Sea Skimming UFOs: Declassified Files Show Objects Flying Inches Above the Ocean

A declassified 2024 USCENTCOM mission report details a glowing spherical object with a vertical cylindrical pole flying at 140 knots "just over the water" (86275421f6458356). This incident is not an isolated anomaly; it is part of a broader, documented pattern across multiple military platforms between 2016 and 2024, revealing a specific flight profile where unidentified objects skim the ocean surface to evade conventional tracking.

The Physical Profile: The Sea Skimming Regime

For conventional aircraft, flying mere inches above the water is the most dangerous aerodynamic regime possible. Pilots and drones must contend with unpredictable ocean swells, blinding salt spray, and the destabilizing aerodynamic phenomenon known as ground effect. However, it is also the most tactically effective altitude for evading radar detection, allowing an object to hide beneath the radar horizon of surface vessels and coastal defense systems.

The declassified records in UAP Archives demonstrate that military sensors are repeatedly capturing Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) operating comfortably in this hostile environment. By analyzing these reports transversally, a distinct subset of transmedium and sea-skimming objects emerges, characterized by sustained, controlled flight immediately above the ocean swells.

2020: The Erratic White Object

The earliest explicit description of this specific low-altitude behavior in the recent UAP reporting framework appears in a USCENTCOM Range Fouler Debrief Form dated May 14, 2020. During an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission, an aircrew encountered what they described as a "solid white object" that "flew through the FOV" (90b353682ba21811).

The document notes that the object made erratic movements directly above the water. The extreme proximity to the surface was confirmed by the sensor operator's struggle to maintain a stable track file. The report states that the object's low altitude was "apparent by the waves of the water in the background being visible and not being visible" as the sensor attempted to lock onto the target (90b353682ba21811). The crew achieved a 4x zoom but ultimately lost the object due to poor track placement, highlighting the difficulty of tracking small targets against the chaotic background of ocean waves.

2023: Twin Reports of Circular Objects

In October 2023, the same military unit filed two separate Mission Reports (MISREPs) detailing sea-skimming UAP encounters just days apart. The first incident, recorded on October 27, involved an object described as "seemingly circular, too small to make out details" (7078d96f334dbf39). The aircrew reported that the object was "flying just above the surface of the ocean water" and executed "multiple 90 degree turns at an estimated 80 MPH" before the sensor feed lost the track (7078d96f334dbf39). The ability to execute sharp, right-angle turns at 80 miles per hour without gaining altitude or impacting the water indicates a high degree of control.

Two days later, on October 29, a nearly identical object was spotted by the same unit. The second MISREP again describes a seemingly circular object "flying just above the surface of the ocean water" (b4f4f4ce6dc7687a). However, in this instance, the object maintained a slower kinetic velocity of 30 MPH and flew in a straight trajectory toward land. In both cases, the military observers assessed the UAP as benign, noting no anomalous radio frequency signatures or hostile intent, yet the objects demonstrated sustained flight immediately above the water.

2024: The Glowing Sphere with a Pole

The most detailed physical description of a sea-skimming UAP in the current release comes from a June 2024 USCENTCOM Mandatory Declassification Review document. During a return-to-base flight, an aircrew detected a UAP traveling at a constant 140 knots. The report explicitly states the object was "flying straight just over the water" (86275421f6458356).

The visual description provided in the GENTEXT section of the report is highly specific. The crew observed a "glowing hot spherical unidentified object with a vertical unwavering cylindrical pole/bar attached on the bottom" (86275421f6458356). The report also notes a possible reflection of the object in the water below, further confirming its extreme low altitude. From an aerodynamic standpoint, an attached vertical pole traveling at 140 knots should experience significant drag, yet the report specifically describes the appendage as "unwavering." Despite the detailed visual characteristics and the steady speed, the propulsion means and advanced capabilities were logged as unknown.

The 2022 Transmedium Video: In and Out of the Water

The archive also contains visual evidence of objects transitioning between the air and the ocean. A video uploaded to a classified network in May 2024, titled "Multiple Spherical UAP USO near Sub. CALLSIGN 2022/03/25 in and out of water," captures multiple areas of contrast moving dynamically across the screen, which the uploader's title claims are near a U.S. submarine (vid-1007779). The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) assesses the footage was likely captured by an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform. The uploader's explicit use of the acronym "USO" (Unidentified Submersible Object) in the official file name highlights the transmedium nature of the event, as the objects are described as moving in and out of the water.

A second video, titled "UAP USO Formation CALLSIGN (Mission)," shows four areas of contrast transiting the frame, though AARO notes this specific media was digitally altered prior to its upload to the classified network (vid-1007708). Both videos underscore the military's internal categorization of these low-altitude, water-adjacent anomalies as USOs, requiring specific tracking and documentation.

The Sober Counterpoint: The 2016 Kuznetsov Encounter

While the recent reports present unexplained spherical and circular objects, the archive also provides a crucial, sober counterpoint demonstrating that the sea-skimming profile often has entirely prosaic explanations. A November 2016 USCENTCOM report details an incident where a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft observed an "unidentified low-flying object" traveling at 500 knots in the Eastern Mediterranean (f5885b95b57a81c0).

The object was detected via an EO/IR sensor and appeared to be in "sea skim mode." However, the contextual data gathered by the P-8A allowed analysts to assess the situation accurately. The object passed directly between the Russian vessel INGUL ARS and another unidentified vessel, originating from the vicinity of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. The military assessed the 500-knot sea skimmer not as an anomalous vehicle, but as a "possible missile launch" consistent with standard Russian naval activity (f5885b95b57a81c0).

This 2016 document proves that military analysts actively evaluate the sea-skimming flight profile against known conventional weapons systems. Therefore, the unexplained cases from 2020, 2023, and 2024 represent instances where such prosaic missile or drone explanations were systematically eliminated by the observing crews and intelligence officers.

USO Glossary

For researchers navigating the documents, the terminology surrounding water-based anomalies is highly specific.

• USO (Unidentified Submersible Object): A term used to describe objects that operate underwater or transition between the water and the atmosphere. See our wiki for a complete history of the term.
• Transmedium UAP: Objects that demonstrate the ability to move seamlessly between different physical mediums, such as space, the atmosphere, and the ocean, without a degradation in performance.
• Sea Skimming: A flight profile where an object travels as close to the water's surface as possible, typically to avoid radar detection.

What the document does not say

To maintain strict adherence to the archival record, it is important to note what these declassified files do not claim:

• None of the documents assert that the objects are of extraterrestrial origin.
• The files do not identify the propulsion systems of the 2020, 2023, or 2024 objects; they are explicitly listed as "UNK" (Unknown) in the mission reports.
• The reports do not state that the objects demonstrated hostile intent; the 2023 and 2024 MISREPs explicitly assess the UAP as "Benign."
• The documents do not confirm whether the video actually depicts a U.S. submarine, nor do they state that the objects physically breached a hull or caused any structural damage.
• The archive does not provide a definitive prosaic explanation for the glowing sphere with the vertical pole observed in 2024.

Read it yourself

Explore the original declassified documents and videos referenced in this report:

• USCENTCOM Range Fouler Debrief Form
• USCENTCOM MDR 26-0019 (Oct 28-29, 2023)
• USCENTCOM Mission Report (MISREP) 9329374 (Oct 26-27, 2023)
• USCENTCOM Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) (Jun 6-7, 2024)
• DOW-UAP-PR067, "Multiple Spherical UAP USO near Sub. CALLSIGN 2022/03/25 in and out of water"
• USCENTCOM (Nov 18, 2016)
• DOW-UAP-PR052, "UAP USO Formation CALLSIGN (Mission)"