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Does the 2020 Infrared Clip Show a Craft?

A military-linked infrared clip remains unidentified, but editing and missing sensor data sharply limit what it can prove.

31 sources 3 graphics

On this page

  • What the released footage visibly contains
  • Editing and chain of custody problems
  • What cannot be calculated without metadata
Preview for Does the 2020 Infrared Clip Show a Craft?

Introduction

The best-known modern Afghanistan-linked unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) record is a short infrared (IR) military video reportedly captured on 23 November 2020. Although the footage has been widely circulated as evidence of an unexplained object, the video itself does not establish what the object was. The publicly available material is a short, edited extract with missing telemetry, no original sensor file, and an incomplete chain of custody. Those limitations mean neither extraordinary claims nor ordinary explanations can be confirmed from the released clip alone. The case remains noteworthy because it illustrates both the value and the limits of military sensor evidence: it documents that an object was considered worth recording, but it does not preserve enough technical information to determine its identity or flight characteristics with confidence.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

2020 Video illustration 1

What the released footage visibly contains

The publicly circulated clip is presented as infrared imagery from a United States military platform operating within the US Central Command area of responsibility during November 2020. The object appears as a compact thermal or contrast feature moving across the sensor’s field of view while partially associated with cloud cover. The publicly released version lasts only seconds and contains several editing stages, including zoomed, slowed and contrast-enhanced segments before returning to the original sequence.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

The video is often described online as showing a “disc-shaped” or “spherical” object. These descriptions should be treated carefully. Infrared sensors record heat contrast rather than conventional visible-light images, meaning apparent shape is strongly influenced by sensor resolution, zoom level, image processing and viewing angle. At the available resolution, the clip cannot reliably establish the object’s true physical geometry.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

Some commentators have argued that the object appears to change direction while moving through clouds or without an obvious thermal exhaust. Others note that apparent manoeuvres in infrared footage can result from camera tracking, aircraft motion, changing viewing geometry or image processing. Because the released clip lacks the underlying navigation and sensor data, these competing interpretations cannot be decisively tested.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

Why the editing matters

The greatest weakness of the publicly available evidence is not necessarily what appears in the video but how the surviving copy reached investigators.

The officially released description states that the media had already been digitally altered before it was uploaded to a classified network and that it is presented exactly as received. The published version therefore is not the original sensor recording. Instead, it contains edited sequences labelled with descriptions such as “zoomed in” and “sharpened, zoomed motion tracked contrast enhanced”. These alterations prevent analysts from treating the clip as pristine evidence.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

Digital enhancement can improve visibility for human viewers, but it also changes the evidential value of imagery. Sharpening, contrast enhancement, motion tracking and interpolation may exaggerate apparent edges, alter perceived motion or introduce artefacts that were absent from the original recording. Modern media-forensics research consistently stresses that once a video has undergone undocumented processing, independent reconstruction of the original scene becomes substantially more difficult.[arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Media Forensics and Deep Fakes: an overviewMedia Forensics and DeepFakes: an overviewJanuary 18, 2020…Published: January 18, 2020

Equally important is the documented chain-of-custody problem. The official release notes that many videos in the recovered collection lack a substantiated chain of custody. That does not prove the footage is fabricated, but it does mean investigators cannot fully document every stage from original capture through later handling and editing. This uncertainty lowers confidence in technical conclusions drawn solely from the public copy.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

7:18

Disc-shaped UAP caught on camera by the military in 2020

Channel: NBC News · Views: 1.0M · Uploaded: June 2025 · Length: 7 minutes

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What cannot be calculated without the missing metadata

The most important information absent from the released clip is the sensor metadata normally recorded alongside military infrared imagery.

Without those data, analysts cannot independently determine:

  • The aircraft or sensor platform that recorded the footage.
  • Exact sensor mode, focal length and field of view.
  • Range to the target.
  • Altitude of both platform and object.
  • Camera pointing angles and stabilisation behaviour.
  • Aircraft speed and heading.
  • Wind conditions.
  • Precise frame timing.
  • Whether additional radar, electro-optical or electronic sensor tracks existed.

These omissions have major consequences. Apparently unusual motion in two-dimensional video cannot automatically be converted into real-world speed or acceleration. A small nearby object, a distant aircraft, atmospheric effects and camera movement can produce very different physical scenarios while generating similar image motion on screen.

Likewise, the absence of a visible thermal plume cannot by itself demonstrate unconventional propulsion. Infrared appearance depends on viewing angle, detector settings, wavelength band, atmospheric absorption, distance and sensor sensitivity. An object may produce little obvious thermal signature in one configuration while being entirely conventional. Multi-sensor measurements are generally required before meaningful performance estimates can be made.[arXiv]arxiv.orgThe Scientific Investigation of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Using Multimodal Ground-Based ObservatoriesMay 29, 2023…Published: May 29, 2023

2020 Video illustration 2

What official sources actually say

Official wording surrounding the case is considerably more cautious than many online discussions.

The published description does not identify the object as extraterrestrial, non-human or technologically extraordinary. Instead, it states only that the footage is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a US military platform operating in the Central Command area during November 2020. It also explicitly notes that the accompanying description is informational and should not be interpreted as an investigative conclusion regarding the object’s validity, nature or significance.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

This distinction is important. A video can document an unidentified object without implying that the object exhibited impossible performance or represented unknown technology.

UAP FOOTAGE RELEASE: 'NAG UAP 1 Jun 20'

Channel: Forbes Breaking News

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Competing interpretations

Because the available evidence is incomplete, several interpretations remain plausible.

