USS Kearsarge: Heavily redacted UAP document released via FOIA
Researcher Kyle Warfel obtained a heavily redacted PowerPoint presentation through a Freedom of Information Act request regarding unidentified aerial phenomena observations near the USS Kearsarge from autumn 2021. The release followed an earlier denial to journalist Dave Beaty for identical records.
Background
Following initial reporting by Dave Beaty in March 2022 about UAP sightings over the USS Kearsarge during Fall 2021, multiple FOIA requests were filed with the Department of the Navy. While Beaty's initial request (case DON-USMC-006344) was denied as having found no records, researcher Kyle Warfel subsequently submitted a separate request (case DON-USMC-2022-006943) that proved successful.
The responsive material consisted of a printed PowerPoint presentation containing sixteen pages, though the majority of content was redacted under exemption claims. The document pertains to military encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena involving the amphibious assault ship. Notably, the same office that previously denied Beaty's request later provided him with identical documents after Warfel's successful disclosure.
The release was published by The Black Vault on May 24, 2022, and represents one of the few official military documentation releases specifically regarding the Kearsarge incident. The heavy redactions limit the informational value, but confirm that formal documentation of the encounters exists within Marine Corps or Navy records.