DoD: FOIA release clarifies status of alleged triangular UAP ocean photo
The Black Vault published internal Department of Defense emails from December 2020 obtained via FOIA. These exchanges discussed a rumored photograph allegedly showing a triangular craft exiting ocean water. Former UAP Task Force Director Jay Stratton provided new clarification that no such image was ever received by the task force, correcting years of speculation.
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Background
On February 26, 2025, The Black Vault released documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act case 21-F-0299, originally requested in December 2020. The disclosed emails, dated December 3 and 4, 2020, reveal internal Department of Defense communication regarding claims of a photograph showing a triangular Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon emerging from the ocean.
John "Jay" Stratton, who directed the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force during the period in question, addressed these disclosures in an exclusive statement. He explained that while managing multiple investigations simultaneously, details from different cases may have become conflated in early discussions. Stratton explicitly denied that any photograph depicting a triangular object rising from water was ever supplied to the task force by naval aviators.
Tim McMillan, author of the original 2020 article that sparked widespread discussion, maintained confidence in his reporting. He noted that his information derived from sources with direct access to early UAPTF intelligence materials distributed across various defense components and allied agencies.
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