the recording meant to capture them was corrupted. The incident took place on September 8, 2021, according to a US Air Force report.
They Waited Beside the Target
The aircraft circled the flare to practice firing. A crew member aimed the thermal camera at it and saw two cold orbs above the water. According to the report, each was about one meter in diameter.
The orbs stayed in place for about 15 seconds. Then the crew member pulled the trigger, and the gun fired. Immediately afterward, he saw the orbs move rapidly away from the flare and disappear from the camera’s view. The report says they did not change altitude as they moved away.
More Orbs Appeared During the Flight
During the exercise, the crew saw about 25 similar incidents through the camera. In some, two orbs appeared to move together. They rose and fell, passing around, above, and below one another. The report compared their movements to dolphins swimming together.
In other cases, three orbs appeared in formation, or orbs moved in sharp, abrupt turns. The crew described phenomena that seemed to respond when the aircraft’s weapons were fired. They tried to save all the footage, but the aircraft’s recording device malfunctioned and the data was corrupted.
What Remains Unknown
The report does not identify the orbs or explain what caused them to move. It also notes that no means of propulsion was observed, and that the descriptions and speed estimates were based on the crew’s impressions.
The orbs disappeared from the camera’s view when the gun fired. But that moment was not preserved in the recording.
