08_Go_Fast.pdf

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All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office 
U.S. Department of Defense 
Case: “Go Fast” 
Case Resolution | February 6, 2025 
Case Overview 
In January 2015, a U.S. Navy F/A-18F pilot 
recorded an object using a Forward Looking 
Infrared (FLIR) sensor about 13,000 feet 
above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of 
Florida. 
The video appeared to show the object moving 
at high speed.  AARO cannot definitively 
identify the object, but it displayed no 
anomalous performance characteristics. 
The Department of Defense officially released 
the “Go Fast” video in 2020.  It is av…

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Determining the object’s true speed and direction of travel (heading) requires knowing the F/A-
18F’s heading.  AARO calculated the object’s speed and heading relative to the aircraft because 
the video display does not contain the aircraft’s heading.  AARO calculated the object’s position 
and direction of travel for the entire range of possible wind directions (0° - 360°) to account for 
differences in atmospheric conditions between the F/A-18F’s altitude and object’s altitude.  This 
comprehensive modeling informed AARO’s assessment of whether the object moved…

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Figures 1 and 2 can be used to find the object’s speed and heading compared to the wind for any 
direction of the F/A-18F’s travel relative to the prevailing wind direction.  As examples, the 
object’s apparent speed and direction is summarized here for four scenarios:  headwind, 
crosswind from the left, tailwind, and crosswind from the right. 
1. Headwind (aircraft flying into the wind):  The object moved 2.0 m/s (5 mph) faster than
the wind, at a heading of ° 5° off-wind.
2. Left Crosswind (wind coming from the left side):  The object moved 26.5 m/s (59 mph)
f…

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reference.  The more quickly an observer moves relative to an observed object, the more 
pronounced this effect is.  
Data Quality and Methodology 
AARO analyzed the publicly available 34-second FLIR video, because the original file and its 
accompanying metadata are no longer available.  The video display provided sufficient 
information to assess the object’s altitude and a range of possible speeds.  The display showed: 
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The range (distance) from the FLIR sensor to the target.
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The FLIR camera’s azimuth (left-right angle) and elevation (up-down angle).
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The…

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Appendix A:  Estimating UAP Location, Speed, and Heading from 
“Go Fast” FLIR Video Data 
February 2025 
Introduction 
In 2024, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) estimated possible altitude, speed, 
and heading solutions for an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP), commonly known as 
“Go Fast.”  The executive summary, general overview, and conclusions are provided in the 
AARO “Go Fast” Case resolution [ref 1].  This paper presents a more in-depth data analysis for 
those interested in the mathematics and calculations applied to the forward-looki…

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Data 
The only data available to AARO from the “Go Fast” event were from a compressed Windows 
Media File (.wmv) [ref 4].  The recording’s metadata does not contain the F/A-18’s 
georeferenced position and heading, which are necessary to determine the UAP’s absolute 
position and flight characteristics.  The sensor display does contain enough information to find a 
speed, relative heading, and altitude of the UAP.  These necessary pieces of information are the 
elevation angle of the sensor, the azimuth angle of the sensor, the range from the F/A-18 to the 
targe…

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Table I contains the data extracted from the video footage at t1 and t2.  Range and altitude were 
converted to metric units to maintain consistency in calculations.  The F/A-18 bank angle was 
measured using the yellow lines drawn over the level flight and roll indicator lines in the display 
as depicted in Figure 1.  This angle, denoted by θB, was approximately 14° from t1 to t2.  An 
average aircraft altitude of 7,621 m was assumed over this time frame.  The speed in Mach 
number was converted to m/s [ref 5] at the altitude of the F/A-18, resulting in an avera…

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Figure 4:  The three axes defined relative to an air platform in FMV analysis.  Longitudinal is the 
+x, Transverse is the +y, and Vertical is the +z (pointing down).
This coordinate system was applied to the F/A-18 as depicted in Figure 3.  Because the aircraft 
altitude was constant over the duration of flight, its path is level and confined to the x-y plane (z 
= 0). 
Figure 5:  The top-down view coordinate system defined with the position of the F/A-18 at the origin with 
coordinates [0,0,0].  The aircraft is moving in the +x direction. 
With the position of …