Weird object or UFO as seen from a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet’s ATFLIR (ATS referenced )

originally posted by: gariac

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: gariac

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: gariac
a reply to: Caver78

So how do they know the altitude of the object? It isn't like the object has a transponder.

The altitude is displayed on screen, bottom left, reflecting twenty five thousand feet.

What it doesn't show is a clear profile, close ups, heading, or speed of pursuit aircraft.

That is the altitude of the f-18. How so they know the altitude of the target?

It 'appears' wings level. In the second video a slow turn remains level with the horizon, neither climbing nor descending. Would like to know the range too.

The video was at 40 miles IIRC.

www.spreaker.com...


The link is to a podcast version of a local Los Angeles radio show. He even mentions the old ATS post.

Thanks, I don't see that reflected on the display either. They say a lot of things about the video itself that are not reflected in the actual footage either.

I go with what I see.

ETA: Dd you 'see' this?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: butcherguy

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: butcherguy

I believe it did mention the speed of the headwind that the objects were flying against (was it 125 kt ?)

Not displayed on screen. Its the WO officers screen in the video, not the Pilots HUD.

The 'voices' report they are flying 'against' a 120 knot wind.

(I always go by what i can see)

The NYT video changed the subtitles to miles vs knots now.
Listening to the voice, I hear 'knots' , but the NYT says that he says 'miles'.

Proper is knots... its the Navy. I hear "miles", so will you...Whoops.

More to the story.... from ATS.

This is the first time that I've seen names associated with this sighting. Well, to my joy, I know one of the crewmembers. Like, I flew with him, deployed with him, I'm FB friends with his wife (for some reason, most of my buddies don't do FB, but their spouses do).

So I reached out to her about his and asked if her husband (my friend) saw this thing. She sent me his cell number and said I could call him about the "tic-tac"

I haven't called him yet, but here is his response:
"Hey Cosmania! something I'd really not thought about until a guy from OSD contacted me a few months ago. Then the Times contacted me to confirm XXXXX's story, so I told them what I could recall. The FLIR video they included is not from us, that was from a different flight, so I don't like that they attributed it to us.
Frankly, when I got back to the ship for my CVIC debrief, I asked them if there was a sub in the area doing cruise missile launch tests, since that seemed like the most plausible explanation I could come up with. I told OSD & the Times reporter that, too.
Anyway, didn't think it would be such a huge deal, just told them what I remembered."

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: butcherguy

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: butcherguy

I believe it did mention the speed of the headwind that the objects were flying against (was it 125 kt ?)

Not displayed on screen. Its the WO officers screen in the video, not the Pilots HUD.

The 'voices' report they are flying 'against' a 120 knot wind.

(I always go by what i can see)

The NYT video changed the subtitles to miles vs knots now.
Listening to the voice, I hear 'knots' , but the NYT says that he says 'miles'.

Proper is knots... its the Navy. I hear "miles", so will you...

Whoops.

The person that wrote the origial subtitles heard knots. I still hear knots. You are correct, knots is the term that the pilot of an F-18 would use.

I recall several years ago when there was a popular podcast going on here on ATS they had a guest. This guest new aircraft pretty good and was asked about UFOs, in his opinion it was that if we were to have a "disclosure" than it would be staged. Considering the rumors of cool things in the desert and secret space fleets it may be becoming to difficult to keep the UFO cover story going.

While the Super Bug footage is making its rounds again lets not forget the time a guy picked up a pair of F-15s investigating a rock UFO on a ham radio set.

About 2:45 "Dude! I have no idea what this is!" Even when an Eagle driver is freaked out they're still cool.

a reply to: FredT

did anyone watch the Saudi Arabia video about the Houthi missiles and drone. Very glad to see some common sense went into that video.


but as to the OP video i think it is probably just a drone that got lost from its pack but still a neat video

originally posted by: penroc3
a reply to: FredT

did anyone watch the Saudi Arabia video about the Houthi missiles and drone. Very glad to see some common sense went into that video.


but as to the OP video i think it is probably just a drone that got lost from its pack but still a neat video

If you are referring to the video of a missile that sunk a Saudi ship, that was propaganda. They used a remote control boat.

a reply to: gariac

they implied as much and showed parts from the boat but the main topic was the attack on S.A's airport. the reporter said it seemed like S.A was up to something because S.A wouldn't give any details to the D.I.A or the press. S.A is saying that Iran violated a treaty because they were supplying the Houthi rebels with weapons. But the reporter seemed to think they were delivered before the treaty was signed.

The ONLY reason to edit a video of this type is because you are hiding something.

Update:

There are two videos from two separate events.

The video FLIR1 is from the Super Hornet's launched from the USS Nimitz off the coast of San Diego in 2004. Most of the events described in this thread pertain to this incident.

