# The UAP a Drone Crew Followed But Couldn't Identify

- Case: D-12
- Published: 2026-08-25
- Canonical URL: https://ufodata.org/library/the-uap-a-drone-crew-followed-but-couldn-t-identify
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCUQnNY004g
- Location: Iraq — SIGINT collection area (May 2022)
- Source: UFOData.org case library (https://ufodata.org/library/)

> In May 2022, an MQ-9 Reaper flew a signals-intelligence mission over Iraq, supporting Operation Inherent…

In May 2022, an MQ-9 Reaper flew a signals-intelligence mission over Iraq, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

According to the declassified USCENTCOM mission report (Misrep 7528881), at 2043 Zulu the crew observed a UAP flying north to northeast — and followed it as long as possible.

The imagery screener could not get a positive identification. The report's fields for the object's physical state, size, and number are blank or redacted under national-security exemption 1.4a.

It was tracked on full-motion video, exploited by a Distributed Common Ground System station — and still went unidentified.

Below is the declassified page, redactions preserved.

## The Document

SECRET//NOFORN May 2022

### UAP Mission Report — Iraq (May 2022)

#### Narrative

(S//REL) AT 0542Z, [redacted] TOOK OFF LATE FROM OKAS. AT 0551Z, [redacted] HANDED OVER FROM THE LRE. FROM 0614Z TO 2346Z, [redacted] COLLECTED SIGINT VIA AIRHANDLER VERSION 2. FROM 0927Z TO 2121Z, [redacted] SUPPORTED OP PHANTOM FLEX IVO 38SMC36 [redacted] 20 [redacted] ISO MAG (SEE ISR 1). AT 2121Z, [redacted] WAS CLEARED TO RTB. AT 0005Z, [redacted] HANDED BACK TO THE LRE. AT 0036Z, [redacted] LANDED AT OKAS. FMV WAS EXPLOITED BY DGS 1. (S/RELIDO)

#### Admin

- OPERATION: INHERENT RESOLVE
- COCOM: USCENTCOM
- UNIT: 196 ATKS

Declassified 2047 — AARO release · USCENTCOM Mission Report — Approved for Release to AARO

## Full Transcript

Over Iraq, at 20:43 Zulu, a U.S. drone crew locked onto something they couldn't identify — and followed it as long as they could.

May 2022. An MQ-9 Reaper was flying signals-intelligence collection over Iraq, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

At 20:43 Zulu, they observed a UAP. It was flying north to northeast. They tracked it as long as possible — and the screener could not get a positive ID.

The report has a section to describe it — physical state, size, number. Those fields are blank or redacted under exemption 1.4a. They watched it, followed it, and still couldn't say what it was.

A UAP over Iraq, flying north — and no one could identify it. Search Case D-12 at ufodata.org. What do you think it was? Subscribe to UFO Data.

## Sources

- [PURSUE — U.S. Department of War UAP release portal](https://www.war.gov/ufo/)
- [National Archives — Record Group 615 (UAP records)](https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps/rg-615)
- [AARO — All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office](https://www.aaro.mil/UAP-Records/)

All documents and footage are authentic, public-domain U.S. government releases. Narration is AI-generated text-to-speech.