Summary

On January 21, 2015, U.S. Navy pilots from the USS Theodore Roosevelt captured one of the most intriguing UAP videos ever released to the public. Known as the “Gimbal” video due to the object’s unusual rotation, the footage shows an unidentified craft exhibiting extraordinary flight characteristics while being tracked by an F/A-18’s advanced ATFLIR pod. The 34-second video includes audio of the pilots expressing amazement at the object’s behavior, with one exclaiming “Look at that thing!” and another noting “There’s a whole fleet of them” visible on the aircraft’s SA (situational awareness) display. This incident was part of a series of encounters experienced by Roosevelt pilots between 2014-2015 off the East Coast, contributing significantly to the U.S. government’s changed stance on UAPs.

Background

USS Theodore Roosevelt Deployment

During 2014-2015:

  • Carrier Strike Group operations
  • East Coast training
  • Pre-deployment workups
  • Advanced radar systems
  • Upgraded aircraft sensors
  • Multiple pilot encounters

Pattern of Sightings

Pilots reported:

  • Near-daily encounters
  • Objects at various altitudes
  • Consistent operating areas
  • Multiple sensor detections
  • Growing safety concerns
  • Official reports filed

The Gimbal Encounter

Initial Detection

January 21, 2015:

  • Routine training flight
  • F/A-18F Super Hornet
  • ATFLIR pod active
  • Object detected on sensors
  • Pilots vectored to investigate
  • Recording initiated

The Aircrew

Two-seat F/A-18F:

  • Pilot (name withheld)
  • Weapons Systems Officer
  • Experienced crew
  • Professional aviators
  • Clear communication
  • Genuine reactions

The Video

Technical Details

ATFLIR footage shows:

  • 34 seconds duration
  • Infrared imaging
  • Black hot mode
  • Clear object tracking
  • Steady lock maintained
  • High quality capture

Object Appearance

The UAP displayed:

  • Distinct shape
  • “Gimbal” or top-like
  • Dark against clouds
  • Consistent heat signature
  • No visible propulsion
  • Structured craft

Extraordinary Behavior

The Rotation

Most notably:

  • Object rotated on axis
  • While maintaining flight path
  • Impossible for conventional aircraft
  • No change in velocity
  • Controlled maneuver
  • Defied known physics

Flight Characteristics

Analysis revealed:

  • Against wind direction
  • Altitude approximately 25,000 feet
  • Speed difficult to determine
  • No wings visible
  • No exhaust plume
  • Maintained stability

Audio Revelations

Pilot Communications

Key statements captured:

  • “Look at that thing!”
  • “It’s rotating!”
  • “Look at the SA”
  • “There’s a whole fleet of them”
  • Professional excitement
  • Genuine amazement

Fleet Observation

Most significant audio:

  • Reference to multiple objects
  • Visible on SA display
  • Formation implied
  • Not visible in FLIR frame
  • Suggests larger phenomenon

Sensor Information

ATFLIR Pod

Advanced capabilities:

  • Laser rangefinder
  • Infrared sensors
  • Television camera
  • Automatic tracking
  • Recording function
  • Military grade

Situational Awareness Display

Pilots referenced:

  • Multiple contacts shown
  • “Fleet” of objects
  • ASA page indications
  • Radar correlations
  • Systematic tracking

Analysis

Rotation Physics

Conventional aircraft cannot:

  • Rotate while flying forward
  • Maintain aerodynamic flight
  • Change orientation freely
  • Ignore air resistance
  • Defy control surface needs

Propulsion Questions

No evidence of:

  • Jet exhaust
  • Propeller wash
  • Rocket plume
  • Control surfaces
  • Wings or rotors

East Coast Concentration

2014-2015 period saw:

  • Multiple daily sightings
  • Various pilots involved
  • Consistent descriptions
  • Near mid-air collision
  • Safety reports filed

Ryan Graves’ Testimony

Lt. Ryan Graves reported:

  • Objects present daily
  • All day presence
  • Various weather conditions
  • Multiple pilot witnesses
  • Official concern

Government Release

2017 Disclosure

Video released with:

  • Pentagon confirmation
  • Authentic designation
  • Unidentified status
  • Part of three videos
  • Historic admission

Official Statements

DoD confirmed:

  • Real Navy footage
  • Unidentified objects
  • Ongoing investigations
  • No conventional explanation
  • Legitimate phenomena

