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Case · C-097

Western United States: spheres launching spheres seen by federal agents

Western United States, near a site sensitive for national security (location not disclosed; position on the map is indicative) · United States · Oct 2023

In flight Police

Unexplained

What happened
On several days in October 2023, three pairs of federal agents at a sensitive site in the West reported, at dusk, orange spheres that “launched” groups of smaller red spheres, a large fiery sphere near a rock pinnacle and, before dawn, two kite-shaped objects also observed with night-vision goggles. The agents collected no video or instrumental data: AARO collected their written statements and the FBI produced graphic reconstructions. The case, presented in the first PURSUE series (May 8, 2026) and examined in greater depth in the third (June 2026), remains unresolved.
Proposed explanation
According to AARO's update of June 5, 2026, about 60% of the observations are plausibly attributable to infrared flares dropped by military aircraft on exercises, documented by flight logs; for the remaining 40%, radar and ADS-B data show no aircraft in view. AARO judges drones, natural phenomena and foreign activity unlikely and, provisionally and without technical data, does not rule out an unrecognized technology.
Official investigation
AARO (Department of War); FBI
Words of the document
As of June 2026, the case remains unresolved.

Official documents

  1. AARO UAP Case Analysis Update: Western U.S. Event «Orbs Launching Orbs» (DOW-UAP-D077) · AARO, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security (PURSUE, The Black Vault copy) · Jun 5, 2026
  2. Western US Event (presentazione) · Department of War – AARO (PURSUE, The Black Vault copy) · May 8, 2026
  3. Notional Map, Western United States Event (DOW-UAP-D078) · Department of War (PURSUE, The Black Vault copy) · Jun 2026

Sources

  1. CBS News, “Pentagon releases 3rd batch of UFO files, detailing mysterious orb sightings”, June 12, 2026 (press)
  2. UAP Browser – UFO Files Release 3 (release entry) (unofficial aggregator; AI-generated summaries) (other)

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