Virginia Beach: Two F/A-18Fs track stationary UAD
Two F/A-18F jets from NAS Oceana detected a stationary unidentified aerial object at 11,000 feet in W-72 during training. They locked on with training missiles but saw no visual confirmation.
Background
Event Details
On April 24, 2014 at 12:47, two F/A-18F fighters from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia were conducting manoeuvres in warning area W-72. Both aircraft acquired on radar an unidentified aerial vehicle holding almost motionless at 11,000 feet. The pilots maintained contact and were able to lock onto the target with CATM-9X training versions of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile.
Observations and Evidence
Unlike earlier incidents, no visual sighting of the object was obtained here. The radar tracks were stable, which suggests a real target. No other sensors such as infrared are mentioned, but the missile lock has been cited in support of the objectivity of the detection.
Witnesses and Context
Pilots from the Oceana base were involved, without being named. The event belongs to a series of military encounters off the east coast, documented by Tyler Rogoway and Joseph Trevithick in an article of May 12, 2020. It illustrates repeated intrusions into sensitive areas.