{"type":"locations","slug":"pacific-ocean-san-diego","title":"Pacific Ocean / San Diego","url":"https://disclosdex.com/locations/pacific-ocean-san-diego","description":"Pacific waters near San Diego hosting 2004 Tic Tac encounter, 2019 drone swarms, and dense Navy training operations","date":"2004-11-14T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["Hotspot"],"updated":"2025-06-13T13:26:43.000Z","lat":32.871,"lng":-117.255,"connectionCount":2,"content":{"markdown":"Stretching from Point Loma to San Clemente Island, these waters form the Navy's primary West Coast trial ground. Carrier strike groups rehearse deployments here while submarines cycle through Ballast Point piers.\n\nNearby installations include Naval Base San Diego[^11] for surface combatants, North Island Naval Air Station[^12] for fixed-wing aviation, and Naval Base Point Loma[^10] for undersea warfare training.\n\n| Range/Area                | Description                                                               |\n| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| W-291 and W-289           | Support live-fire missile shoots and electronic warfare drills            |\n| San Clemente Island range | 55 nm west; hosts autonomous-system experiments and Aegis tracking events |\n\n## 2004 Tic Tac intercept\n\nDuring November 2004 Composite Training Unit Exercise the _USS Nimitz_ group tracked an oblong object that descended from 80,000 ft and maneuvered with no observable propulsion. F/A-18 crews from VFA-41 visually engaged the craft south-west of Point Loma before it accelerated beyond sensor coverage. See the detailed [event file](/events/2004-uss-nimitz-encounter) for timeline and sources.[^1][^2]\n\n## 2019 drone swarm and _USS Russell_ footage\n\nBetween [March and July 2019](/events/2019-pacific-ocean-night-vision-footage) destroyers operating 30–70 nm off San Diego logged sustained quad-copter incursions. On 15 July sailors aboard _USS Russell_ filmed triangular lights through night-vision optics; bokeh effects produced the pyramid shape later highlighted by media. Deck logs show at least eight ships experienced coordinated overflights exceeding commercial drone endurance.[^6][^7][^8][^9]\n\nThe Navy Criminal Investigative Service traced several of the drone sorties to the bulk carrier _MV Bass Strait_. In response, fleet commanders accelerated the deployment of portable counter-UAS jammers and laser dazzlers. The case became a reference point during the 2022 Congressional hearings on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.\n\n## Pattern of activity\n\nSensor data supplied to the UAP Task Force lists more than 60 anomalous tracks within this operating box since 2004, clustering near weapons release zones and drone corridors. Persistent military presence, layered radars, and clear atmospheric conditions combine to make the region a recording hotspot.\n\n## Subsequent Leaks\n\nRadar logs and infrared footage leaked later, spurring the Pentagon's AATIP program.[^3][^4][^5]\n\n[^1]: [Navy Times account](https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/12/17/the-tic-tac-ufo-incident/)\n\n[^2]: [Fravor interview with NYT](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html)\n\n[^3]: [2009 Nimitz Tic Tac executive report](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ATIC_TAC_UFO_EXECUTIVE_REPORT_1526682843046_42960218_ver1.0.pdf)\n\n[^4]: [Popular Mechanics analysis](https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a27074831/tic-tac-ufo-video/)\n\n[^5]: [History: Top Gun pilots and the Tic Tac UFO](https://www.history.com/articles/uss-nimitz-2004-tic-tac-ufo-encounter)\n\n[^6]: [The War Zone timeline](https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44231/navy-releases-timeline-for-2019-uas-swarm-involving-warships-off-california)\n\n[^7]: [NBC News coverage](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-video-shows-pyramid-shaped-ufos-2019-n1264010)\n\n[^8]: [Task & Purpose analysis](https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-photos-video-pyramid-ufos/)\n\n[^9]: [USS Russell event file](/events/2019-uss-russell-encounters)\n\n[^10]: [Military OneSource: Naval Base Point Loma](https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/naval-base-point-loma)\n\n[^11]: [Military.com guide to Naval Base San Diego](https://www.military.com/base-guide/naval-base-san-diego)\n\n[^12]: [CLUI profile: North Island Naval Air Station](https://clui.org/ludb/site/north-island-naval-air-station)","readingTime":"2 min read"},"relatedRecords":[{"ref":{"type":"events","slug":"2004-uss-nimitz-encounter","title":"USS Nimitz Encounter","url":"https://disclosdex.com/events/2004-uss-nimitz-encounter"},"direction":"outbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"events","slug":"2004-2015-us-navy-encounters","title":"U.S. Navy Encounters","url":"https://disclosdex.com/events/2004-2015-us-navy-encounters"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1}],"citation":{"canonicalUrl":"https://disclosdex.com/locations/pacific-ocean-san-diego","title":"Pacific Ocean / San Diego","publisher":"Disclosdex","retrievedFrom":"https://disclosdex.com/api/v1/locations/pacific-ocean-san-diego","license":"CC-BY-4.0"},"continent":"North America"}