Incident · January 2015 · Atlantic Ocean, off the U.S. East Coast (approx.)
USS Theodore Roosevelt encounters (Gimbal / GoFast)
Also known as Gimbal, GoFast, Go Fast, Theodore Roosevelt
Partly explained. AARO (2025) placed the GoFast object at about 13,000 ft, moving at 72–161 mph, or 5–92 mph once the wind is removed, and never against the wind, with high confidence it showed no anomalous speed; NASA (2023) judged it most likely drifting with the wind. The squadron's other radar tracks, the near misses and Gimbal remain unexplained. (AARO case resolution: "Go Fast" (2025))
In 2014–2015, Navy F/A-18 crews from the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, training off the U.S. East Coast, reported frequent encounters with unidentified objects, including near-midair collisions. Lt. Ryan Graves, an F/A-18F pilot in the group, later described the encounters as frequent during the pre-deployment exercise.
Two infrared videos from these operations, "Gimbal" and "GoFast", were published by The New York Times in 2017–2018 and officially released by the Department of Defense on 27 April 2020; the Navy confirmed they show unidentified aerial phenomena. Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, then Oceanographer of the Navy, testified that a secure email about the safety concerns vanished from his and the other recipients' inboxes the day after it arrived.
The analyst Mick West attributes the rotation in "Gimbal" to infrared glare and the camera's gimbal mechanism, and the apparent speed in "GoFast" to parallax. Graves testified about the encounters to the House Oversight Committee in July 2023.
Sources: Graves's written statement (2023) · House Oversight hearing (13 November 2024) · Wikipedia
Facts and claims
- documented AARO's 2025 case resolution of the GoFast video finds with high confidence that the object did not move at anomalous speeds: it was at about 13,000 feet, not skimming the sea, and moving at roughly 5–92 mph relative to the wind. AARO does not identify the object. Its resolution covers that video only, not the squadron's other radar tracks or near misses. Source: AARO case resolution: "Go Fast" (2025)
- documented NASA's 2023 UAP study analysed the GoFast video and found that the object moved about 390 metres in 22 seconds, roughly 40 mph, "a typical wind speed at 13,000 feet". It appeared colder than the ocean, with no evidence of propulsion heat, so it was most likely drifting with the wind. Source: NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team report (2023)
- documented The Department of Defense officially released two Navy videos taken in January 2015 (Gimbal and GoFast), together with the 2004 FLIR1 video, stating that "the aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified.'" Source: Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos (April 27, 2020)
- claimed Navy F/A-18 crews in a pre-deployment exercise reported frequent UAP encounters, including near-midair collisions. — Ryan Graves Source: doc-graves-statement-2023-07-26.pdf
- claimed A secure email about the flight-safety concerns vanished from Rear Adm. Gallaudet’s inbox, and from the other recipients’, the day after it arrived. — Tim Gallaudet Source: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth at 44:03
Connected files
Claims
Documents
- AARO case slides for the Senate Armed Services subcommittee (19 November 2024) (documented in) — AARO's GoFast slide: about 13,000 ft and about 45 mph, no anomalous speed
- AARO case resolution: "Go Fast" (2025) (documented in)
- Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos (April 27, 2020) (documented in)
- Ryan Graves — written testimony, House Oversight hearing (July 26, 2023) (subject of)
- NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team report (2023) (analysed in) — NASA's team finds the GoFast object moved about 40 mph, “a typical wind speed at 13,000 feet”
- Hearing transcript: “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth” (subject of)
Events
- Pentagon officially releases three Navy UAP videos (subject of)
People
- Tim Gallaudet (reported to) — As Oceanographer of the Navy he received the “urgent safety of flight” email with the GoFast video
- Marik von Rennenkampff (analysed by) — His reconstruction of the Gimbal object's flight path supports the aircrew against the balloon explanation
- Ryan Graves (witnesses) — He says crews began tracking objects off the East Coast almost daily from 2014; a friend recorded the GoFast video
- Sean Kirkpatrick (reportedly explained by) — Marik von Rennenkampff says Kirkpatrick twice told him the Gimbal object was a balloon reflecting sunlight
Videos
- House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video (discussed in)
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth (discussed in)
- Oversight Hearing on AARO and UAPs/UFOs Nov 19th 2024 (UnEdited) (discussed in)
- Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation (House Oversight and Government Reform) (discussed in)
- Christopher Mellon on the strongest evidence we are not alone (Unveiled clip, 2026) (discussed in)
- UAP & National Security: Mellon, Gallaudet, von Rennenkampff & McConnell at Disclosure Forum 2026 (discussed in)
- Jay Stratton's first on-camera interview, recorded 2022 (WEAPONIZED, released October 2026) (discussed in)
- The Biblical Truth of UFOs & Angels (Ft. Karl Nell & Diana Pasulka) (discussed in)
- US fighter pilots witness UFO: Ryan Graves (American Alchemy, 2024) (discussed in)
- Breaking UFO Story: ‘Immaculate Constellation’ UFO Program (Ft. Michael Shellenberger) (discussed in)
- Top Navy Admiral: “The Ocean is FULL OF UFOs!” (discussed in)
- David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 (discussed in)
- Gimbal: the official U.S. Navy video (January 2015) (recordings)
- GoFast: the official U.S. Navy video (January 2015) (recordings)
Mentioned in this file
- Department of War (Department of Defense) (Organization)
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Organization)
Mentioned in videos
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth
- UAP & National Security: Mellon, Gallaudet, von Rennenkampff & McConnell at Disclosure Forum 2026
- Jay Stratton's first on-camera interview, recorded 2022 (WEAPONIZED, released October 2026)
- Top Navy Admiral: “The Ocean is FULL OF UFOs!”
- David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122