{"type":"events","slug":"2023-uss-jackson-tictac-uaps","title":"USS Jackson Tic Tac UAP Encounter","url":"https://disclosdex.com/events/2023-uss-jackson-tictac-uaps","description":"Four luminous Tic Tac-shaped objects were filmed from USS Jackson on 15 February 2023 — one emerged from the ocean before departing with the group in a synchronized maneuver.","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["Sighting"],"updated":"2025-06-13T13:26:43.000Z","disclosureRating":4,"status":"unresolved","lat":32.888933,"lng":-117.9335,"connectionCount":0,"content":{"markdown":"On the evening of 15 February 2023 the _Independence-class_ littoral combat ship _USS Jackson (LCS-6)_ was transiting the Navy's W-291 warning area off Southern California when lookouts spotted four self-illuminated objects pacing the vessel. Combat Information Center (CIC) crews quickly slewed the _Star SAFIRE_ electro-optical/infrared turret onto the targets and began recording.\n\n<Video url=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwgDFLfhNoo\" />\n\n## Sequence of events\n\n| Local time  | Observation                                                                                                                           |\n| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| ≈ 19:15 PST | First \"Tic Tac\" breaches the sea surface astern of _Jackson_ and climbs without visible propulsion.                                   |\n| 19:17 PST   | Three additional objects appear on infrared &mdash; all exhibit cool signatures and lack control surfaces.                            |\n| 19:20–19:25 | Objects maneuver around the ship at ~22 000 ft recorded altitude &mdash; helm reports no radar lock despite concurrent FLIR tracking. |\n| 19:27 PST   | CIC audio (released publicly) captures operators joking about scrambling jets while attempting range-gates.                           |\n| 19:29 PST   | The four craft depart simultaneously in a near-vertical climb &mdash; no transponder or exhaust detected.                             |\n\nSailors later told journalists that the group \"counted down\" before leaving, suggesting coordinated control or shared communication.\n\n## Sensor & ship data\n\n| Parameter                | Details                                                                 |\n| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Detection platforms      | Star SAFIRE multi-spectral EO/IR (video released)[^1]                   |\n|                          | Bridge watch standers (visual)                                          |\n|                          | SPY-1F radar (ambiguous, intermittent \"skin paints\"; could not track)   |\n| Environmental conditions | Moonless, sea state 2, visibility &lt; 3 nm; surface winds 12 kt @ 280° |\n\n- Time stamp: 03:15 UTC (19:15 PST).\n- Ship position: ~32.889 N, -117.933 W, moving slowly (≈3.7 kt) on a true track near 029°.\n- IR turret: FLIR Star SAFIRE-class sensor; field-of-view estimated ≈4–5 °.\n- Screen heading tape shows 50–52 (almost certainly magnetic).\n- Azimuth read-out drift: ≈22.8 °→31.4 °.\n- Two hot spots appear; no aerodynamic detail is visible.\n- CIC operator later slews to a known airliner and clearly sees wings/jet exhaust.\n- Operator’s after-the-fact range guess: “about 6–10 NM.”\n\n## Assessments\n\nNaval intelligence has not issued a public attribution. Analysts note parallels with the 2004 _Nimitz_ \"Tic Tac\" and 2019 drone swarm incidents yet stress key deltas:\n\n- Transmedium exit from water recorded.\n- Lack of heat plume even in hover.\n- Instantaneous group departure.\n\nSkeptics argue advanced unmanned systems could spoof sensor returns, but available footage shows performance beyond known commercial UAV envelopes.\n\n## Key participants\n\n| Name/Role                     | Notes                                                                                   |\n| ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| CIC operators (anonymous)     | Voices heard on leaked audio describing altitude & radar failures.                      |\n| Jeremy Corbell & George Knapp | Journalists who obtained and published the footage.[^1][^2]                             |\n| Marik von Rennenkampff        | Former DoD analyst who reviewed ADS-B & flight data; found no conventional traffic.[^3] |\n\n## Status\n\nAll materials were forwarded to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in early 2024. No definitive explanation has been released as of 2025.\n\n## Metabunk Analysis\n\nMetabunk users analyzed the USS Jackson infrared video by extracting all available on-screen data and cross-referencing it with ADS-B, AIS, and weather records, as well as testimony from a CIC operator. The majority concluded the \"tic-tacs\" were distant aircraft or helicopters, with their appearance and movement fully explained by known flights, camera geometry, and ship maneuvers; a minority considered a mix of aircraft or a transmedium craft, but found no corroborating evidence. The consensus is that all observed phenomena match conventional aircraft signatures, with no extraordinary physics or independent evidence supporting exotic explanations.\n\n[^1]: [Alexandro C. Wiggins written statement, House Oversight hearing on UAP transparency and whistleblower protection](https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Wiggins-Written-Statement.pdf).\n\n[^2]: [_Weaponized_ – The USS Jackson \"Tic Tac\" UAP, imaged off the coast of Southern California](https://www.weaponizedpodcast.com/news-1/uss-jackson-tic-tac-uap).\n\n[^3]: [Liberation Times – Military Footage Reveals \"Tic Tac\" UFOs Witnessed By Warship Crew By Coast Of San Diego](https://www.liberationtimes.com/home/military-footage-reveals-tic-tac-ufos-witnessed-by-warship-crew-by-coast-of-san-diego).","readingTime":"4 min read"},"relatedRecords":[],"citation":{"canonicalUrl":"https://disclosdex.com/events/2023-uss-jackson-tictac-uaps","title":"USS Jackson Tic Tac UAP Encounter","publisher":"Disclosdex","retrievedFrom":"https://disclosdex.com/api/v1/events/2023-uss-jackson-tictac-uaps","license":"CC-BY-4.0"},"witnesses":["Sailors"],"evidence":["video","documents"]}