The Mosul Orb is a UAP captured by a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over Mosul, Iraq, on April 16, 2016. The incident is significant as it represents the first publicly revealed footage of an unidentified object filmed by the U.S. military in an active conflict zone.
The Mosul Orb is a UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) captured by a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over Mosul, Iraq, on April 16, 2016. The incident is significant as it represents the first publicly revealed footage of an unidentified object filmed by the U.S. military in an active conflict zone.
Key details include:
Visual Description: The object appears as a metallic, spherical orb with no visible wings, propulsion, or flight surfaces. It flew steadily alongside the MC-12 spy plane without dropping altitude.
Disclosure: The footage was obtained by researchers Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp from classified Pentagon briefings and released in January 2023 on their podcast Weaponized.
Official Status: The clip was part of a briefing by the Pentagon’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF). While the Department of Defense has not confirmed the object's identity, sources indicate there are dozens of similar videos of metallic orbs in classified Middle East surveillance data.
Alternative Explanations: Skeptics and some analysts have suggested the object could be a stray spy balloon, a water droplet on the camera lens, or a metallic balloon, though the Pentagon has not officially confirmed any mundane explanation.
| Date: | 2016-04-16 |
| Location: | Mosul |
| Country: | Iraq |
| Category: | Military |
| Credibility: | High |