USS Theodore Roosevelt UAP Encounters, 2014-2015

“In 2014, I was an F–18 Foxtrot pilot in the Navy Fighter Attack Squadron 11, the Red Rippers, and I was stationed at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach.”

“My name is Ryan "FOBS" Graves and I am a former F–18 pilot with a decade of service in the U.S. Navy including two deployments in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve.”

“During a training mission in Warning Area W–72, 10 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, two F–18 Super Hornets were split by a UAP.”

“Recognizing the need for action and answers, I founded Americans for Safe Aerospace.”

“Some of the behaviors that we saw in our working area, we would see these objects being at 0.0 Mach—that is zero airspeed—over certain pieces of the ground. So, what that means just like a river if you throw a bobber in it is going to float downstream. These objects were staying completely stationary in category four hurricane winds. These same objects would then accelerate to supersonic speeds—1.1, 1.2 Mach—and they would do so in very erratic and quick behaviors that we do not—I do not have an explanation for.”

“Attached to the email is what is now known as the Go Fast video captured on the forward-looking infrared sensor of one of the Navy F/A–18 aircraft participating in the exercise. The now declassified video showed an unidentified object exhibiting flight and structural characteristics unlike anything in our arsenal.”

“During this exercise, I received an email on the Navy's secure network from the operations officer of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. The email was addressed to all the subordinate commanders, and the subject line read, in all capital letters, ''URGENT SAFETY OF FLIGHT ISSUE.''”

“The object, described as a dark gray or a black cube inside of a clear sphere, came within 50 feet of the lead aircraft and was estimated to be five to 15 feet in diameter.”

“I would think—well, in my opinion, I will say things are over-classified. I know for a fact the video or the pictures that came out in the—I think it was the 2020 report, that had the stuff off the East Coast that were taken with an iPhone off the East Coast. A buddy of mine was one of the senior people there and he said they originally classified it TS/SCI, and my question then was what is TS/SCI about these? They are an iPhone literally off the vacapes. That is not TS/SCI.”

“Yes, inside of a clear sphere where the apex or tips of the cube were touching the inside of that sphere, and that was primarily what was being reported when we were able to gain a visual tally of these objects. That occurred over almost 8 years and as far as I know is still occurring.”

“The day after I received it and all the other recipients received it—which were all the subordinate commanders of U.S. Fleet Forces, so one-and two-star admirals, including strike group commanders—the email was wiped or deleted from our accounts”

“At the time, my personnel were participating in a predeployment naval exercise off the U.S. East Coast. It included the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, and this exercise was overseen by the United States Fleet Forces Command, led by a four-star admiral who, at the time, was also my superior officer.”

“Having never signed a nondisclosure agreement regarding UAPs and now, as a private citizen, I have become an advocate for greater UAP transparency from the government.”

“A dark gray or a black cube inside of a clear sphere.”

“At the current moment, sir, no, but that is a great point. From 2020 to 2022, there was a UAP task force in the DoD succeeding where Mr. Elizondo worked, led by Jay Stratton, who had the first comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to UAP, which involved pathways to declassification and to increased transparency, as well as assessing the national security risk of UAP. This was a really well-established approach, and we have all advocated that something like it return.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No wings. No IR energy coming off of the vehicle. Nothing tethering it to the ground, and that was primarily what we were experiencing out there.”

“Yes.”

“Certainly. I think the most vivid sighting of that would have been a near mid-air that we had at the entrance to our working area. One of these objects was completely stationary at the exact entrance to our working areas, not only geographically but also altitude. So, it was right where all the jets are going, essentially, on the Eastern Seaboard. The two aircraft flew within about 50 feet of the object and that was a very close visual sighting.”

“The mission commander terminated the flight immediately and returned to base.”