Navy F/A-18 crews encounter an unidentified object off San Diego (FLIR1)
November 2004 · Pacific Ocean off southern California · Sighting · Primary document linked
Two Navy Super Hornets operating from a carrier group chased an unidentified object, and one of the crews recorded infrared video now known as FLIR1. The pilot later gave sworn testimony about the encounter to Congress.
Why it matters (4/5)
Became the best-known military encounter and anchors the 2017-2023 disclosure wave.
Caveats
The Pentagon's word 'unidentified' is a statement that the object was not identified, not a finding about its nature or origin. The evidence is pilot testimony plus a single infrared video; skeptics have argued that features of the released footage are sensor artifacts.
Video and images
- FLIR1, official release, 27 Apr 2020 (Video, NAVAIR FOIA Reading Room)
Sources
- Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos (U.S. Department of Defense), primary
- Pentagon Formally Releases Navy UFO Videos (San Diego Union-Tribune via AviationPros), context
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency (hearing transcript, Serial No. 118-53) (U.S. House of Representatives / GPO), context
- How a Multimedia Entertainment Company Created a UFO News Story (Skeptic), criticism