FOIA-Released Emails Mention Alleged Triangular UAP Photo; Former UAP Task Force Director Speaks Out

Newly released documents obtained by The Black Vault through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) under case 21-F-0299 reveal email exchanges within the Department of Defense (DoD) discussing a photograph reportedly showing a triangular Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) emerging from the ocean. The FOIA request was originally filed in December 2020. Along with these documents, John “Jay” Stratton, former Director of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), has now spoken exclusively to The Black Vault about this claim, offering brand-new clarification that no such photograph depicting a triangular craft emerging from the ocean was ever received by the UAPTF.

The long-rumored photograph in question gained significant attention following a December 2020 article by The Debrief, which described an “extremely clear” image of a large triangular object with rounded edges and white spherical lights in each corner. According to the article, the photograph was allegedly taken in 2019 by an F/A-18 fighter pilot after the object emerged from the ocean and ascended vertically. The story quickly became one of the most talked-about pieces of evidence that the DoD was allegedly withholding, with references by public figures such as Luis Elizondo which fueled widespread discussion across social media.

The FOIA-released emails, dated December 3 and 4, 2020, show internal communication within the DoD discussing The Debrief article. In one email addressed to Susan Gough (her name is redacted in the “to:” line but not in the body of the email), someone (name redacted) from the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (DCNO) office states, “Jay [Stratton] tells me the photo is part of the active investigation, so it would probably be withheld from release for that reason.”

The information in this email, which was conveyed to Gough in 2020 from Stratton himself, appeared to confirm the existence of the triangle UAP photograph, however, Stratton’s recent statement to The Black Vault directly addresses this assumption.

“At the time of this email exchange, the story in The Debrief, and the claim that an F/A-18 pilot had provided a photograph of a triangle emerging from the ocean, I was handling multiple cases. When asked about it, especially on an unclassified system, I was aware of what The Debrief was reporting while also managing other investigations, some of which could have been conflated with this claim. We had photographs from F/A-18 pilots, instances of UAP that appeared triangular/pyramidal, and other unrelated cases. Given the circumstances, I was limited in what I could discuss at the time,” Stratton explained.

He added: “To prevent years of speculation and misinterpretation of emails taken out of context, I want to clarify explicitly: No such photo was ever provided to us by an F/A-18 pilot showing a triangle emerging from the water. This statement is simply meant to ensure accuracy on this specific detail, not to challenge or critique The Debrief’s reporting.”

Tim McMillan, the author of The Debrief’s original article, provided additional context to The Black Vault: “In 2020, the idea that the U.S. government was formally investigating UAP was still shocking. The information reported, including the description of some images, came from multiple sources with direct access to early UAPTF intelligence documents. I remain confident in the accuracy of the information shared.”

McMillan further elaborated that the early UAPTF intelligence reports were widely distributed among DoD component branches, federal agencies, and allied intelligence services. According to McMillan, the sourcing for the “Fast Movers” article was robust, involving individuals who had no prior involvement in the UFO topic but were stunned to see official government briefings on UAP.

McMillan added: “The information reported in the ‘Fastmovers’ article, including the description of some images, early assessments, and interest in ‘transmedium’ UAP, came from multiple sources that had direct access to these early UAPTF intelligence documents. I’m sure a lot of people assumed these sources were the ‘usual UFO suspects,’ e.g. Lue Elizondo, Chris Mellon, etc. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I’m not even sure Mellon or Elizondo even knew about those intel documents prior to my article. That article had some expert sourcing. However, it all came from people who had no involvement or interest in UAP prior or since. They were primarily willing to talk because it was the first time they’d ever seen anything related to UFOs/UAP being distributed through official channels and they were stunned.”

Since the publication of The Debrief’s article, the rumored triangular UAP photograph has remained a focal point of discussion within the UFO community. However, Stratton’s latest comments suggest these claims are based on misinterpretations.

When asked why he did not correct the record at the time, Stratton stated, “Keep in mind that’s an email on an unclassified system. I don’t recall if I corrected it on a separate system at the time, but generally, there was no formal process for publicly addressing inaccuracies related to potentially classified reporting. Engaging with speculative reporting was neither standard practice nor always feasible.”

