The Department of Defense has released a new set of previously classified videos showing unidentified aerial phenomena encountered by U.S. Navy pilots during routine training exercises over the Pacific Ocean.
The footage, captured between 2021 and 2024, shows objects exhibiting flight characteristics that defy conventional aerodynamic understanding. In one particularly striking clip, an object appears to transition from hovering motionless at 35,000 feet to accelerating beyond the sensor's tracking capability in under two seconds.
What the Videos Show
The newly declassified materials include four separate encounters. Pacific Encounter Alpha shows a spherical object tracked by an F/A-18's infrared targeting pod maintaining a fixed position despite 120-knot crosswinds. Pacific Encounter Beta captures two elongated objects flying in tight formation before splitting apart at high velocity. Pacific Encounter Gamma documents a dark cube-shaped object enclosed in a translucent sphere observed during daylight. Pacific Encounter Delta records an object emerging from the ocean surface and ascending vertically at extreme speed.
Official Response
Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough confirmed the authenticity of the footage. "These videos were taken by Navy personnel and have been reviewed by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. AARO has determined that these incidents remain unresolved after thorough analysis."
The release comes amid increasing pressure from Congress for greater transparency. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called the release "an important step forward" but emphasized that "much more remains classified that the American people deserve to see."
Former Navy pilot Ryan Graves pointed out that these encounters represent only a fraction of what military personnel observe regularly. "For every video that gets released, there are dozens of encounters that are only documented in written reports."
The House Armed Services Committee has scheduled closed-door briefings with AARO leadership to discuss the findings in greater detail.