Fallrapport: »Al Taqaddum Object« — ballongkluster över Irak 2017

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All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) 
U.S. Department of War 
Case: “The Al Taqaddum Object” 
Case Resolution | 8 September 2025 
AARO Assessment and Case Status 
AARO assesses with high confidence that the 
Al Taqaddum object did not exhibit anomalous 
behavior or capabilities. AARO assesses with 
high confidence that the object was consistent 
with a cluster of fully and partially inflated 
balloons (Figure 1). 
Case Overview 
On October 23, 2017, an infrared (IR) sensor 
aboard an aerostat force protection dirigible 
(blimp) operating at 2,700 feet above Al 
Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq, recorded 17 minutes 
and 30 seconds of footage featuring an 
unidentified object that appears to be floating 
above the ground. 
Key Findings 
AARO assesses with high confidence that the 
object: 
•Did not exhibit anomalous speed or
other behavior exceeding known state-
of-the-art performance characteristics
•Was consistent with a cluster of fully
and partially inflated balloons
AARO based this assessment on analysis of 
full-motion video, video metadata, line-of-sight, 
scenario reconstructions, and weather data 
analysis. The object’s appearance and lack of 
thermal signatures is consistent with previously 
identified balloon clusters, and bolsters 
AARO’s assessment of the morphology and 
performance characteristics of the object. 
Case Synopsis 
Location: Al Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq 
Date: 23 October 2017 
Object Altitude (Reported): Not reported 
Object Altitude (Assessed): 850-2,200 feet 
Object Speed (Reported): Not reported 
Object Speed (Assessed): 4-14 mph 
Object Shape (Reported): Abnormally 
shaped 
Object Shape (Assessed): Balloon shaped 
Reporter: Unknown 
Data Type: Infrared 
Reported Behavior: Floating 
Assessed Behavior: The object did not 
demonstrate anomalous performance 
characteristics. 
Confidence: High confidence that the object 
did not demonstrate anomalous performance 
characteristics. High confidence that the 
object was consistent with a cluster of fully 
and partially inflated balloons. 
25-P-1190

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Performance Characteristics 
Object Altitude, Flight Path, and Speed: AARO assesses with moderate confidence that the 
object’s altitude was between 850-2,200 feet and that the object was moving at 4-14 miles per 
hour (mph), due to the variability in both historical and real-time wind data. AARO assesses 
with high confidence that the object was traveling within range of wind speed in an east-to-west 
direction using locational data from the blimp. 
Observable Characteristics and Attribution 
Shape: The shapes of fully and partially inflated balloons—as well as dangling strings—are 
visible in several instances in the video. The dangling strings’ shape and number change, which 
would be consistent with a cluster of balloons changing position relative to the sensor’s point of 
view. The fluctuating IR return of the object is a result of the sensor constantly adjusting to 
assign grayscale values to every pixel, which maximizes the visual dynamic range in a diverse 
and changing background. 
Attribution: AARO assesses with high confidence that the object is consistent with a cluster of 
fully and partially inflated balloons due to the object’s altitude, flight path, speed, and observed 
shape. 
Data Quality and Methodology: AARO assesses that the visual and sensor data associated 
with the object provides sufficiently detailed information to resolve this case with h