USS Omaha Underwater UAP Encounter

The Encounter

On the evening of July 15, 2019, at approximately 9 p.m. Pacific Time, the crew of the USS Omaha, a U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship operating in a warning area off San Diego, detected multiple unidentified aerial phenomena on both radar and infrared thermal sensors. Over the course of two hours, the ship's Combat Information Center (CIC) tracked as many as 14 distinct objects displaying coordinated movement and extraordinary flight characteristics.

Technical Details

The encounter was captured across multiple sensor platforms:

Radar tracking detected objects moving at speeds ranging from 40 to 158 knots (46–182 mph), with several contacts maintaining sustained operation around the vessel. The radar return data showed simultaneous multi-contact engagements, inconsistent with known civilian or military aircraft behavior in the region.

Thermal infrared imagery recorded a self-illuminated spherical object approximately six feet in diameter in the ship's CIC. The craft was observed through the ship's thermal imaging system for an extended period, moving with apparent control and precision.

Crew voice communications captured during the event were preserved in tactical audio logs and later leaked, documenting real-time observations and operational responses.

Laser rangefinder disruption was reported when operators attempted to establish distance to the object, suggesting either active countermeasures or exotic electromagnetic properties.

The Transmedium Descent

Most remarkably, radar briefly tracked the object's descent into the ocean—a capability termed "transmedium movement," the ability to travel seamlessly between air and water without loss of speed or coherence. This behavior directly contradicts conventional aerodynamic and hydrodynamic principles, where any object transitioning from air to water experiences catastrophic resistance and drag. A submarine search team was dispatched immediately, but found no wreckage, oil slick, debris field, or surface disturbance consistent with an object impact or submersion.

Disclosure and Verification

The incident remained classified until May 2021, when filmmaker and journalist Jeremy Corbell published footage and detailed breakdowns of the encounter. Corbell's release triggered immediate Pentagon confirmation. Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough stated: "I can confirm that the video was taken by Navy personnel, and that the UAPTF included it in their ongoing examinations."

The official response did not identify the objects or endorse any extraordinary interpretation, but the confirmation of authenticity and inclusion in the UAP Task Force's formal examination elevated the incident's credibility significantly.

Strategic Significance

Retired Navy Commander Alex Dietrich and other naval officers described the transmedium capability as a potential threat to U.S. maritime security. If adversaries or non-terrestrial entities possess vehicles capable of sustained underwater-to-air transitions at hypersonic speeds without sonic booms, structural failure, or debris, it represents a fundamental challenge to naval defense doctrine and sensor integration.

The Omaha incident formed part of the evidentiary foundation for the 2021 DNI Intelligence Assessment and subsequent establishment of the Anomalous Aerial Phenomena Task Force (later AARO) in 2022.