Middle East Red Balloon 2024
This file is a 1:36 silent full-motion video recorded by a camera aboard a U.S. military platform in the Middle East in 2024 and provided to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) by a U.S. military Service. The footage shows a distant, unified aerial object moving steadily across the sky. According to the reporting Service, the recording likely depicts a slow-moving spheroidal object. AARO assesses, with high confidence, that the object is almost certainly (≥95% likelihood) a consumer-grade reflective foil balloon, basing its conclusion on strong morphological consistency with other resolved balloon imagery and behavioral correlation with recorded wind speed and direction during the event. The file was published as part of AARO's Official UAP Imagery release.
Description
A silent, one minute and thirty-six second full-motion video captured by a camera aboard a U.S. military platform in the Middle East in 2024, showing a distant slow-moving spheroidal aerial object. Released through AARO's Official UAP Imagery collection, the reporting Service noted the object likely depicts a slow-moving spheroidal object, while AARO assesses with high confidence that it is almost certainly a consumer-grade reflective foil balloon.
Claims
The recording likely depicts a slow-moving spheroidal object, according to the reporting Service.
60%AARO assesses with high confidence that the object is almost certainly (≥95% likelihood) a consumer-grade reflective foil balloon.
90%The assessment is based on morphological consistency with other resolved balloon imagery and behavioral correlation with recorded wind speed and direction.
85%
Events
Dec 31, 2023
Middle East UAP video capture
A camera aboard a U.S. military platform captured 1:36 of full-motion video of a slow-moving spheroidal object in the Middle East.
May 31, 2025
AARO release of UAP imagery
AARO published the video and its balloon assessment in its Official UAP Imagery collection.
Dates mentioned
Keywords
Entities
Topics
Phenomena
Related files
Connected through the network
SF-2026-000463
PR-014, Unresolved UAP Report, Europe 2022
SF-2026-000465
PR-012, Unresolved UAP Report, Europe 2022
SF-2026-000469
PR-016, Resolved as Birds, Europe 2023
SF-2026-000478
PR-002, Resolved as Migratory Birds, Africa 2024
SF-2026-000476