US Navy: Releasing UFO information would 'threaten national security'

All information pertaining to the Tic-Tac UFO incident on the USS Nimitz is firmly under wraps

Bright nebula gas cloud in deep outer space (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Bright nebula gas cloud in deep outer space
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Conspiracy theorists, rejoice – the truth may be out there, and yes, the government may not want you to know.
This is what independent researcher Christian Lambright found out when he received a response to his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information on the "Tic-Tac UFO" incident aboard the USS Nimitz, according to UFO blog UFOs – Documenting the Evidence and reported by Vice News.
The incident in question took place in November 2004, when a UFO was spotted by fighter pilots aboard the USS Nimitz off the coast of California. Though many details were kept classified, a short video of the event less than a minute long was leaked to the press in 2017 by Luis Elizondo, a former Pentagon official who wanted to shed light on secretive Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program run by the Defense Department.
Due to the shape of the UFO, it has become known in UFO lore as the "Tic-Tac UFO."
But while there was only the one video, several naval officers aboard the USS Nimitz told the news site Popular Mechanics that the video they had seen was longer, around eight to 10 minutes in length.
Naturally, skepticism has run rampant since then, and there is no shortage of people who want to no more, prompting Lambright to file is FOIA request in October 2019.
"This request is to include all releasable portions of records and reports related to investigation of the detection of and encounter(s) with Anomalous Aerial Vehicles (AAVs) [UFOs] by personnel involved with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) operations off the western coast of the United States during the period of approximately 10-16 November, 2004," the request read.
"If my request is denied in whole or in part, I ask that you explain all deletions by reference to specific categories of exempted information, but as required by law, release any segregable portions that are left after the exempted material has been redacted."
It turns out, however, that the evidence is still completely under wraps.
In its response, the ONI told Lambright that while there are indeed materials on file regarding the incident, none of them are releasable.
"We have discovered certain briefing slides that are classified TOP SECRET," the response said. "A review of these materials indicates that are currently and appropriate Marked and Classified TOP SECRET... and the Original Classification Authority has determined that the release of these materials would cause exceptionally grave damage to the National Security of the United States.
As a result these records may not be released and are being withheld."
In addition, the response also said that there was another classified video pertaining to the incident, but it is owned and classified by a separate agency.
The details of the video are, naturally, unknown. However, it is believed to be the longer version of the video leaked by Elizondo in 2017.
Speaking to Vice News, Elizondo explained that he was “not able to comment further on the existence of a longer video due to my obligations involving my NDA [Non Disclosure Agreement] with the government and the fact that I am no longer employed with the US government.
"However, as I stated before, people should not be surprised by the revelation that other videos exist and at greater length."
The truth is out there, indeed.