---
title: "US Military Admits It Has Secret Footage of UFO Incident"
description: "A new report suggests that the U.S. military might be holding on to more footage of a mysterious 2004 \"unidentified aerial phenomenon\" UFO encounter."
date: "2020-01-10"
modified: "2020-01-10"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/military-admits-secret-footage-ufo"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
  - "Military"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "Navy"
  - "the digest"
  - "UFO"
  - "unidentified flying object"
---

# US Military Admits It Has Secret Footage of UFO Incident

![A new report suggests that the U.S. military might be holding on to more footage of a mysterious 2004 "unidentified aerial phenomenon" UFO encounter.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/military-admits-secret-footage-ufo-incident.png>)
*\<em\>Image: US Department of Defense\</em\>*

## UFO Frenzy

In December 2017, the [*New York Times* published](<https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html>) a story detailing a 2004 incident in which Navy pilots encountered a series of mysterious ["Tic Tac-shaped"](<http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/12/tic-tac-ufo-video-q-and-a-with-navy-pilot-chad-underwood.html>) objects that seemed to [defy the laws of physics](<https://futurism.com/navy-pilot-bizzare-ufo-encounter>).

Now, [*Motherboard* reports](<https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wxe54z/the-navy-has-secret-classified-video-of-an-infamous-ufo-incident>) that the U.S. Navy appears to be be holding on to documentation and more footage of the strange encounter, and is refusing to make either public.

A review of the materials, a Pentagon spokesperson said in response to a freedom of information request by researcher Christian Lambright, "determined that the release of these materials would cause exceptionally grave damage to the National Security of the United States."

## Top Secret

The Navy spokesperson declined to comment on the contents of the video, which is classified "SECRET."

"As Navy and my office have stated previously, as the investigation of \[unidentified aerial phenomenon\] sightings is ongoing, we will not publicly discuss individual sighting reports/observations," the spokesperson told *Motherboard*.

Gough did however disclose that "the length of the video that’s been circulating since 2007 is the same as the length of the source video. We do not expect to release this video."

**READ MORE:** [The Navy Has Secret Classified Video of an Infamous UFO Incident](<https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wxe54z/the-navy-has-secret-classified-video-of-an-infamous-ufo-incident>) \[*VICE*\]

**More on the incident:** *[Navy Pilot Describes Bizzare “Tic Tac” UFO Encounter He Filmed](<https://futurism.com/navy-pilot-bizzare-ufo-encounter>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)