ODNI-UAP-D001, USPER Narrative, Senior USIC Official

In late 2025, during early evening daylight hours, I – a senior U.S. intelligence officer – along
with a colleague and two pilots, departed our Joint Operations Center (JOC) in a helicopter.
Our mission was to investigate loud thuds heard in the mountains on the test range, which
coincided with Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings reported over the previous
several nights. We aimed to search remote mountain areas for possible debris or objects
that might explain the orb-like sightings.
After leaving the JOC, we flew a low-altitude “nap-of-the-earth 1” route through the
mountain range for several hours. Multiple times, we spotted debris on the ground and
descended for closer inspection. Each time, we determined it was remnants from rockets
and other projectiles that had crashed during years of weapons testing on the range. As we
continued searching near areas of reported orb activity, we discovered a large cave
entrance with no visible end in sight. The terrain around the entrance offered no safe
landing spot, so I instructed the pilot to orbit it several times for observation. We noted the
location and then pressed on.
Running low on fuel, we headed to a prearranged rendezvous point to meet a ground team
and let my colleague disembark. The two pilots and I then proceeded to a prepositioned
tanker on the range for refueling. Our plan was to return to base afterward, but the JOC
radioed with a request to search a nearby mountain for debris spotted by one of the ground
teams. By this time, the sun had set, and the pilots switched to Forward Looking Infrared
(FLIR) and Night Vision Goggles (NVG), while I continued using the unaided naked eye.
After a brief search of the mountain yielded no findings, the pilots began navigating back to
the JOC to end the mission. I then received a message from the JOC: radar had detected
hits several miles up range from our position – the same area where UAP activity had been
observed on prior nights. I relayed this to the pilots, and we altered course to intercept.
What followed was a series of close UAP encounters lasting over an hour.
En route, ground teams reported spotting a UAP on FLIR, describing it as “super-hot,” low to
the ground, and moving east then south at high speed. The object then split into two and
changed direction. Upon arrival, we scanned the area using NVG, FLIR, and the naked eye.
The ground team suddenly radioed that the object had risen from the ground, approached
within ten feet of the helicopter, dropped below us, and then sped away. The pilots
observed it through NVGs and saw it split into two as a smaller object emerged before it

May 26, 2026, correction: The document originally posted to the PURSUE collection of UAP-related records
on May 22, 2026, under the name “ODNI-UAP-D001, USPER Narrative, Senior USIC Official,” contained a
typographic error in the second paragraph, describing a helicopter flight profile as “map-of-the-earth.” The
correct military aviation term for this profile is “nap-of-the-earth.” This document has been updated to reflect
this correction.
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accelerated out of sight. We briefly pursued but broke off, unable to match its speed. At
one point, the JOC informed us that several fighter jets had launched on a training mission
in our operating area and requested their assistance in identifying the UAP.
Minutes later, the JOC directed us to nearby radar detections. We took up a hovering
position at approximately 700 feet above ground level (AGL). In the distance, we saw
countless orange orbs swarming in all directions against the backdrop of the mountain.
The display lasted several minutes before fading. The JOC then redirected us to our
previous position based on fresh radar hits. I provided coordinates to the pilots, and we
moved to intercept, hovering again at 700 feet AGL. Through NVGx, the pilots and I (using
the naked eye) observed two large orbs flare up side-by-side, close to the helicopter –
stationary and just above the rotor disk to our right. They were oval-shaped, orange with a
white or yellow center, and emitted light in all directions.
After a few seconds, a third orb flared up below the pair, followed by a fourth below that,
forming a total of four or five in a “T” formation under the original two. Moments later, they
dimmed in reverse order, remaining stationary until they vanished from view. The entire
event lasted 10-15 seconds. I didn’t take photos, as I was focused on assessing what it was
and whether it posed a threat.
After this encounter, the pilots briefly considered landing due to the objects’ proximity but
opted to remain hovering at 700 feet AGL for further observation. We then spotted the
fighter jets entering visual range at about 23,00 feet AGL, identifiable by their blinking
navigation lights. As watched from afar, the same type of orbs appeared directly above the
fighters. They flared up one at a time in a horizontal formation, matching the jets’ speed
and flight path. After 10-15 seconds, they dimmed sequentially and disappeared. This
repeated several times as the jets transited the airspace and eventually landed. I remarked
to the pilots that it seemed the same orbs we had encountered were now “chasing” the
fighters. We also observed orange orbs flaring up and down around us for several minutes,
forming a distinct triangle before vanishing.
Low on fuel, the pilots decided to return to the JOC. After landing, I briefly spoke with them
– mostly to express thanks. We were virtually speechless after these observations. I then
entered the JOC for a quick debrief before driving home.