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# UNCLASSIFIED

# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR

5000 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, DC 20301-5000

INTELLIGENCE
AND SECURITY

05 JUNE 2026

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

- SUBJECT: All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Unidentified Anomalous
Phenomena (UAP) Case Analysis Update: Western U.S. Event “Orbs Launching
Orbs”

- References: (a) https://www.war.gov/ufo/#Western-US-Event, Incident 1 of 4, VIRIN: 260508- D-D0360-1052, 08-MAY 2026.

# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

1. Executive Summary.

- This memorandum summarizes the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office’s (AARO)
ongoing analysis of a reported incident near a sensitive national security site in the western
United States involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) over a period of two days in
October 2023. As of June 2026, the case remains unresolved.

2. Incident Summary. 1

- Over a period of two days in October 2023, six federal law enforcement special agents reported observing “orbs launching other orbs,” near a sensitive national security site in the western United States at approximately dusk. Each team of two agents reported observing phenomena with similar morphological features and performance characteristics from multiple viewing angles.

# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

- The phenomena's most distinctive reported feature was the repeating nature of their pattern of behavior, in which a luminous orange “mother orb" appeared to produce smaller red "orbs," one after another, multiple times over a period of several hours. Reporters described the orange "mother orbs" as appearing for one to two seconds, releasing a cluster of two to four red "orbs," and subsequently disappearing. The reporters characterized the behavior of the red "orbs" as anomalous, describing varied kinematic profiles including seemingly coordinated horizontal motion and apparent changes in altitude. The red “orbs” reportedly persisted for several seconds before disappearing, however, in at least one instance, the agents described a red "orb" as remaining stationary above a ridgeline for several hours. The reporters also described the phenomena as “silent.” The agents provided consistent accounts using similar language to characterize their experiences and the apparent behavior of both the red and orange "orbs."

3. Analytic Factors.
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1 AARO's use of source-derived descriptive and evaluative language in this summary is intended to preserve the integrity of narrative testimony as provided by first-hand observers.

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a. The reporting agents did not collect video footage, photographic imagery, or other technical data during the incident. Human capacity for optical estimation regarding the distance, size, speed, and direction of travel of unreferenced phenomena in low-light conditions is constrained by intrinsic biological and perceptual limitations. As a standard analytic practice, AARO considers the influence of such limitations when assessing narrative descriptions of a phenomenon’s morphological and performance characteristics. In this case, AARO assesses that contextual factors supersede those limitations, and that the nature of the reported incident warrants further investigation. These factors include:

		i.   The close alignment of the phenomena’s reported morphological features and
kinematic profiles with those of other reported incidents in the western United
States region.

	ii.   AARO’s favorable assessment of the reporting agents’ contextual awareness of
the operational environment and overall familiarity with U.S. military systems.

	iii.   The high degree of consistency in the agents’ narrative descriptions of potentially
anomalous features, as seen from multiple viewing angles.

# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

b. Due to a lack of instrument-measured distance data, AARO cannot determine whether the
phenomena’s reported silence corresponds to an inherent characteristic or to acoustic
attenuation.

c. The total number of orange “mother orbs” is unclear based upon the narrative reporting. As described, AARO finds two interpretations plausible:

		i.   A single orange “mother orb” periodically “launching” smaller red “orbs.”

	ii.   Multiple orange “mother orbs” periodically “launching” smaller red “orbs.”

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# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

exceeds the standard battery capacity and operational limits of typical military and commercially available multi-rotor UAV systems.

c. Military Aircraft Dispensing Flares (Partially Plausible):

		i.   Supporting Factors: Historical flight logs confirm that U.S. military aircraft
operating in the area were equipped with, and actively deployed, infrared
countermeasure flares as a component of a standard exercise. The reported
morphology and behavior of these phenomena align with known characteristics of
certain military infrared flares. The phenomena’s position relative to the
observers, perceived direction of travel, and time of observation strongly align
with historical radar and ADS-B data, suggesting that approximately 60 percent of
the reported activity is plausibly attributable to military aircraft. The agents, who
are professionally familiar with the visual characteristics of military flares, stated
that the phenomena did not exhibit those characteristics. However, the visual and
behavioral characteristics of the specific types of flares carried by the military
aircraft operating in the area differ from those of standard illumination flares.

# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

	ii. Contradictory Factors: For the remaining 40 percent of reported observations, radar and ADS-B data indicate that no known aircraft were active within the observers' estimated line-of-sight from the ground. In at least one case, the agents' report of a red "orb" remaining stationary for several hours is physically incompatible with the burn-time and descent rate of any known military flare.

d. U.S. Capability Deconfliction (Blue Force) (Plausible, inconclusive): AARO conducted a comprehensive review of programs and activities across the Department of War and the Intelligence Community to ascertain whether the time, date, location, and reported features of the phenomena align with those of any U.S. developmental program, test event, or operational capability. AARO assesses that the characteristics described in the agents’ narrative account align with those of certain U.S. military technologies. However, historical records are inconclusive regarding whether those technologies were present at the time and place of the reported incident. Furthermore, while each reported characteristic shares features with known U.S. military systems, no single Blue Force capability fully accounts for all the phenomena’s reported characteristics.

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# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

		ii.  Atmospheric anomalies, (e.g., temperature inversion and refractive effects).
Weather conditions were generally clear, with seasonable temperatures and
typical levels of light pollution for the area. AARO assesses as unlikely that such
conditions would contribute to misperceptions of a phenomenon’s physical or
kinematic features.

		iii.  Space-based phenomena, (e.g., stars, planets, meteors, satellite flaring, rocketry).
The agents’ diverse viewing angles make it highly unlikely that misidentified
celestial bodies account for the phenomena. In instances in which reporters
described stationary “loitering” behavior, misidentified celestial bodies are more
plausible, though still unlikely. Attribution to meteors or other ephemeral space-
based phenomena, including satellite flaring, is inconsistent with the reported
persistence of at least one of the red “orbs” over a period of several hours.
Bolides, for example, typically exhibit a characteristic tail, which is inconsistent
with the reported morphology of the “mother orbs.”

# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

	g. Unrecognized Technology (Pending): AARO’s preliminary exclusion-based hypothesis
is that, given the otherwise unexplained kinematic and physical characteristics described
in narrative reports, unrecognized technology may account for up to 40 percent of the
phenomena associated with this incident. However, this provisional assessment is based
solely upon narrative testimony, as well as the elimination of competing hypotheses, and
is unsubstantiated by technical data or physical evidence.

5. Next Steps.

# OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR (cont.)

## MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD (cont.)

AARO assesses that the features described by the reporting agents are sufficiently anomalous to warrant continued investigation into the nature of the underlying incident. AARO intends to integrate scientific modeling capabilities from partner agencies within the Federal Government, expertise from scientific and academic institutions, and insights from multi- domain, multispectral data exploitation techniques to inform its assessment of this and other reported UAP cases in the western United States region. AARO will continue to update its analytic tradecraft to incorporate the best scientific and intelligence analysis practices to resolve anomalies with higher confidence.

AARO will also seek opportunities to broaden its relationships with partners possessing relevant technical and domain expertise to enhance its ability to efficiently deconflict Blue and Red Force programs and activities, as well as to optimize data collection protocols to incorporate more diverse sources. AARO may revise its assessment and provide updates if additional intelligence and data sources become available.

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Jon T. Kosloski
Director, AARO

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