Document · D-OC-16
The Pentagon's press release of April 27, 2020 on the official release of the three Navy videos
Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy Videos
U.S. Department of Defense · Apr 27, 2020 · USA · Other
Original available
Official press release on defense.gov (page not downloadable automatically, error 403); the text was read in the full reproduction on Christopher Mellon's site, which links to the original, and is also reported by The Black Vault (April 27, 2020).
- What it contains
- The DoD officially releases the three Navy videos (FLIR1, GIMBAL and GOFAST) to clear up misunderstandings about their authenticity, following unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017; it specifies that the videos do not reveal sensitive capabilities and that the phenomena remain categorized as “unidentified.”
- What it shows and what it does not
- It confirms the authenticity of the videos and describes the 2017 release, the one that took place with To The Stars Academy and the New York Times, as unauthorized: it contradicts Elizondo's account that it was the DoD that released them (E-008, I-E-07) and adds to the 2019 positions already used in the entries (S-009, S-013). It does not say who physically handed over the videos in 2017 or what they show.
- How it came to light
- Public statement by the DoD. Omega Click linked to it in its article of July 19, 2025 to indicate that the Pentagon “confirms the authenticity of three videos.”
- The document
- Open the document (defense.gov)
Sources
- Department of Defense, press release of April 27, 2020 (primary source)
- Reproduction of the press release on Christopher Mellon's site (other, pro-disclosure)
- The Black Vault, the official release of the videos (April 27, 2020) (analysis)
- Omega Click Insights, “Trump e gli UFO: Il Presidente che ha Aperto il Dossier più Scomodo d'America” (July 19, 2025) (other, pro-disclosure)
On this site
People 3
Claims 3
- Luis Elizondo: Maintains that the three Navy videos were released by the Department of Defense, that the DoD made the… Contradicted
- Luis Elizondo: Says he was very surprised to learn that To The Stars Academy had the Navy videos and that he did not know… Contradicted
- Luis Elizondo: Recounts that the Navy videos were released after a change to the authorization form that allowed their… Contradicted
Inconsistencies 1
Official positions 2
- Pentagon (Department of Defense) (2019): The Pentagon confirmed to The Black Vault the authenticity of the DD Form 1910 with…
- U.S. Navy (2019): The Navy classified as “unidentified aerial phenomena” the objects filmed in the videos…
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