Gimbal and GoFast Navy Encounters
Fighter pilots from the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group record two of the three Pentagon-released UAP videos during training exercises off the US East Coast. The Gimbal footage shows a rotating object defying conventional aerodynamics, while the GoFast video captures a small object skimming the ocean surface at high speed.
Videos
Background
In January 2015, fighter pilots from the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group recorded two significant FLIR videos during training exercises off the US East Coast using F/A-18 Super Hornets. These Gimbal and GoFast videos became two of the three Pentagon-acknowledged UAP videos that changed public discourse on unidentified aerial phenomena.
The Incident Pilots conducted training in the Jacksonville Operations Area. They captured infrared footage with FLIR targeting systems. This occurred during a period of frequent UAP sightings from 2014-2015.
Gimbal Video Recorded from the weapons systems officer's display. - Shows an oblong heat source rotating along multiple axes while maintaining stable flight, earning the nickname Gimbal. - No visible flight surfaces, propulsion exhaust, or features consistent with known aircraft. - Audio captures pilots' astonished reactions.
GoFast Video Captured during a separate encounter in the same period. - Depicts a small object traveling at substantial speed close to the ocean surface. - FLIR data showed no thermal exhaust plume, indicating no conventional jet or rocket propulsion. - Object moved against the prevailing wind direction.
Broader Context These were part of near-daily UAP sightings by Roosevelt personnel. - Some objects had no visible propulsion and remained airborne for hours. - Navy had upgraded to AN/APG-79 AESA radar with greater detection sensitivity.
Release and Acknowledgment Videos first released publicly by To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science in 2017-2018. Pentagon officially acknowledged authenticity in April 2020.
Key Witness Navy pilot Ryan Graves served aboard the Roosevelt during this period. He became a prominent advocate for transparent UAP reporting. Testified before Congress in 2023.
Elizondo's Account
In Imminent, Elizondo provides the backstory of how the GoFast and Gimbal videos reached AATIP. The GoFast footage was received from Fleet Forces Command after the USS Roosevelt carrier group encountered at least 22 UAP during Atlantic operations in 2014-2015. The Gimbal video underwent analysis by both CIA and NSA analysts who confirmed a thermal paradox — the object's heat signature was inconsistent with any known propulsion system. Both videos were submitted through Form 1910 for official declassification via the DOPSR process, which Elizondo personally shepherded through the bureaucracy.
Significance
The Gimbal and GoFast videos, together with the earlier FLIR1 (Tic Tac) footage, constitute the first officially acknowledged military recordings of unidentified aerial phenomena. Their Pentagon verification in 2020 marked a watershed moment in UAP discourse, transitioning the topic from fringe speculation to mainstream security discussion. The associated testimony of Navy pilots like Ryan Graves before Congress in 2023 directly contributed to the establishment of formal UAP reporting mechanisms within the US military.