Foundational Pentagon video release
Navy GIMBAL ATFLIR Video: Official Declassified Record
Direct Record Summary
The GIMBAL video is an official 34-second US Navy infrared recording captured in January 2015 off the US East Coast by an F/A-18F Super Hornet. It shows an anomalous craft with a distinct thermal aura that rotates against high-altitude headwinds while flying in tandem with a broader tracked fleet, corroborated by pilot audio.
Official DoD video
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Source record
- Video ID
- NAVY-GIMBAL
- Incident date
- 2015-01-20
- Runtime
- 34 seconds
- Location
- Atlantic Ocean / US East Coast
- VIRIN
- 150120-N-0000X-002
- Filename
- GIMBAL_2015_Roosevelt.mp4
USS Theodore Roosevelt 2015 deployment encounters
GIMBAL is the first official military video released with authentic pilot cockpit audio capturing real-time radar correlation of multiple anomalous objects flying in fleet formation.
The 34-second rotation sequence
- 00:01-00:15 - Pilot locks ATFLIR onto target flying level against 120-knot headwind at 25,000 feet; pilots note fleet on SA radar.
- 00:16-00:26 - Target remains stationary relative to aircraft aspect, surrounded by a symmetrical thermal field or shroud.
- 00:27-00:34 - Object executes continuous 30-degree mechanical rotation without visible aerodynamic surfaces or losing level flight altitude.
What the official record shows
The official video shows an infrared target flying stably against high headwinds and rotating on its central axis while pilots verify multiple objects on radar.
The single-sensor thermal debate
It does not prove non-human origin or conclusively resolve whether the rotation was physical or an artifact of camera prism mechanics.
Questions that multi-sensor logs would settle
What do the raw radar files from the APG-79 AESA radar and accompanying fleet tracking tapes show regarding the full formation?
Related records and terms
Frequently asked questions
What does the NAVY-GIMBAL video show?
The official video shows an infrared target flying stably against high headwinds and rotating on its central axis while pilots verify multiple objects on radar.
Fact checkWhat does this video record NOT prove?
It does not prove non-human origin or conclusively resolve whether the rotation was physical or an artifact of camera prism mechanics.
Fact checkWhat unresolved questions remain about this UAP case?
What do the raw radar files from the APG-79 AESA radar and accompanying fleet tracking tapes show regarding the full formation?
Fact checkSources
- Department of Defense historical Navy videos release - Official DoD statement authorizing the release of three unclassified Navy videos (FLIR1, GIMBAL, GOFAST).
- ODNI 2021 Preliminary Assessment on UAP - Foundational June 25, 2021 Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessment on 144 military UAP incidents.
- House Oversight July 26, 2023 UAP Hearing Record - Official House Oversight Committee hearing transcript and sworn witness statements by Grusch, Fravor, and Graves.