Scientific Interest

Physics Implications

Gimbal rotation suggests:

  • Gravity manipulation
  • Inertial dampening
  • Exotic propulsion
  • Advanced materials
  • Unknown principles

Technology Assessment

Capabilities indicate:

  • Beyond current human tech
  • Breakthrough physics
  • Intelligent control
  • Purpose unknown
  • Origin unclear

Pilot Impact

Professional Risk

Aviators faced:

  • Career concerns
  • Ridicule potential
  • Reporting hesitation
  • Safety priorities
  • Courage required

Culture Change

Gimbal video helped:

  • Reduce stigma
  • Encourage reporting
  • Official acknowledgment
  • Safety focus
  • Professional discussion

Media Coverage

Mainstream Attention

Release generated:

  • New York Times coverage
  • Global headlines
  • Scientific interest
  • Public fascination
  • Paradigm shift

Documentary Features

Included in:

  • Multiple productions
  • Expert analysis
  • Pilot interviews
  • Government officials
  • Ongoing coverage

Debunking Attempts

Conventional Explanations

Proposed but failed:

  • Distant aircraft
  • Optical illusion
  • Sensor malfunction
  • Bird or balloon
  • Lens flare

All inadequate for:

  • Rotation behavior
  • Heat signature
  • Pilot expertise
  • Multiple sensors
  • Fleet observation

Glare Theory

Some suggested:

  • Infrared glare
  • Rotating artifact
  • Sensor limitation

Contradicted by:

  • Consistent shape
  • Controlled rotation
  • Expert analysis
  • Pilot visual
  • Multiple encounters

Strategic Implications

National Security

Questions raised:

  • Foreign technology?
  • Airspace intrusion
  • Capability gaps
  • Intelligence failure
  • Response protocols

Technology Race

If earthly origin:

  • Massive breakthrough
  • Strategic advantage
  • Intelligence priority
  • Arms race implications
  • Paradigm shift

Connection to Other Videos

The Three Navy Videos

Released together:

  • FLIR1 (Tic Tac)
  • Gimbal
  • GoFast

Pattern shown:

  • Advanced capabilities
  • Military encounters
  • Unexplained technology
  • Government acknowledgment

Common Features

All three demonstrate:

  • Unknown propulsion
  • Extreme performance
  • Military witnesses
  • Sensor confirmation
  • No identification

Scientific Studies

SCU Analysis

Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies:

  • Detailed examination
  • Physics assessment
  • Flight path analysis
  • Rotation study
  • No conventional match

Peer Review

Academic interest:

  • Physics journals
  • Aerospace analysis
  • Propulsion theories
  • Materials speculation
  • Paradigm challenge

Ongoing Mystery

Unanswered Questions

Key issues remain:

  • Object origin
  • Technology type
  • Fleet composition
  • Intent/purpose
  • Government knowledge

Continued Sightings

East Coast activity:

  • Reports continue
  • Military encounters
  • Commercial pilots
  • Pattern persistence
  • Mystery deepens

Cultural Impact

UAP Legitimacy

Gimbal video contributed to:

  • Phenomenon acceptance
  • Serious discussion
  • Scientific interest
  • Policy changes
  • Public awareness

Disclosure Movement

Helped catalyze:

  • Pentagon admissions
  • Congressional action
  • Public pressure
  • Media coverage
  • Transparency demands

Significance

Gimbal video important because:

  • Military provenance
  • Impossible maneuvers
  • “Fleet” revelation
  • Audio evidence
  • Government release
  • Physics challenges
  • Pattern confirmation

Conclusions

The Gimbal encounter demonstrates:

  • Unknown technology operates
  • Military regularly encounters
  • Physics-defying capabilities
  • Multiple objects involved
  • Government acknowledges
  • Mystery profound

Whether the rotating object was:

  • Foreign adversary tech
  • Non-human intelligence
  • Interdimensional visitor
  • Future technology

The Gimbal video stands as crucial evidence in the modern UAP phenomenon. Its release, along with pilot testimony about encountering “fleets” of these objects, forced a paradigm shift in how governments and media approach the subject. The object’s ability to rotate while maintaining flight, combined with the pilots’ genuine reactions and reference to multiple objects, provides compelling evidence that our military is encountering technology that surpasses known human capabilities. This case continues to drive serious scientific inquiry and demands for greater transparency about what is operating in restricted military airspace.