USS Russell drone swarm logs
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 🗓️ Event
Contents 7
| Date | 30 July 2019 |
|---|---|
| Topics | Military encounters (topic) |
| People | John Greenewald |
| Testimony | Shellenberger testimony, p. 194 |
| Year | 2019 in UFO history |
| Timeline | 2019 on the UAP Timeline |
| Sources | 5 |
In July 2019 several U.S. Navy warships off Southern California, including the destroyers USS Russell, Kidd and Paul Hamilton, logged unidentified "drones" around them at night over several weeks. Deck logs released under the Freedom of Information Act show heavy redactions around the most significant night, 30 July 2019.[1][2]
The encounters
The first widely reported encounters took place on 14–16 July 2019, when drones followed ships; a map from the Paul Hamilton shows the ship making an abrupt turn with a drone closely following. Sightings continued sporadically through the second half of July. Ships deployed "SNOOPIE" teams — sailors trained to document unknown contacts — and on one occasion the Russell logged a drone at about 400 feet. Information reached the Chief of Naval Operations by 18 July, and the Navy began an investigation.[2]
The logs
Deck logs obtained by researcher John Greenewald of The Black Vault and others show the Russell conducting counter-drone exercises on 20 July, including firing its 5-inch gun, and a few days later recording the use of a "ghostbusters" counter-drone device. Its entries for 30 July are heavily redacted until about 3 a.m., while the Kidd and Paul Hamilton deployed SNOOPIE teams that night. Greenewald won an appeal for further release of the records.[1][2]
The videos
Filmmaker Jeremy Corbell later released footage, which the Pentagon confirmed had been taken by Navy personnel, including a triangular or pyramid-shaped light over a ship's deck and an object apparently falling into the ocean. Many analysts consider the pyramid shape an optical effect of the camera.[2][3]
Explanations
The operators of the drones have never been publicly identified. The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, said the aircraft were never identified but showed no sign of being extraterrestrial. Analysts suggest foreign surveillance, possibly from vessels at sea, aimed at provoking reactions to collect electronic intelligence. The incidents highlighted real concerns about drones near U.S. military assets.[2][3]
People and topics
- Unidentified anomalous phenomena — The U.S. government's current term for unidentified objects in the air, in space and underwater.
- U.S. Navy — The U.S. naval service, whose pilots reported the UAP encounters revealed in 2017.
- Freedom of Information Act — The 1966 U.S. law that lets the public request government records.
- John Greenewald — Founder of The Black Vault FOIA archive.
- The Black Vault — John Greenewald's online archive of government documents.
On the Timeline
- TTSA Senate briefings (12 July 2019) — DeLonge says To The Stars spent 18 months briefing the Senate and committees.
- TTSA technical collaborations (2019) (8 August 2019) — To The Stars announces technical collaborations with aerospace companies.
See every 2019 event on the UAP Timeline →
References
- "The Black Vault granted important appeal relating to 2019 unidentified drone encounters", The Black Vault · theblackvault.com · archived copy
- "Mysterious drone swarms over Navy destroyers off California went on for weeks", The War Zone · twz.com · archived copy
- "Multiple destroyers were swarmed by mysterious drones off California over numerous nights", The War Zone · twz.com · archived copy
- thedrive.com · thedrive.com · archived copy
- thedrive.com · thedrive.com · archived copy
This page was last edited on 29 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.
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