Case files / gulf-of-oman-2021
The cold orbs
- When
- September 8, 2021, at night
- Where
- Gulf of Oman
- Reported by
- The crew of a U.S. Special Operations AC-130J gunship
- Released
- August 7, 2026 (fifth release)
- Status
- Unresolved
During a nighttime live-fire training exercise, the crew first saw two objects after dropping a water-activated flare. They described them as stationary, about four feet across, and 0 to 20 feet above the water.
Through the rest of the flight the crew reported roughly 25 similar sightings on the infrared sensor, which they called "cold orbs." They estimated speeds from 250 to 1,300 miles per hour, and described the objects flying in formations and appearing to react when the aircraft's weapons were used.
The aircraft's video recorder wasn't working, so the released footage is 16 seconds filmed on a phone pointed at the infrared screen. The report itself notes that all descriptions are the crew's own impressions at the time.