Research suggests 2015 Gimbal UAP performed rapid vertical U-turn
Researchers used ATFLIR video data to reconstruct the flight of a 2015 Navy encounter, suggesting a high-speed vertical U-turn.
A research reconstruction of the January 2015 Gimbal UAP suggests the object performed a rapid vertical U-turn after decelerating from several hundred knots [1][2].
The analysis seeks to validate eyewitness reports of anomalous flight paths by combining video data with distance estimates provided by the crew [1][2]. This reconstruction contrasts with some government assessments that describe the object as low-speed [5].
Flight path reconstruction details
The incident occurred off the coast of Florida when a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet's targeting pod recorded a 34-second infrared video of an object skimming over clouds [1][2]. According to the research, the object decelerated from several hundred knots before rapidly reversing direction in a vertical U-turn [1][2].
Naval aviators who participated in the event stated the UAP was within 10 nautical miles of their aircraft [1][2]. The crew reported that the object appeared on a top-down radar display to stop and reverse direction with no radius of turn [1][2]. The researchers state that the reconstructed flight path aligns with these recollections and the object's rotation seen in the video [1][2].
Accompanying objects and official status
The aircrew claimed the UAP was accompanied by a formation of four to six other unknown objects [1][2].
The U.S. Department of Defense officially recognized the Gimbal footage as authentic military footage on April 27, 2020 [5]. However, the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) identified the Gimbal object as a low-speed object [5].
The research notes that at the range provided by the aviators, the object showed no wings or infrared signature [1][2].
What we don't know
- Why did AARO identify the object as low-speed if flight reconstructions suggest it reached several hundred knots?
- What is the physical identity of the object given the reported lack of wings or an infrared signature at the estimated range?
- How do the reported accompanying objects fit into the reconstructed flight path of the primary UAP?
Context
Source documents
Sources
- Reconstruction of Potential Flight Paths for the January 2015 Gimbal UAP — arXiv: unidentified anomalous phenomena, Jun 14, 2023
- Reconstruction of Potential Flight Paths for the January 2015 Gimbal UAP — doi.org
- Are UFO videos real? A breakdown of the footage released by the U.S. military and how to identify common misconceptions on social media｜ディスクロージャー・ノート｜宇宙人・UFO・都市伝説 — note.com
