Skip to content
SF-2026-000238UnverifiedAliens & UAPs

DOW-UAP-D058, Range Fouler Debrief, NA, October 2020

This file is a standardized U.S. Navy Range Fouler Debrief Form, used to record the circumstances of an unauthorized intrusion into controlled airspace during military operations or training. According to the releasing agency, a U.S. military operator (rank O-3, DCA mission) reported an encounter on 27 October 2020 at 01:12:21Z with a group of two UAP at approximately 26,000 ft. The operator described the objects as 'balloon-shaped,' metallic, reflective, and opaque, characterizing the tally as '2x red blinking strobes.' The narrative states that operations were directed by 'KINGPIN' to identify an unknown contact; the observer obtained radar lock and target-pod video but could not close within 16.9 NM for a better ID. The target pod showed two IR-significant contacts, with 'one range fouler circling around the other,' after which 'in 1/30th of a second, they were gone.' Noise jamming was reportedly received, indicated by two chevrons. First detection occurred at bullseye ZIM 248/17. The document carries redactions and notes that all descriptive language reflects the reporter's subjective interpretation and should not be treated as conclusive. It was approved for release to AARO and declassified by MG Richard A. Harrison.

Source: U.S. Department of Warwar.govIncident Oct 27, 2020Released May 8, 2026Discovered Jul 2, 2026294.4 KBdocument
sha256:c2bd370cdadc2f176498

Description

A declassified U.S. Navy Range Fouler Debrief Form documenting a military operator's October 2020 encounter with two unidentified aerial phenomena described as balloon-shaped, metallic, and reflective objects appearing as red blinking strobes, released by the U.S. Department of War as part of a UAP data disclosure.

Claims

  • A U.S. military operator encountered two UAP described as balloon-shaped, metallic, and reflective, appearing as red blinking strobes.

    60%
  • One range fouler was circling around the other before both vanished in 1/30th of a second.

    55%
  • The operator obtained a radar lock and target-pod video showing two IR-significant contacts but could not close within 16.9 NM.

    60%
  • Noise jamming was received, indicated by two chevrons.

    55%

Events

  1. Oct 26, 2020

    UAP encounter (Range Fouler)

    Operator on a DCA mission detected two UAP at ~26,000 ft, obtained radar lock and target-pod video, observed one object circling the other before both disappeared; noise jamming reportedly received.

  2. May 7, 2026

    Public release / declassification

    Document released by the U.S. Department of War as part of a UAP data disclosure.

Dates mentioned

2020-10-272026-05-082026-03-27

Keywords

Entities

Extracted text (OCR)
Declassified by MG Richard A. Harrison
usctf.le~~~.fil~ Aie-l~~raftUrple

Oecla~M~ffif~R~li~Bffi',y~(?iS'e and

II!!! I Rl!!T 111 Ii IF 11

Range Fouler Debrie Form

email the complete file manually
(see below).

L,

•

Please complete this form to the best of your ability. If you do
have the requested information,
please leave the field blank. If there was more than one "groupi," please report each on a separate
form for data collection purposes. You should receive a respons within 5 business days.
Last Name. First Name

Squadron

Rank

0-3 .

._l11_E_F_S_

Crew Position

S/PR £mail Address

__,

This information is for contact only. SPEAR sanitizes all r . ports of identifying information.
1
Absolutely no identifying information for aircrew or squadT< n will be recorded for analysis.
10/27/20

01:12:21

Night

Date (mmldd,yy)

Time of detection

Day I Night

DCA
Side No.

Bimo

No
LFE?

Mission Description (CAS. BFM, etc)

(hh:mm:ss Z)

26000
Contact Wonting Area

(Ex: W-72 1A)

Contact Latitute
(DD:MM:SS)

N/S

Contact Longitude
(DD:MM:SS)

E,W

•ontact Altitude

( x: 22000)

Please attempt to determine a Laf I Long for the contact at initial detection. We recommend
using JMPS to reference the sensor-derived bearing and range relative to the bullseye you had
in use. If that method is not a vailable, any reasonable derivation of location will work, but please
be as specific as possible and make a note in the comments section. These l ocations may be
us.e d to cue other means of tracking.

Radar Equipped: Other

AIM-9x Self-Track:

Stable Trackfile?: Yes

A TFL/R Autotrack:

# of Contacts in "Group": 2

Tally Achieved:

EA Indications (Check all that apply):

□
ECM
Arc

□

Letter
Jdentmer

□

False
Trackfi/es

No
Wind Dir at
Contact Alt
(From)

Altitude
Constant?

Wind
Speed

Yes

Was the contact moving?
Direction/Speed
(fa. 090115)

□
□

060/20

Please check all that apply:

D
Square: D
Round:

llJ

D

Metallic:

[Z]

[Z]

D

D
Translucent: D

Other Shape:[£].

Opaque: [{]

Balloon-shaped:
Wings/Airframe:

llJ

Moving Parts:

Markings:

Apparent Propulsion:□

Other/
Ambiguous

Reflective:

[Z]

Please use the field below to describe the contact and any inte action in your own words with as much
detail as possible. Please be sure to include any detail not included in questions above.
1

I

I

KINGPIN DIRECTED ID OF UNKNOWN CONTACT.!
1.4a
OBTAINED RADAR LOCK AND TARGET
POD VIDEO BUT UNABLE TO GET CLOSER THAN 16.9NM TID GETA BETTER ID. THE TARGET POD
SHOWED 2 IR SIGNIFICANT CONTACTS. ONE RANGE FOUL~
ER WAS CIRCLING AROUND THE
OTHER IN 1130TH OF A SECOND, THEY WERE GONE. TALLr ACHIEVED WAS 2X RED BLINKING
STROBES AND NOISE JAMMING WAS RECIEVED. NOISE JAMMING WAS INDICATED BY TWO
CHEVRONS.
FIRST DETECTION OF THE RANGE FOULERS WERE AT B/E ZIM 248/17 t.__ _

...;.;1•..;.;;;4a'---_

__,!.

Don't use the purple "submit" button! Save this form with filenam "Date_Squadron_RF.pdf' and email
it
(b)(s)
(Also in the global) For troubleshooting, call!
(b)(6)

tol

I

Thank you for your time. Please ensure all display tapes are rip •ed for the entire time of interaction and
saved as a .wmv (Example: 4 May VFA-106 HUD. wmv). Squadron intel personnel shall upload those files
to the repository located at this link.
liliiSI 959
I

(b)(6)

I

USCENTCOM MOR 26-0038 to MOR 26-0046

Approved for Release to AARO

I

03/27/26 000001



Related files

Connected through the network