PR-46 — INDOPACOM 2024 (Irregular shaped balloon-like object)

[john.phil]

If the footage for PR-46 — INDOPACOM 2024 is inverted:

And the description is examined:

"(...) a football-shaped body with three radial projections: one oriented vertically, and two oriented downward at a 45-degree angle relative to the major axis of the main mass."
source: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1006106/dow-uap-pr46-unresolved-uap-report-indopacom-2024

Then a surveillance aerostat such as the Raytheon JLENS (Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System) is a very good fit, however apparently retired in 2015:

modified from source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._launch_at_White_Sands_120224-A-UY615-006.jpg

Lockheed Martin TARS (Tethered Aerostat Radar System) is also a very good fit and still in active service:

source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/OAM_Aerostat_TARS_Deming_New_Mexico_(16715553462).jpg

The rippling effect in the footage seems to originate from atmospheric turbulence, but it could also be partially produced by the aerostat deflating subjected to the wind.

 

[Carling 4737]

Oops, only just spotted the dedicated thread for this one. Seen near Japan, apparently.

 

[Mick West]

Seen near Japan, apparently.

Link?

 

[Carling 4737]

Link?

Sorry Mick, had just posted the source on the main thread before discovering this thread. Here's what I wrote:

'This same image was reproduced in the British Times newspaper last Saturday (May 9 2026, page 46). according to the accompanying caption, this particular flying object was "reported near Japan".'

The object wasn't discussed in the column, however, so there was no clarification as to how they knew this. The reporter was George Grylls in Washington.

 

[jjjdanny]

This is the article being referenced. (Link) Nothing else in the article is beyond what is available to the public.

 

[Mick West]

This is the article being referenced. (Link) Nothing else in the article is beyond what is available to the public.

Referenced where? I don't see any references to the article you linked.

 

[Mick West]

Sorry Mick, had just posted the source on the main thread before discovering this thread. Here's what I wrote:

'This same image was reproduced in the British Times newspaper last Saturday (May 9 2026, page 46). according to the accompanying caption, this particular flying object was "reported near Japan".'

That's not a link. Did you see this? How do you know?

 

[jjjdanny]

Referenced where? I don't see any references to the article you linked.

The article being referenced, as in the one Carling is talking about. The part in question is the image caption "US Indo-Pacific Command reported a football-shaped object near Japan".

 

[jjjdanny]

the war.gov/ufo page has a CSV file that's used to populate the table.

https://www.war.gov/Portals/1/Interactive/2026/UFO/uap-release001.csv

The Chandelier is PR38. It's unusual in that it's the only one with the description "Resolved as an Aircraft"
View attachment 90396

47 says South China Sea in the that same column. Though 45 above it says Middle East then Southern United States so I don't know how much to trust it.

 

[john.phil]

The description for this footage on DoW website states "East China Sea". That's probably where "near Japan" is coming from:

 

[JMartJr]

47 says South China Sea in the that same column. Though 45 above it says Middle East then Southern United States so I don't know how much to trust it.

I mentioned elsewhere, but as this tranch of reports is leadign to a lot of threads I'll mention it again here:

I could see it being a case of "where the report was to sent to us from" vs. "where the incident occurred," for example PR020, where column 1 mentions Kuwait and column 2 and 3 mention Iraq. That MIGHT be an office on a base in Kuwait is sending in a report of an incident that occurred while a plane from there was over Iraq?

That is harder to believe for things like PR045 where "the Middle East" and "Southern United States" have to be reconciled! But I suppose some flight from, say, Camp Lejeune, captured footage of a distant dot while over NC, landed in "the middle east" and the report was made or at least the video collected at that end?

 

[John J.]

That is harder to believe for things like PR045 where "the Middle East" and "Southern United States" have to be reconciled!

Maybe the Southern United States refers to where UAVs (e.g. MQ-1 Predator) are being operated from? As opposed to where they took off from.
The pilot/ image interpretation staff in the US might be the the most likely people to notice anything unusual.
Some are operated via satellite link from Creech AFB in southern Nevada, approx. 41 miles/ 67 km NW of Las Vegas- is this "southern"?
Others are flown by pilots of the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon AFB near Clovis, New Mexico.