USS Trepang Submarine USO Photos 1971

Photographs believed to have been taken from USS Trepang (SSN-674) during an Arctic cruise in March 1971 — obtained and published decades later — show a large cylindrical or ellipsoidal object emerging from the ocean's surface in multiple sequential frames, then transitioning to apparent aerial flight. The images were taken in Arctic conditions with pack ice visible. US Navy photographic experts who reviewed the images after their leak confirmed the photography appeared to be authentic US Navy Arctic documentation consistent with the era. The objects in the photographs do not match any known aircraft, submarine, or missile shape. The sequence of images shows the object at various orientations as it transitions from the water to air. USS Trepang's 1971 Arctic cruise was classified — routine for nuclear submarine operations. Multiple analysts including academic physicists who reviewed the photos found no evidence of fabrication and noted the lighting, shadows, and ice-surface reflections were internally consistent. The Trepang photographs have become among the most studied potential USO documentation in the unofficial UAP research community.