Overview
A declassified Mission Report (MISREP) DOW‑UAP‑D33 from the U.S. Air Force’s 33rd Special Operations Squadron (33 SOS) documents a unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) encounter over Greece in October 2023. The seven‑page PDF, released as part of the Pentagon’s recent “PURSUE” file drop, was officially declassified by Maj. Gen. Richard A. Harrison, USCENTCOM Chief of Staff, on 22 January 2026. The report provides a rare, mission‑level view of how UAP sightings are logged, analyzed, and transmitted within the U.S. military’s intelligence‑surveillance‑reconnaissance (ISR) framework.
Mission Timeline and Observations
According to the narrative, the operation—designated Tasking Order 1.4a—took off from the Greek airfield LGLR at 2339 Z on 26 October 2023. The aircraft, identified by the callsign “1.4a,” proceeded to a hand‑off point labeled LRE before beginning a “fragged tasking” to support a classified data collection effort. At 0035 Z the crew recorded the first visual contact with a possible UAP, noted in the log as “IX POSS UAP.”
The report states that full‑motion video (FMV) of the phenomenon was captured and later “exhibited by GET.” Mission duration totaled 13 hours 30 minutes, with 6 hours 29 minutes of FMV collection. After completing the ISR sortie, the aircraft returned to base, landing at OJMS at 1309 Z. The timeline is corroborated by multiple timestamps in the log, including a return to the LRE at 1213 Z and a final debrief at 101 Z.
Technical Data and Documentation
The declassified document follows the standard MISREP format, listing classification caveats, source identifiers, and contact information for the personnel involved. While many fields are redacted or contain placeholder text (e.g., “3.5‑c, (b)(6)”), the report confirms the domain as AIR, the operations center as 603rd, and the major command as AFSOC under USCENTCOM.
Key equipment details include the use of Link 16 data links, an AN/DAS‑4 targeting pod, and AWG‑MESH avionics. The aircraft’s IFF mode 3 code was recorded as 34055, and the mission employed standard ISR payloads. Although the specific radar and electronic warfare (EW) systems are omitted, the inclusion of “RWR” (Radar Warning Receiver) and “MWS” (Missile Warning System) designations suggests a fully instrumented platform capable of capturing high‑resolution sensor data.
Context Within the Pentagon’s UAP Disclosure Effort
The DOW‑UAP‑D33 report is one of more than a dozen documents released in the PURSUE data set, which the Department of Defense began publishing in early 2026 to satisfy congressional requests for transparency on UAP investigations. The U.S. Air Force’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), now rebranded as the All‑Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), has emphasized that most UAP sightings are logged as routine intelligence events, pending further analysis.
Maj. Gen. Harrison’s declassification statement, included in the release, reads: “This document provides an authentic, unembellished account of a UAP observation conducted under standard ISR protocols. It demonstrates our commitment to rigorous data collection and objective assessment, free from speculation.” The language underscores the Pentagon’s intent to treat UAPs as potential national security concerns rather than sensational mysteries.
Analyst Perspective
Open‑source analysts note that the Greece encounter aligns with a broader pattern of UAP reports near strategic air routes and NATO member airspace. Dr. Mark McCarty, a senior researcher at the UAP Center of Excellence, commented, “The fact that a fully instrumented AFSOC platform captured FMV of an unidentified object and logged it through standard ISR channels is significant. It shows that the military is integrating UAP data into its existing intelligence workflow rather than treating it as an isolated curiosity.”
While the report does not disclose the visual characteristics of the object—its shape, speed, or flight behavior remain classified—the presence of video evidence and a detailed mission log provides a concrete foundation for future technical analysis. Researchers hope that additional releases from the PURSUE archive will eventually allow cross‑comparison of sensor data, potentially leading to a clearer understanding of the phenomena observed over Greek airspace in 2023.
