US Navy Officially Acknowledges UAP Videos

In September 2019, Navy spokesperson Joseph Gradisher confirmed that three infrared videos (FLIR1 from the 2004 Tic Tac encounter, Gimbal (2015), and GoFast (2015)) showed real unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and had never been cleared for public release. This marked a significant official acknowledgment by the US Navy, shifting from decades of dismissal.

Official Confirmation

Joseph Gradisher spoke to multiple news outlets in September 2019.

The videos depicted real unidentified objects designated as UAP, avoiding the stigmatized UFO label.

They had never been approved for public release.

Video History

The videos circulated since the New York Times exposé in December 2017.

To The Stars Academy also released them.

While authenticity was widely assumed, official confirmation held greater weight.

Paradigm Shift

The Navy's statement formally acknowledged pilots encountering unidentified objects.

This represented a shift from decades of dismissal.

Terminology Change

The Navy adopted UAP as the official term, replacing UFO.

• This linguistic shift removed cultural baggage
• It signaled treatment as a legitimate safety and intelligence concern

Updated Guidelines

The Navy updated reporting guidelines.

Pilots were encouraged to file UAP reports without fear of ridicule.

Disclosure Impact

The confirmation accelerated the disclosure timeline.

• Within two years, Congress established the UAP Task Force
• The DNI published its preliminary assessment
• AARO was created as a permanent investigative body

The Navy's 2019 confirmation was the tipping point in modern UAP disclosure. It transformed UAP from fringe topic to national security concern, introduced the 'UAP' terminology, and directly catalyzed the chain of events leading to AARO, congressional hearings, and ongoing legislation.