Middle East: MQ-9 Drone Records Silver Orb UAP
An MQ-9 Reaper drone operating in the Middle East captured footage of a silver spherical object traversing its sensor field. The Department of Defense later confirmed the recording through AARO. The object's identity remains unresolved due to limited operational data.
Background
During routine operations on July 12, 2022, an MQ-9 unmanned aerial system recorded video at an undisclosed location in the Middle East. The sensor footage depicts a metallic-appearing spherical object moving across the camera's view. Analysts at the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office later reviewed the material and concluded that the orb did not demonstrate flight characteristics beyond known technological capabilities. However, the absence of sufficient contextual information regarding the drone's mission parameters and environmental conditions prevented definitive identification. The case exemplifies the limited-data scenarios that constitute the majority of AARO's active case archive, where sightings await resolution pending additional corroborating evidence or technical data.