What the record showsUAP Docket

Case study · CASE-045 · Naval multi-vessel aerial encounters / UAS reports

Carrier Strike Group 9 — Southern California UAP/UAS encounters (2018–2019)

Not assessedWhere Southern California offshore operating areas, near San DiegoWhen 2018–2019; July 2019 documented

Case

Overview
Jay Stratton describes a surge of reported UAP activity during 2018–2019 and reports that USS Bunker Hill and USS Cape St. George tracked approximately 10–15 objects. Separate contemporaneous Navy records document multiple aerial-object/drone encounters involving ships off Southern California in July 2019. The precise connection between the accounts has not been independently established. Related July 2019 Navy footage includes USS Russell night-vision triangular-looking lights and USS Omaha infrared imagery of a round object near the water; these are different recordings, not evidence that both vessels filmed pyramidal craft. Stratton further recounts sending an unnamed team member to collect CSG-9 data, electronically transmitting it to Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, and personally briefing senior DoD research officials Michael Griffin and Lisa Porter.
Investigative phases
Stratton retrospective account; Navy ship logs and reports from July 2019; later public reporting and official assessments Cross-reference Russell and Omaha footage, preserving each ship’s own chronology and sensor type.; reported field collection and Dahlgren electronic transfer; reported in-person Griffin/Porter briefing (dates unverified)
Reported phenomena
Multiple aerial contacts/objects reported near naval vessels; number and behavior differ by ship and event USS Russell: triangular-looking lights in night vision; USS Omaha: roughly round infrared target.
Public evidence status
Some contemporaneous ship logs and Navy documentation publicly released; exact Stratton passage, Cape St. George participation, sensor tracks and 10–15 count not independently verified No original transferred files, transmission logs or briefing records independently examined.
Alternative explanations / caveats
Officials later characterized some publicly discussed 2019 events as drones/UAS; operator(s) and attribution uncertain. USS Theodore Roosevelt association, CSG designation, specific ship assignments and dates require independent check; do not conflate with East Coast 2014–15 Roosevelt events or individual Omaha/Russell recordings. Triangular shape may be night-vision bokeh/aperture artifact; Omaha apparent ocean entry not established; UAS explanations have been advanced. Memoir is firsthand regarding Stratton’s own actions but does not independently validate the reported sensor events or establish what data were transferred.
Next research tasks
Locate exact Stratton passage and page; confirm ship roster and deployment chronology; obtain Bunker Hill/Cape St. George logs, radar plots, deck logs, contemporaneous Navy UAS incident reports; map each incident separately Compare original Russell and Omaha videos and metadata against July 2019 deck logs; do not merge distinct events or assume all are one CSG9 encounter. Identify deployed investigator, dates, data types, original files and chain of custody at Dahlgren; seek briefing calendars, slides, attendee confirmation and exact memoir pages.
Last reviewed
2026-11-05

Assessment

Not yet in the Case Assessment Matrix.

Evidence (12)

Documents gathered (12 lines of evidence)

1 readable here · 3 with a linked primary record · 8 still need a document · All cases on the evidence map

On the timeline (4)

  • 2018–2019 Stratton reports Southern California surge; Bunker Hill and Cape St. George reportedly tracked 10–15 objects Reported
    Retrospective account; ship identities and counts awaiting independent confirmation
  • 2018–2019 (date unverified) Stratton says team member collected CSG-9 data and electronically sent it to NSWC Dahlgren Claim unverified
    Retrospective memoir; transfer records and data content not independently reviewed
  • 2019-07 Multiple Navy ships document aerial-object encounters off Southern California Reported
    Contemporaneous ship reports; later UAS assessment applies to some cases
  • 2018–2020 (date unverified) Stratton says he personally briefed Michael Griffin and Lisa Porter on CSG-9 incidents Reported
    First-person retrospective account; no independent meeting documentation reviewed