Firsthand Military Witness Goes Public
On April 15, 2025, the Weaponized Podcast, hosted by investigative journalists Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp, featured a bombshell disclosure: a firsthand account from a U.S. Navy sailor who witnessed four Tic Tac-shaped unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) in 2023. The incident occurred aboard the USS Jackson, an Independence-class warship operating in Warning Area 291, a known military zone off the coast of Southern California. On the night of February 15, 2023, the crew detected multiple unknown objects that defied conventional classification. Described as smooth, wingless, tailless, and self-luminous, these UAPs performed a series of highly advanced maneuvers, including synchronized hovering and an instantaneous, coordinated departure. One of the objects was seen rising directly out of the ocean, exhibiting transmedium capability. The crew, trained to analyze threats in real-time, stood in stunned silence as the objects vanished from both radar and visual range within seconds.
The firsthand witness, an active-duty combat information center (CIC) operator aboard the USS Jackson, shared his detailed recollection during the podcast. He emphasized that the light he saw rising from the ocean was unmistakably not a horizon light, but something emerging from beneath the water’s surface. Once airborne, the object joined three others already hovering above the ocean. Then, all four UAPs accelerated in unison and disappeared into the sky, leaving no trace on radar. This synchronized departure was described as so precise, the witness and his colleagues suspected either shared control or some form of instantaneous communication among the objects. The sailor’s candid description, alongside thermal FLIR footage captured by the ship’s Star SAFIRE system, provided one of the clearest and most direct military accounts of UAP activity in recent memory.
The thermal footage released with the episode showed two of the four objects through infrared imaging. These appeared as heatless, glowing ovals without any visible propulsion systems, exhaust trails, or flight control surfaces. Unlike conventional aircraft or drones, the objects emitted no detectable heat signature. Analysts, including former Defense Department official Marik von Rennenkampff, reviewed the footage and confirmed that no known aircraft matched the observed characteristics. The video also documented the moment the UAPs departed the scene in a streaking, coordinated motion. The combination of eyewitness testimony, infrared imagery, and radar tracking makes this case especially significant among modern military encounters with UAPs.
This incident is not an isolated case but rather the latest in a growing list of military interactions with Tic Tac-like objects. It echoes the now-famous 2004 USS Nimitz encounter, in which Commander David Fravor and his team observed a similar craft exhibiting non-terrestrial flight behavior. Other sightings, including those documented in the Gimbal and GoFast videos from 2015, as well as the 2019 swarms of UAPs over Navy warships, suggest an ongoing pattern of unexplained aerial intrusions near U.S. military assets. These repeated encounters have fueled increasing public and governmental demand for transparency and deeper investigation.
Despite the compelling nature of the Jackson incident and the media attention following the podcast episode, the U.S. Navy has not issued any official statement. This silence has led to widespread speculation. Some argue the objects could be advanced foreign technology or highly classified domestic programs. Others suggest an origin entirely unknown to Earth. The lack of clarity from official channels has only amplified public curiosity, driving further interest in military whistleblowers and independent investigative platforms.
The implications for UAP research and policy are profound. The willingness of an active-duty service member to speak out, paired with video evidence and corroborating sensor data, marks a new phase in UAP disclosure. Lawmakers have already begun pushing for stronger whistleblower protections and increased transparency in defense reporting. As more firsthand accounts and verified data come to light, the scientific community is also taking note. NASA’s 2024 UAP panel and the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) have both acknowledged the need for rigorous study. With cases like the USS Jackson on record, the conversation around UAPs is shifting from fringe speculation to serious defense and scientific concern.
Ultimately, what started as a quiet February night patrol for the USS Jackson turned into a close encounter with a phenomenon that continues to challenge our understanding of technology, intelligence, and the limits of our reality. The truth may still be elusive, but with each new disclosure, the fog is lifting. Whether these craft are human-made or not, the fact remains: something is out there, and it’s watching us as closely as we are now watching it.
