GoFast infrared-video event

Record summary

What happened A Navy aircrew used an infrared targeting system to lock onto a small image apparently moving over the ocean. The clip, later called GOFAST, includes excited cockpit reactions and was officially released by the Department of Defense in 2020. Although the visual impression is of a very fast object close to the water, geometric analyses using the display data show that parallax from the moving aircraft can create that effect and that the target may be moving much more slowly at a higher altitude. The video remains useful evidence of what the sensor recorded, but it does not by itself demonstrate exceptional speed. Evidence An officially authenticated Navy infrared video with on-screen sensor data and cockpit audio. Explanations considered A balloon or other slow airborne object viewed through strong parallax is a leading explanation. A distant conventional aircraft or other ordinary target also remains possible. What remains uncertain The exact range and wind field are not independently fixed in the short clip. The target was not recovered or identified, and visual speed estimates without geometry are misleading. Primary source Statement on the release of historical Navy videos — U.S. Department of Defense