DOE-UAP-D005 — Pantex Unidentified Object Incident Report, 2015
A 2015 Pantex incident report records radar and visual tracking of a slow, small, diamond-like object near the nuclear-weapons facility, a precautionary security response, limited video, and transfer of the evidence to the FBI. The report provides a rare operational record of how security personnel at a sensitive facility documented and responded to an unidentified object while preserving uncertainty about what it was.
- File
- Document · Release 04
- Date
- Sep 1, 2015
- Location
- Texas
- Extent
- 7 pages
Search This File
Probed Assessment
A 2015 Pantex incident report records radar and visual tracking of a slow, small, diamond-like object near the nuclear-weapons facility, a precautionary security response, limited video, and transfer of the evidence to the FBI.
Key takeaways
- Ground-surveillance radar detected an unknown object moving north at an estimated 10–15 mph, prompting gate security and protective-force repositioning.
- Observers and a CROWS camera tracked the object, but estimates of its dimensions, altitude, distance, and color varied and were not established by calibrated measurements.
- The report says the object did not approach sensitive assets or act threateningly; distant video showed little detail and the collected material was turned over to the FBI.
Why it matters
The report provides a rare operational record of how security personnel at a sensitive facility documented and responded to an unidentified object while preserving uncertainty about what it was.
Corroboration
The official report corroborates the radar alert, witness response, and evidence-handling narrative. The released pages do not include sufficiently detailed imagery or external analysis to identify the object.
Open questions
- • Do the original radar tracks, CROWS footage, or FBI review results survive in releasable form?
- • Could weather or balloon records account for the reported direction, altitude, and slow speed?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
This file contains imagery and a report documenting the circumstances surrounding a September 1, 2015, incident involving an unidentified object intruding the airspace above the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas. The Pantex Plant is a sensitive national security site that contains the primary facility for the assembly, disassembly, maintenance, and life-extension of nuclear weapons. Pages 5 and 6 of this report were originally released under the PURSUE initiative in a more redacted form on May 22, 2026. (See: DOE-UAP-D001, Enhanced Pantex Imagery)
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
Pantex radar operators tracked a slow object southwest of the plant
The incident report says a ground-surveillance radar detected an object about 1.75 miles southwest of the Z-12 South area at approximately 07:08. The report gives a ground-speed estimate of 10–15 mph.
Pantex security officers reported a nearby 4-by-2-foot form
Security officers estimated the object was 100–200 feet above the ground and tracked it for three to five minutes from roughly 75–100 meters away. One officer using binoculars described it as approximately four feet tall and two feet wide at the bottom. These are witness estimates recorded in the report.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 04
- Official ID
- release-04-file-013-doe-uap-d005-pantex-unidentified-object-incident-report-2015
- Cleared
- Jul 10, 2026
Referenced Timeline
Pantex radar and visual observation
Security personnel tracked an unknown object west and north of the Pantex facility.
LinkedPantex PlantIncident report dated
The Pantex incident report records the event and protective response.
LinkedPantex PlantReport transmitted for review
The cover correspondence transmitted the complete report for review.
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
The report says Pantex ground-surveillance radar detected an unknown object west of the facility shortly after 07:00, moving north at an estimated 10–15 mph.
identified an unknown object flying in a non-threatening manner west of Pantex facilities
Protective Force personnel secured pedestrian and vehicle gates and repositioned patrols to protect assets after the radar alert.
All plant pedestrian and vehicle gates leading into and out of security areas were immediately secured
Ground observers described a diamond-like shape, rounded at the top, and Security Police Officers also tracked it with a CROWS camera.
their perspective of the object was that it was a "diamond" type shape
Witnesses estimated an altitude of 100–200 feet, an observation distance of 75–100 meters, and a duration of three to five minutes; these are recorded estimates, not instrumentally established dimensions.
The SPOs stated that it was 100-200 ft. above the ground
One binocular observer estimated the object at roughly four feet tall and two feet wide at the bottom, while witnesses disagreed about whether its colors appeared black, silver, red, or blue.
approximately 4 ft. tall and 2 ft. wide at the bottom
The report states that the object never appeared threatening or approached sensitive assets and remained over open, unpopulated areas before leaving the site.
at no time did the object appear to be threatening in nature
Video from a ground-surveillance radar tower was sent to Sandia National Laboratories, but the report says distance prevented the recording from showing much detail.
The video does not provide much detail of the object due to the distance
The incident evidence, including statements and video, was turned over to the FBI according to the report.
All evidence ofthe incident {i.e. s tatements, video, etc.) were turned over to FBI
Source Material & Evidence
Research Map
Lines appear only when two entities share a row-level source claim or dated timeline event. Unconnected nodes remain visible without implying a relationship.