Fifth-Generation Aircraft UAP — NORTHCOM — January 20, 2023
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Evidence quality · 6 components
Behavioral anomalousness · 4 components
On January 20, 2023, a U.S. fifth-generation fighter aircraft (F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II) operating in the NORTHCOM area of operations recorded video footage of an unidentified aerial phenomenon via its onboard imaging infrared sensor. The 1:03-duration recording — released as DOW-UAP-PR068 via PURSUE Release 2 on May 22, 2026 — carries special significance because fifth-generation aircraft employ the most advanced airborne sensor suites in the U.S. inventory, including high-resolution IIR (Imaging InfraRed) systems capable of discriminating between object types at significant range. The DVIDSHUB title uses the IIR designation '1 666 S0151 23', indicating the footage was classified under the military's IIR reporting protocol.
Key Facts
- ›Captured by a fifth-generation fighter aircraft (F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II) — the most advanced airborne sensor platforms in the U.S. inventory
- ›IIR designation 1 666 S0151 23 — classified under military Imaging InfraRed reporting protocol
- ›NORTHCOM AOR — continental U.S. air defense theater
- ›January 20, 2023 — eight days before the Chinese surveillance balloon was first publicly reported (Jan 28, 2023)
- ›1:03 duration — uploaded to classified networks July 2023
- ›Released publicly as DOW-UAP-PR068 via PURSUE Release 2, May 22, 2026
- ›AARO standard disclaimer applies: no analytical judgment or factual determination