DoW R2 - PR-071 - (Lake Huron F16 vs UAP)

[john.phil]

As part of the second tranche of records released by the DoW, video PR-071 shows a UAP being intercepted by an F-16 near Lake Huron. Because the video was not properly redacted, hidden information can still be read if the video is adjusted:

SECRET/REL TO USA ACGU
OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE
AIRCRAFT TYPE F-16
CREATED BY MSGT SAMANTHA "SADE" BURROWS
REVIEWED BY MAJ JASON "HAD" BRIGHT
Downgrading Instructions
IAW Theater Directives
SECRET//REL TO USA, ACGU

About Operation Noble Eagle:

Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Noble_Eagle

MISSION DATE 12 FEB 2023
GTO - W042
MISSION #/6711(?)
UNIT 179 FS
CALL SIGN AFSIR12
LOCATION: N 45 02 54.67 W 083 28 44.73
BINCEPT(?) 1x AIM 9X

The video description on the DoW website identifies the aircraft as an Air National Guard (ANG) F-16C. The poorly redacted section references the 179th FS (Fighter Squadron), which is part of the ANG, is based in Minnesota, and operates the F-16C.

AARO assesses that this video, whose uploader-defined title is, "USAF ANG F-16C (callsign [CALLSIGN]) Shoots Down UAP over Lake Huron with [Weapon System], 12 Feb 2023," is likely derived from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform operating within the United States Northern Command area of responsibility in 2023. A user uploaded this video to a classified network in February 2023.

source: https://www.war.gov/UFO/?type=.vid#...ver-Lake-Huron-with-Weapon-System-12-Feb-2023

The poorly redacted section also reveals that the aircraft's call sign was AFSIR12 and that the weapon system used to down the "UAP" was an AIM-9X air-to-air missile.

The 179th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard 148th Fighter Wing located at Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota, United States. The 179th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/179th_Fighter_Squadron

However, the OSD information remains unreadable even after enhancing the footage:

It was in the news at the time that on Sunday, 12th Feb 2023, an F-16 shot down the 4th suspected surveillance balloon when it was about to go over Lake Huron, flying in the direction of the Canadian border at an altitude of 20,000ft. There seems to be no additional footage of this incident, but the object was described as octagonal in shape, with hanging strings and no visible payload. The media were reporting that two missiles were launched, as the first missed the target:

13 Feb 2023.

(00:00) - The United States has shot down another Airborne object near the U.S Canadian border on Sunday (12 Feb 2023). The fourth unidentified object to be shot down by U.S fighter jets in the past week. Now the series of incidents began when a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down on February 4th.

(00:17) - U.S Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told ABC's Meet the Press on Saturday that the object he believes were surveillance balloons of some kind. Now let's get the latest with our Washington correspondent Stefan Siemens. Stefan, what more can you tell us about this latest object that seems to have been shot down?

(00:43) - All right, yeah, three objects within three days, it's getting busy up there, it seems like. But, seriously speaking now, this one was over, or was detected earlier on actually Saturday, yesterday, over Montana, that caused a brief closing of the airspace over Montana but the military let that go, it didn't shoot it down over Montana. This is now the shootout of this object which was now shot down over the upper Michigan Peninsula just shortly before it entered or went over Lake Huron.

(01:18) - It is described as flying at twenty thousand feet. It was shot down by a U.S Air Force F-16 fighter jet. It was described of a shape of an octagon with strings attached, nothing hanging on those strings. The military, the Pentagon also said that they didn't assess this as a military threat but suspected surveillance capabilities, and therefore shot this object down. This is what we know so far about this incident, and if you are confused, this is not the same one which we reported about yesterday, which was shot down over Canada, also by a U.S fighter jet, but that was an F-22, and which was described as a cylindric shape, flying at forty thousand feet.

source:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gia6bJYGWc

(00:51) ABC news has confirmed the F-16 fighter that shot down the object over Lake Huron missed on first try but a second missile brought it down.

source:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDKcrMofFZU

The poorly redacted location matches the description that the object was about to fly over Lake Huron, travelling toward the Canadian border: N 45° 02' 54.67", W 83° 28' 44.73":

The released video PR-071 shows a balloon with strings attached and no visible payload being engaged on 12th Feb 2023, though it was not octagonal in shape.

Fox News reported that the UAP in the footage is not the balloon itself, as for them it is quite obviously not an UAP. Instead, they claim the UAP is the white dot that moves around the crosshairs. However, this assertion is not corroborated by the video description on the DoW website:

At the 11 second mark, the sensor focuses on an area of contrast in the center of its field-of-view. At the 20 second mark, the footage appears to depict a kinetic interaction between two distinct areas of contrast, with the initial subject of the footage fragmenting in a radial displacement pattern that suggests a high-energy event.

source: https://www.war.gov/UFO/?type=.vid#...ver-Lake-Huron-with-Weapon-System-12-Feb-2023

Fox News report:

A newly declassified video shown in infrared, depicts an object appearing to be a weather balloon shot down – moments before a bright white object appears to the right of the crosshairs.

The bright white object appears to move around the crosshairs before eventually disappearing.

source: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/de...uron-encounter-f-16-near-up-released-pentagon

Fox News UAP:

Enhanced image of the actual "UAP", looks just like a party balloon:

source: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-one-orange-balloon-floating-up-in-blue-sky-18215569.html

Moment of the strike:

Composite of two frames representing the object's geometry before and after the strike:

 

[RobertBillyBob]

According to Kirkpatrick via Greenstreet Aaro has identified the object as a boy scout balloon :

They shot down a balloon, that had a tethered package on the bottom it had a transponder on it, that was built, flow and operated by a boyscout group