Military Image Shows Unidentified Objects

A black-and-white image from a U.S. military system shows a targeting reticle and two dark spots just above and to its right. The operator who saw the image couldn’t identify them.

The FBI sent the image to a U.S. office that reviews reports of unidentified phenomena. But it arrived without the mission report that accompanied it. Without that report, we’re left with what the image shows—and little information about what was happening around it.

What the Image Shows

The FBI document describes the image as grainy. At its center is the targeting reticle, the mark that helps an operator aim. One or two small, dark objects appear above and to its right.

The image was produced by a U.S. military system in 2025. The document says the incident took place in the western United States toward the end of the year. The operator couldn’t identify what appeared in the image with certainty. The image shows the spots, but doesn’t say what they are.

Sent for Review Without the Report

The FBI sent the image to the U.S. office that reviews these reports. Parts of it were redacted before it was sent, but the document doesn’t say what was redacted. The mission report that accompanied the image was also not provided.

The missing report might have provided context: what the mission involved and what else was recorded at the time. But the document doesn’t explain why the report was omitted, so it’s impossible to know whether there was a specific reason. Without the report, the spots in the image can’t be linked to what was happening when it was taken.

What Remains Unknown

The dark objects remain unidentified, and what happened during the incident is unknown. The document offers no conventional explanation for the image. The date shown is also wrong: the system’s clock hadn’t been set.

Two small spots remain beside the targeting reticle, along with the mission report that might have put them in context—but wasn’t provided.