The USS Rafael Peralta and other U.S. Navy vessels reported encounters with multiple unmanned aerial systems operating near the ships during military exercises in 2019.
In July 2019, the guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) was one of several U.S. Navy warships swarmed by unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) approximately 100 miles off the coast of California. The incidents, which occurred over multiple nights, involved drones performing brazen maneuvers, such as hovering over flight decks while the ships moved at high speeds, which exceeded the capabilities of commercial drones.
USS Rafael Peralta reported spotting "white lights" hovering over its helicopter landing pad and engaging its photo intelligence team (SNOOPIE). The ship was contacted by the passing cruise liner Carnival Imagination, which confirmed it also observed up to six drones in the area and that they were not part of the cruise ship's operations. Other involved ships included the USS Kidd, USS Russell, USS John Finn, and USS Paul Hamilton.
Key details of the incident include:
Duration: The swarming events lasted for several days, with individual encounters lasting up to three hours.
Performance: Drones maintained positions over moving ships (traveling at ~16 knots) and moved in erratic patterns in low-visibility conditions.
Investigation: The Navy, FBI, and Coast Guard investigated the sightings. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday stated the Navy could not positively identify the drones but did not believe they were extraterrestrial.
Outcome: The source of the drones remains unknown, and no public explanation has been provided for their origin or intent
| Date: | 2019-07-15 |
| Location: | Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California |
| Country: | United States |
| Category: | Military |
| Credibility: | High / Officially Documented |