Those favouring an anomalous interpretation argue that the object appears difficult to identify, lacks an obvious exhaust signature and seems to move in a manner inconsistent with straightforward aircraft flight. They also note that military operators judged the event significant enough to preserve.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

Sceptical analysts point to the missing metadata, uncertain range, edited presentation and absence of corroborating sensor information. They argue that conventional explanations—including distant aircraft, balloons, birds, sensor artefacts or perspective effects—cannot be excluded because the information needed to eliminate them has not been released. The available public footage therefore falls well short of demonstrating extraordinary flight performance.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

Neither position can presently claim definitive support from the public evidence.

AARO UAP Infrared Sensor Footage | Spherical UAP Over Afghanistan 2020

Channel: Siam Astronomy

Open on YouTube

Why this case matters within Afghanistan’s UFO record

Afghanistan has relatively few publicly documented UAP incidents supported by identifiable records. That makes the November 2020 infrared clip unusually prominent despite its limitations.

Unlike many anecdotal reports, this case is linked to military sensor imagery and official acknowledgement that a recording exists. At the same time, its evidential weaknesses are unusually well documented: the released copy is edited, the chain of custody is incomplete, and the technical metadata required for rigorous reconstruction are unavailable.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026…Published: May 22, 2026

For that reason, the case occupies an intermediate position within Afghanistan’s documented UAP history. It is stronger than unsupported eyewitness stories because an identifiable military recording exists, yet substantially weaker than a fully documented sensor event that includes original files, telemetry, radar correlation and independent technical analysis.

The most defensible conclusion is therefore a restrained one: the 2020 Afghanistan infrared video records an object that remains publicly unidentified, but the released evidence is insufficient to establish either an extraordinary craft or a conventional explanation with confidence.

2020 Video illustration 3

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Endnotes

1. Source: arxiv.org
Title: arXiv Media Forensics and Deep Fakes: an overview
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.06564

Source snippet

Media Forensics and DeepFakes: an overviewJanuary 18, 2020...

Published: January 18, 2020

2. Source: arxiv.org
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.18566

Source snippet

The Scientific Investigation of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Using Multimodal Ground-Based ObservatoriesMay 29, 2023...

Published: May 29, 2023

3. Source: arxiv.org
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.07396

4. Source: openskyprotocol.com
Link:https://www.openskyprotocol.com/explore/wiki/evidence/war-gov/war-gov-release-02-dow-uap-pr079-29-october-2020-callsign-mission-observes-3-fast-moving-uap-s-1007816

Source snippet

Open Sky — The UFO archive that investigates itselfMay 22, 2026 — SOURCE CUSTODY AND PROVENANCE Primary public provenance for this page i...

Published: october 2020

5. Source: dvidshub.net
Link:https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1007713/dow-uap-pr055-spherical-uap-over-afg-and-out-clouds-23-nov-2020

Source snippet

Video - DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020"May 22, 2026...

Published: May 22, 2026

Additional References

6. Source: ufotransparency.com
Title: dow uap pr40 unresolved uap report middle east 2020
Link:https://ufotransparency.com/files/dow-uap-pr40-unresolved-uap-report-middle-east-2020

Source snippet

'U/I Small Thermal Signature' IR Clip, 2020, Department of War · UFO TransparencyMay 8, 2026 — [Button: ✕]← FilesDisclosure Index/01 DISC...

Published: May 8, 2026

7. Source: ufotransparency.com
Link:https://ufotransparency.com/files/dow-uap-pr081-18-oct-2020-callsign-observes-uap

Source snippet

AFRICOM Five-Second Transit Infrared October 2020, Department of War · 2026 · UFO TransparencyMay 22, 2026 — AFRICOM FIVE-SECOND TRANSIT...

Published: May 22, 2026

8. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpqytcWAqZY

Source snippet

Disc-shaped UAP caught on camera by the military in 2020...

9. Source: youtube.com
Title: UAP FOOTAGE RELEASE: ‘NAG UAP 1 Jun 20’
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tF8PjiDvuc

Source snippet

U.S. Military Releases Unresolved UAP Video From INDOPACOM: Infrared Sensor Tracks Unknown Object...

10. Source: bluebook.one
Title: [Button: Load pla
Link:https://www.bluebook.one/video/dow-uap-pr055-spherical-uap-over-afg-in-and-out-of-clouds-23-nov-2020-1007713

Source snippet

DOW-UAP-PR055, "Spherical UAP over AFG in and out of clouds 23 Nov 2020" media record | BlueBookMay 22, 2026 — Media record DOW-UAP-PR055...

Published: May 22, 2026

11. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKYWrakDclw

Source snippet

UAP FOOTAGE RELEASE: '7 October 2020 [CALLSIGN] Observes UAP'...

Published: October 2020

12. Source: disclosurearchives.com
Link:https://disclosurearchives.com/declassified-uap-photos

13. Source: metabunk.org
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/pr055-corbells-u-s-military-films-huge-disc-hiding-in-the-clouds-new-video-06-17-25.14289/

14. Source: podchaser.com
Link:https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/weaponized-with-jeremy-corbell-5086333/episodes/us-military-films-huge-disc-hi-256473915

15. Source: rova.nz
Link:https://www.rova.nz/podcasts/weaponized-with-jeremy-corbell-george-knapp/episodes/us-military-films-huge-disc-hiding-in-the-clouds