Ryan Graves, a former Navy F/A-18 pilot, testified before Congress in 2023 that UAP sightings were routine during his active-duty years (2012–2015) off the Virginia Beach coast — so frequent among his squadron that they became part of daily flight briefs. His most cited incident occurred in Warning Area W-72, ten miles east of Virginia Beach: two jets crossing a fixed entry point encountered a motionless dark gray cube inside a clear sphere, forcing evasive action and an aborted mission. No o...

In 2014 and 2015, pilots assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron Eleven (VFA-11 "Red Rippers") operating from Naval Air Station Oceana began reporting a series of unusual encounters while training in Warning Area W-72 off the U.S. East Coast. Following the installation of the AN/APG-79 AESA radar aboard the squadron's F/A-18F Super Hornets, aircrews repeatedly detected unidentified contacts exhibiting unusual behavior. Initially dismissed as false radar returns, the contacts continued to appear o...

In 2014 and 2015, pilots assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron Eleven (VFA-11 "Red Rippers") operating from Naval Air Station Oceana began reporting a series of unusual encounters while training in Warning Area W-72 off the U.S. East Coast. Following the installation of the AN/APG-79 AESA radar aboard the squadron's F/A-18F Super Hornets, aircrews repeatedly detected unidentified contacts exhibiting unusual behavior. Initially dismissed as false radar returns, the contacts continued to appear o...