Other notable documents in the 88 page FOIA release (available below) include extensive media inquiries regarding the roles of AATIP and AAWSAP, with several journalists questioning the involvement of Luis Elizondo and clarifications sought about Navy reporting protocols on UAP sightings. Emails also discuss inquiries into claims related to the Drake Equation and its connection to AATIP, highlighting broader speculation about extraterrestrial life considerations. Correspondence shows ongoing questions about the legitimacy of various reports, DoD’s reluctance to engage publicly on speculative stories, and repeated efforts by the media to confirm details about classified briefings and UAP-related photographs.

While the newly released documents and Stratton’s statement seemingly dispel one of the most persistent rumors surrounding UAP evidence in recent years, the broader mystery of unidentified phenomena remains. As official investigations continue and additional information is released, the search for definitive answers continues.

Numerous FOIA requests filed by The Black Vault remain open on these issues, and all records released via the FOIA will be published, when available.

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Document Archive

Full 21-F-0299 FOIA release [91 Pages, 14MB]

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Full Comments, Unedited, and Additional Commentary – Updated 2/27/2025, 5:51a Pacific Time

The following quotes were submitted by Tim McMillan. This is the entire original quote, unedited. There were no specific questions asked, rather, I asked Mr. McMillan for any on the record comment he’d like to give, and I sent him the two pages of documents relating to the UAP triangle photograph.

Additional context: At first, I believed the emails confirmed the UAP triangle coming out of the water. A later statement by Stratton to The Black Vault seemed to refute that. I did go back to Mr. McMillan after he was made aware of Stratton’s comment. I was not given the impression anything would change.

That said, after a comment was posted on X that I “evidently, intentionally or unintentionally, excluded in his article” important context, I decided to remedy that I would post the entire comment. Again, with the caveat, Mr. McMillan wrote this when my angle was originally different. I did not include some parts because I felt it would cause confusion. I explained more here. After the fact, Mr. McMillan issued more clarity and context, which he asked me to post, as well. That can be found here.

I appreciate his kind words, and his full understanding on how everything was handled on my end. As I told him publicly and privately, my aim is only to be fair and accurate, and am glad to see that despite an initial misunderstanding, he feels I did just that.

It’s no problem and please don’t feel compelled to publish everything in its entirety. You’re free to just use any quotes or information as you see fit for your article. It’s totally up to you. Either way, I’ll give you some more background, which will hopefully offer some more insight on the FOIA you received.

First of all, I would say it’s important to consider the time when the “Fastmovers…” article was published and these email exchanges occurred. Here in 2025, the idea that the U.S. government is formally investigating UAP is a matter of fact, thanks to AARO, congressional hearings, etc.. However, the “Fastmovers” article was published in 2020 and roughly 3 months after the DepSecDef had formally established the UAPTF. Essentially, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations briefing members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on UAP, or formal intelligence products being produced on the subject was pretty shocking news four years ago.

With that said, here’s a little more information on the background and lead up to the “Fastmovers” article. From a bureaucratic standpoint, when the DepSecDef formally established the UAPTF,  it gave the program a lot more “muscle” and authority to investigate UAP. This included the UAPTF being able to officially provide briefings and compile intelligence products related to UAP. Early in this process, classified intelligence documents were produced that provided an overview of the UAP issue, including some case examples and imagery. These documents were used in briefings and distributed to multiple DoD component branches, federal agencies, and even allied foreign intelligence services. It’s my understanding that several different types of UAP documents/briefings were created based on differing classification levels or approval for distribution to Five Eyes partners.

The information reported in the “Fastmovers” article, including the description of some images, early assessments, and interest in “transmedium” UAP, came from multiple sources that had direct access to these early UAPTF intelligence documents. I’m sure a lot of people assumed these sources were the “usual UFO suspects,” e.g. Lue Elizondo, Chris Mellon, etc. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I’m not even sure Mellon or Elizondo even knew about those intel documents prior to my article. That article had some expert sourcing. However, it all came from people who had no involvement or interest in UAP prior or since. They were primarily willing to talk because it was the first time they’d ever seen anything related to UFOs/UAP being distributed through official channels and they were stunned.

Now, this was a very long way of saying, I was incredibly confident of the information shared in the “Fastmovers” article, so it doesn’t necessarily surprise me to see Stratton confirming the existence of the mentioned photograph. I’m also certain that additional discussions about the photograph and that article occurred among OSD, OUSDI, CNO, and Congress.

Ultimately, I’m not sure how much any of this helps with your analysis of this recent FOIA request. However, hopefully it can give a little more insight into the whole situation.

Feel free to let me know if you need anything else.

Best Wishes,

Tim

 

 

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