Aerostat infrared observation
An aerostat guarding Al Taqaddum Air Base captured 17 minutes of infrared video of an object behaving like a slow, drifting target. AARO pixel-level analysis revealed multiple partially and fully inflated balloons moving as a loose cluster, their path and speed aligning with upper-air wind data for 1 October 2017. No anomalous kinematics or propulsion signatures were present, leading AARO to assess the source as a consumer balloon group rather than a single rigid craft.1