USS Nimitz CVN-68 at Bremerton Naval Base

In 2004, the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group was training off Southern California when radar tracked unknown craft plunging from 60,000 feet to sea level in seconds.

Pilots sent to investigate reported a smooth white object with no wings or exhaust, maneuvering beyond the limits of known technology.

The now famous “Tic Tac” incident raised questions about airspace security and sparked global debate over whether it was secret human engineering or something else entirely.

Today the USS Nimitz rests at Bremerton, Washington. Commissioned in 1975 as the first nuclear-powered supercarrier of her class, she has deployed to every major conflict from the Cold War through the Gulf and Afghanistan.

Measuring 333 meters and displacing over 100,000 tons, she carries an air wing of up to 90 aircraft and is driven by twin reactors that allow unlimited range.

Soon to be retired, Nimitz remains iconic both as the lead ship of her class and as the carrier tied to one of history’s most famous UFO encounters.