The video Gimbal pertains to a separate incident, at an unknown time and location. It was via the same equipment however.

Regarding Gimbal:

I'm convinced what we are seeing is an IR "flare". Meaning there is a hot object that is blowing out the details of the object itself, sort of like a cars headlights at night. This also explains why the object seems to rotate at a certain point in the film - it's an artifact of an hot object. So in that case it could be a jet. I've asked mods if I can link to this analysis, but don't want to breach T&C's.

Regarding FLIR1 there is not much detail in the video, it could be many things. The weird part is the story from the aviators which I previously linked. Perhaps you could explain the strange radar returns as being artifacts from for example, electronic warfare. And that multiple objects were in the air - so perhaps the object they thought disappeared didn't actually suddenly appear in the CAP point, perhaps it was a different aircraft. Still, I think this only can explain certain aspects of the story, the aviator did say it accelerated like nothing he has ever seen and it hovering over the sea at low altitude was indeed strange.

More speculatively, it could be something like this combined with some electronic warfare:

a reply to: C0bzz


Could be anything and without 2 mins of uninterrupted footage before and after- no one can definitively say.

Would like to hear from any aviation bods on what the subtitled "ASA" is/was.

If it's AESA (known to have glitches) and it's reporting a fleet but the pilots can only observe one object- surely a glitch or even active countermeasures would be a more likely explanation.....

a reply to: Jukiodone

I updated my previous post (as usual, I click post then a thousand things come into my head).

The aircraft in FLIR1 were Block 1 Super Hornet's with AN/APG-73 (not AESA). Allegedly these were functioning perfectly during training earlier that day, but a user on reddit /r/military suggested that the AN/APG-73 does not always function perfectly either. Also AN/APG-73 will be less resistent to electronic warfare than AN/APG-79 (Block II Super Hornet AESA Radar).

In Gimbal, not sure. To The Stars Academy (TTSA) just said ASA is the radar display.

EDIT: Additional information has been posted on TTSA here on the FLIR1 encounter, which includes a report on what the pilots stated in a meeting.

2004 USS NIMITZ PILOT REPORT


EDIT 3: I feel like the report is perhaps in error. The object seems to lose track of the object after the zoom level is changed several times - I don't think it is caused by the object darting off into the distance (as claimed).

I'm tempted to every few days update my summary of this story, but add some version control so we can see what new information is added.

EDIT 2: AN/APG-73 will be X-band, whilst AN/SPY-1 is S-band. Even with the massive power difference between the two, this could illustrate why the Princeton allegedly could detect the object, whilst the Super Hornets couldn't.

So before TTSA released the FLIR1 video, it had already been leaked online.... as a result of that, and the article on fightersweep, someone else did their own investigation.

U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Force-11 Encounters Unknowns

Regardless of your opinion of TTSA and TDL, it seems as though they definitely saw something and the entire story isn't fabricated.

a reply to: C0bzz

I suppose what is lost in the reporting is that the pilots never had a visual on the object. All we have is output from electro optics. Instrumentation isn't infallible. High speed movement can also be due to some servo motor artifact.

What would help here is to have "video" from both planes. The odds of two FLIRs malfunctioning would be small.

Remember seti was fooled by a microwave oven.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see if anything else is released.

Knowing the UFO game, maybe about 5 years from now. After all, this stuff is 10 years old already.

a reply to: C0bzz

Check your messages.

a reply to: gariac

im sure it isn't the case here but there are IR lasers used as counter measures against IR detection systems. ans as was stated above electronic warfare systems can make radars see pretty much anything they want.


drones are very big and will continue to be so, it most likely is a drone of some kind and a mix of countermeasures. there was a navy project call PROJECT PALLADIUM that was at the time used to mess with Russian radar.

subs would launch round silver radar targets that would show up on radar as all kinds of different things.

i suspect this might be something along those lines but more high tec

originally posted by: penroc3
i suspect this might be something along those lines but more high tec

Hey, maybe my "guided balloon" thing with its electrostatic, ion, magnetogravitic (or whatever) drive!

What gets me is the radar reports from Nimitz.Same place,same time every day..Or just fighter pilots stretching the truth..?

I suppose what is lost in the reporting is that the pilots never had a visual on the object. All we have is output from electro optics. Instrumentation isn't infallible. High speed movement can also be due to some servo motor artifact. What would help here is to have "video" from both planes. The odds of two FLIRs malfunctioning would be small. Remember seti was fooled by a microwave oven.

Im sure CHEEK had a visual on the disturbance of water and so did the follow up CAP Hornets.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: C0bzz

Check your messages.

I'm curious as to your thoughts on this. Either I missed it or you haven't shed light on your views of this thing, if anything.

Been waiting patiently for the great Zaphod to say something...