P-8A Poseidon Mission Report on a UAP encounter near Latakia, Syria on 18 November 2016. Note: distinct from the better-known Mosul "metallic orb" of April 2016 (which surfaced in Sean Kirkpatrick's April 2023 SASC briefing).
First-time release. The Latakia P-8A incident has not been individually named in any prior AARO/ODNI/news disclosure.
Declassified by MG Richard A. Hamson
USCENTCOM Chief of Staff
Declassified on: 20 M~
67.1 P-8A OBSERVES UNIDENTIFIED LOW-FLYING OBJECT 55 NM
NORTHWEST OF LATAKIA, SYRIA
18 NOV 2016
J!!Jlf: Whtie monitoring KCTG activity In the Ea•tem FLIGHT PATH
Mediterranean, P-IA, obe•rved an unidentified low-ftylng
object 86 nm northweet of Latakla from an unknown
origin, traveling at approx SOOK.TS on a •outheut•rly
heading outbound from KCTG, for ~2 minutes.
Timeline (Z):
(D (°ell P'IEl!sto18/131 OZ: P-8 observed a possible missile launch
IVQ 1.4a I from an origin unknown detected via
the EO/IR sensor. The possible missile appeared to be in
sea skim mode traveling at approximately 500KTS on a
southeasterly heading outbound from KCTG. P-8 position
. was 26NM S of object detection at 16121 F~ 1.4a
f2' (911 P't!I!) 18/13122: - P-8 lost visual of the object IVO
~ 1.4a Iapprox. 40 NM northwest of Latakia. The
missile was observed to pass between (RUS) INGUL ARS
and 1x U/1 vessel.
Weather:
Uf P-8 aircrew charactenzeavisioilfty as clear, no range
limitations .
.~!~
(RUS) INGUL ARS US P-8A Location
13102:--
CTG 67.1 Comment§: The mission commander for P~8 characterized the interaction as safe. VVhile this was the first observed occurrence of
possible missile activity by P-8 aircraft in the Eastern Mediterranean it is assessed to be standard activity consistent with the assessed activity of
fhe KCTG. Video footage can be found at this link. (b)(6l
81!8PU!!•1~1PU!L ,8 UOilt, UM8
USCENTCOM MOR 26~038 to MOR 26~046 Approved for Release to AARO 03/27/26 000001