The [[USS Nimitz]] (CVN-68) is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. It was the lead vessel of the [[USS Nimitz]] Carrier Strike Group that was involved in the 2004 [[Tic Tac Incident]], one of the most well-documented and significant [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena|UAP]] encounters in modern history.[^1] ### The 2004 Tic Tac Incident In November 2004, while conducting pre-deployment training exercises off the coast of San Diego, the [[USS Nimitz]] Carrier Strike Group, which included the Aegis-class cruiser [[USS Princeton]], detected a series of anomalous aerial vehicles. These objects were tracked on radar for nearly two weeks, performing maneuvers that defied the capabilities of any known aircraft.[^1] On November 14, 2004, several F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Nimitz were dispatched to intercept one of these objects. The pilots, including Commander [[Dave Fravor]] and Lieutenant Commander [[Alex Dietrich]], witnessed a white, oblong craft, nicknamed the "Tic Tac," performing impossible maneuvers over a disturbance in the ocean. The incident was captured on video by an ATFLIR pod, and the object was tracked on radar by the [[USS Princeton]].[^1] The encounter with the [[Tic Tac]] became a cornerstone case for the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP) and was instrumental in bringing the UAP issue to the attention of the public and Congress. The credibility of the witnesses, all highly trained naval aviators, and the high-fidelity data from multiple sensor platforms, made the incident impossible to dismiss.[^1] ### Key Vessels and Personnel The key vessels involved in the incident were the [[USS Nimitz]] (CVN-68), the lead aircraft carrier of the strike group, and the [[USS Princeton]] (CG-59), the Aegis-class guided missile cruiser that initially tracked the UAP. The key personnel involved were Commander [[Dave Fravor]], the commanding officer of the Black Aces squadron and the lead pilot who engaged the Tic Tac; Lieutenant Commander [[Alex Dietrich]], the pilot of the second F/A-18 involved in the initial encounter; and Lieutenant Chad Underwood, the pilot who captured the ATFLIR video of the Tic Tac.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.