On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense officially released three U.S. Navy videos depicting unidentified aerial phenomena, authenticating footage that had circulated since 2017.
What videos did the Pentagon release in 2020?
The three videos are FLIR1 (the 2004 Tic Tac encounter), GIMBAL, and GOFAST (both from 2015 off the Atlantic coast). The DoD stated it released them to clear up public misconceptions about whether the footage was real.
What did the Pentagon say about the videos?
The Department confirmed the videos were authentic, that they were recorded by naval aviators, and that the objects in them remained "unidentified." It noted the release did not reveal sensitive capabilities.
Why was the release significant?
Official authentication by the Pentagon transformed the videos from leaked curiosities into government-acknowledged evidence, anchoring subsequent hearings and investigations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Intelligence
Tic Tac UAP (USS Nimitz Encounter)
A radar-confirmed UAP encountered by USS Nimitz carrier strike group pilots off California in November 2004, captured on FLIR footage.
Open file →Go Fast UAP
A 2015 U.S. Navy FLIR video off the Atlantic coast showing a small object skimming low over the ocean at apparent high speed.
Open file →Gimbal UAP
A radar-confirmed UAP filmed by a U.S. Navy F/A-18 off the East Coast in 2015, showing an object that appears to rotate against the wind.
Open file →Luis Elizondo
Former Army counterintelligence officer who says he ran the Pentagon’s AATIP program and resigned in 2017 to protest UAP secrecy.
Open file →Christopher Mellon
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence who helped bring Navy UAP videos to public attention and pushes for congressional action.
Open file →