Underwater UFOs: Why a Retired Navy Admiral Says They’re a National Security Threat

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The UAP conversation has focused almost exclusively on the sky. Fighter jets chase objects at 40,000 feet. Infrared cameras track them over the ocean surface. Congressional hearings center on what pilots have seen in the air. But Ret. Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet says the real problem is what is happening below the waterline. In a 2024 report and subsequent public statements, Gallaudet argues that unidentified objects that move between air and water represent a national security threat that the Navy has failed to adequately address.

TL;DR: Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet has publicly stated that unidentified submerged objects, sometimes called underwater UFOs, pose a legitimate threat to U.S. maritime security. In a 2024 report titled “Beneath the Surface,” Gallaudet wrote that transmedium UAP, defined as objects that travel between air and water, “jeopardize U.S. maritime security.” He has testified before Congress on the topic and called for expanded research into underwater UAP detection. Sources linked below.

Timeline

2004 During the Nimitz encounter, F/A-18 Hornet pilots track a UAP that appears to descend rapidly from 80,000 feet to near sea level. The object’s behavior suggests it may have entered the water. The incident is one of the earliest publicly documented cases of apparent transmedium movement.

2019 The USS Roosevelt encounters multiple UAP off the U.S. East Coast over several months. Some objects are tracked on radar descending to sea level. Pilots report objects that appear to enter or emerge from the water.

2020 The USS Omaha records video of a spherical UAP over the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. The object appears to enter the water and disappear from radar tracking. The video, later released by filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, shows the object moving at speeds inconsistent with known submersible technology.

2024 Gallaudet publishes “Beneath the Surface: We May Learn More About UAP by Looking in the Ocean,” a report arguing that transmedium USOs and UAP “jeopardize U.S. maritime security, which is already weakened by our relative ignorance about the global ocean.” The report calls for expanded research into underwater UAP detection.

November 13, 2024 Gallaudet testifies before the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation as part of the hearing “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth.” He describes transmedium UAP as a national security threat and calls for expanded detection capabilities.

August 25, 2025 Popular Mechanics publishes an article detailing four specific incidents that Gallaudet and other investigators consider the most compelling evidence for transmedium UAP. The incidents span from the 2004 Nimitz encounter through recent naval operations.

What Gallaudet Says

Gallaudet’s argument rests on three main points.

The detection gap. The ocean covers 71 percent of Earth’s surface, and humanity has mapped less than 25 percent of the seafloor in detail. The Navy’s underwater detection capabilities are optimized for tracking submarines and other large vessels, not for detecting small, fast-moving objects that may enter or exit the water at high speed. If objects are transmedium, current systems may be missing them entirely.

The evidence. Multiple incidents suggest objects have moved between air and water. The Nimitz encounter included radar tracking of an object descending from extreme altitude to near sea level. The USS Omaha video shows a spherical object entering the water. Pilots across multiple naval operations have reported objects that appear to transition between mediums. While each individual case has alternative explanations, the pattern of reports across different ships, crews, and years is harder to dismiss.

The threat assessment. Gallaudet frames the issue in national security terms. If unidentified objects are operating in U.S. territorial waters, both above and below the surface, the Navy’s inability to detect, track, or identify them represents a security vulnerability. The threat is not necessarily that the objects are hostile, but that the Navy cannot determine whether they are hostile.

Opposing Perspectives

The security case: Gallaudet’s argument is strongest when framed as a capability gap rather than an extraterrestrial claim. The Navy should be able to detect and identify all objects in its waters, regardless of their origin. If radar and sonar systems are failing to track objects that witnesses consistently report seeing, that is a technical problem that demands a technical solution. The transmedium hypothesis is one possible explanation, but even skeptics should agree that the detection gap needs to be addressed.

The evidence critique: Critics note that “transmedium” behavior has alternative explanations in every documented case. Objects descending to sea level may be optical illusions caused by perspective. The USS Omaha object entering water could be a balloon or drone. Radar returns near sea level are notoriously unreliable due to ground clutter and atmospheric effects. Without physical evidence or high-resolution video showing an object clearly transitioning between air and water, the transmedium claim remains unproven.

The framing question: Some analysts argue that framing UAP as a national security threat, while politically effective, may distort the research agenda. If the goal is to understand unidentified aerial phenomena, starting with a threat assumption biases the investigation. Objects that enter water could be natural phenomena, foreign surveillance platforms, or sensor artifacts. Requiring the threat frame to be applied before investigation has concluded may prevent objective analysis.

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