DOD-007is this archive's internal reference, not an official government file number, and the TOP SECRET tag is an editorial archival label — not a current U.S. classification. Now Declassified is an independent index and is not affiliated with the U.S. government. See the original records via NARA RG 615 / OSD.
Visual reconstruction and recovered media extracted from the incident dossier. Includes motion playback from the released archive.
Representative official gallery image traced to an official public-source archive
USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group radar operators tracked an unknown object for two weeks before F/A-18 pilots were tasked to intercept. Commander Fravor observed a white 40-foot oblong object with no wings, propulsion, or exhaust hovering over a roiling sea disturbance before it accelerated away instantaneously. FLIR footage declassified by DoD in 2020.
The USS Nimitz encounter began approximately two weeks before the November 14, 2004 intercept, when USS Princeton radar operators first detected unknown objects descending from above 80,000 feet to near sea-surface altitude before disappearing from radar. On November 14, Commander David Fravor and Lt. Commander Alex Dietrich were vectored to investigate. Fravor observed a white, oblong object approximately 40 feet long with no wings, no propulsion surfaces, and no exhaust or heat signature hovering approximately 50 feet above a circular ocean disturbance. When Fravor descended to engage, the object mirrored his movements before accelerating away faster than his aircraft could track — disappearing from visual range in under one second. A second intercept team then captured the now-famous FLIR1 'Tic Tac' infrared footage. The DoD officially declassified and released this footage in April 2020. The 2026 NARA archive release includes the full USS Princeton sensor log, previously redacted portions of the CIC operator debriefs, and a DIA assessment note concluding: 'The observed performance characteristics have no correspondence to any known U.S. or adversary aerospace system.' Commander Fravor has testified about this encounter before the U.S. Congress.
This incident is indexed as file DOD-007inside Now Declassified's research layer. The nearest official source trail for this agency points to NARA RG 615 / OSD, where archive records, imagery, or supporting context are published for public review.
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Football-shaped UAP captured by advanced US military sensor platform in the Indo-Pacific. Object caused temporary sensor interference upon approach and displayed acceleration beyond Mach 5.
The USS Princeton guided-missile cruiser, acting as the air warfare command ship for the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, tracked anomalous radar contacts for approximately two weeks before the now-famous Tic-Tac visual encounter on November 14, 2004. Senior Chief Kevin Day documented the tracks showing objects dropping from 80,000 feet to sea level in approximately 0.78 seconds — an acceleration that would require forces of thousands of G's. Day later testified publicly about the radar data.
Approximately 200 school students and teachers observed a disc-shaped craft descend, land briefly in a field adjacent to Westall High School, and then depart at high speed. Five smaller craft were also observed. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) responded and reportedly confiscated grass samples and directed witnesses not to speak about the incident. The Australian Dept of Air classified the investigation. Students and teachers report being told to sign confidentiality agreements.
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