During a military flight over Iraq, a crew surveyed an assigned area. Small objects appeared there from time to time.
The crew saw them repeatedly and estimated that they were moving at different speeds. But one key detail remained unknown: how high were they flying? The report does not identify the objects, and they did not interfere with the mission.
The Objects Appeared During the Survey
The incident took place during a military mission in 2022. As the aircraft crew surveyed a particular area, it noticed objects appearing intermittently within it. A crew member described the event in a report about the mission.
According to the report, the objects were visible as the aircraft scanned the area. The crew spotted them more than once. The record does not describe a pursuit, an attempt to approach them, or any change to the mission as a result of the sighting.
Estimates, but No Answer on Altitude
The person who filed the report estimated that each object was about one to two meters long. They also described the objects as moving at different speeds, between about 130 and 290 kilometers per hour. These were estimates recorded in the report, not measurements; the report does not explain exactly how the figures were reached.
The published material does not specify how the crew estimated the objects’ size or speed. Nor does it describe their appearance beyond their estimated size and movement. The report says infrared images were attached. The imaging system produces images based on heat, but the text does not describe what the images show.
What Remains Unknown
It is unknown what the objects were, how high they were flying, or exactly how the estimates were calculated. The report offers no conventional explanation and emphasizes that the descriptions reflect the reporting crew member’s impressions at the time, not a definitive assessment of the objects’ characteristics.
The objects appeared again in the area the crew was surveying. The report includes several estimates, but one answer is missing: What exactly passed through the area?
