USS Theodore Roosevelt Encounters
Tier 1 — Official Documentation2014-2015·US East Coast — Atlantic Ocean and airspace off Virginia/Florida
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Over a sustained period in 2014-2015, multiple F/A-18 pilots attached to the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group reported near-daily encounters with unidentified objects operating in restricted military airspace. The objects — described as sphere, acorn, or metallic blimp shapes — had no visible propulsion, flew at altitudes from sea level to 30,000 feet, and were tracked on radar. The DoD released three associated videos (Gimbal, GoFast, FLIR1) in 2020. Pilot Ryan Graves testified under oath before Congress in 2023. Elizondo and Mellon facilitated the video release.
Key Facts
- ›Encounters were near-daily and sustained over approximately one year — not isolated incidents
- ›Objects operated in restricted military airspace used for training, representing a potential safety and security concern
- ›Object shapes described as sphere, acorn, or metallic blimp — consistent across multiple pilots
- ›No visible propulsion, no wings, no exhaust; appeared to operate in all weather conditions
- ›Altitude range: sea level to 30,000 feet with rapid transitions
- ›Gimbal video: shows rotation of a thermal object that pilots couldn't explain; released by DoD April 2020
- ›GoFast video: shows a fast-moving object skimming the ocean surface; released by DoD April 2020
- ›FLIR1 video: the Nimitz encounter footage also released; sometimes grouped with these incidents
- ›Ryan Graves testified before Congress July 26, 2023 that pilots were reporting encounters 'every day for years'
- ›Luis Elizondo (AATIP director) and Chris Mellon (former DASD Intelligence) facilitated video release through TTSA and the New York Times