USS Trepang UFO Photographs: 1971 Arctic Submarine Sighting
Beneath the crushing ice of the Arctic Ocean, where sunlight fractures into blue voids and submarines glide like silent phantoms, the USS Trepang captured images that still haunt declassified archives. March 1971: Periscope snaps reveal cigar-shaped behemoths rising from frozen waters, disks hovering amid fog, and explosive bursts that defy explanation. Stamps scream 'Official Photograph. Not to be Released. Criminal Sanction.' Weapons test debris? Photoshopped fakes? Or USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects) breaching from hidden bases? The Navy's silence fuels the fire.
The Icebreaker: Trepang's Arctic Patrol, March 1971
USS Trepang (SSN-674), a Sturgeon-class nuclear attack submarine, was the second U.S. Navy vessel named for the trepang (a tough, muscular sea cucumber found on coral reefs). Commissioned on August 14, 1970, at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut, she was sponsored by Mrs. Melvin R. Laird (wife of Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird). At 292 feet long, displacing 4,780 tons submerged, Trepang was built for stealthy hunter-killer roles: tracking Soviet subs, gathering intelligence, and testing weapons under ice. Her reactor propelled her at 28 knots submerged, with a crew of 109 officers and enlisted men enduring months in steel tombs.
Following shakedown cruises in the Caribbean (April 1971, Frederiksted, St. Croix for weapons trials), Trepang headed north. From February 22 to March 22, 1971, she operated beneath the northern ice cap between Iceland and Jan Mayen Island (a Norwegian volcanic outpost, coordinates roughly 71°N 8°W, redacted in logs). Commanded by Commander Dean Reynolds Sackett, Jr. (from Beatrice, Nebraska; USNA 1956), the mission was dual: military (torpedo data, sonar calibration) and scientific (ice movement, composition, geological history via core samples). Temps: -30°F surface, pressure: 1,000 psi at 600 feet. No sunlight; crews relied on periscope pops through polynyas (ice gaps).
Commander Sackett, a submarine veteran with prior command of USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16, 1976-1978), later rose to Rear Admiral. His logs (declassified via FOIA, Black Vault 2015) note 'extensive tests' but no anomalies. Yet whispers persist: joint ops with HMS Dreadnought (S101, British sub in region January 1971) for counter-submarine exercises. Trepang's periscope (Becker B-1, 60x zoom, black-and-white film) was standard for surface scans. Chief Photographer's Mate Richard D. Olson manned the camera; Officer John Klika (confirmed aboard via roster) was on watch.
The Frames: What the Periscope Saw
The six grainy frames, captured on Kodak Tri-X film (ISO 400, periscope artifacts: vignetting, distortion from ice glare), surfaced in French magazine Top Secret (1990s), predating Photoshop ubiquity. Investigator Alex Mistretta traced them to anonymous Navy sources. All stamped 'SSN 674. Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanction' (Espionage Act implications).
Frame 1: Massive cigar (100+ feet long, riveted hull like Zeppelin) breaches water amid ice floes. Spray towers 50 feet; no wake suggests silent ascent.
Frame 2: Side profile, tilting 45 degrees upward, faint exhaust plume (ionized air?). No props, seams, or markings.
Frame 3: Classic disk (30 feet diameter, dome top, rim lights?) hovers 200 feet above waves, stable despite 20-knot winds.
Frame 4: Triangular shadow (equilateral, 40 feet sides) against stratus clouds, edges razor-sharp, metallic sheen.
Frame 5: Cigar cracks mid-air, venting orange plasma in spherical burst (not linear explosion).
Frame 6: Debris field (fragments, some saucer-like) plummets into sea, ripples visible. Sequence: 10-15 seconds total, per estimated shutter speeds.
Declassified Shadows: Navy Docs and Debunk Attempts
FOIA yields Trepang's Command History (Jan 1971-Jan 1972, Black Vault): 'Operated beneath northern ice cap... extensive tests for weapons systems... scientific experiments on cap movement/composition/geology.' No UFOs. Sackett (interviewed 2015 by Steve Murillo, ex-Navy pilot): 'Routine patrol. No anomalies. Only saw ice.' At 89 (PolitiFact, July 2024), he reiterated: 'Did not witness UFO.' Klika (2021 contact): 'Nothing unusual. Neither myself nor anyone else saw anything in the Arctic.' Navy PAO Joseph Gradisher (2024): 'Unverifiable photos; no record.' Gilles Fernandez (2017 analysis): Explosion frame shows duplicated cloud layers (Photoshop clone tool). PolitiFact (2024): False claim; images manipulated, timeline matches but no confirmation. Mutual UFO Network: 1,179 sightings June 1971 (up from 600 prior year). Yet originals predate digital edits; Top Secret enhancements for print?
The Arctic Enigma: USO Bases or Balloon Bust?
Barents Sea: WWII wrecks (U-boats, HMS Audacious), Nazi 'Base North' rumors, Soviet subs. Arctic: 13% global undiscovered oil; hydrothermal vents spew methane. Rational: Barrage balloons (torpedo targets, 1910s-1970s tech; photos match Aereon 26 hybrid airship tested 1971). Explosion: Hit by practice round (Trepang's Mk 48 torpedoes). Woo: USOs from intra-ocean bases (transmedium craft, 2021 UAP Task Force report echoes). Portals via magnetic anomalies (Earth's pole flips). Nazi diehards (Haunebu saucers)? ET scouts for resources (oil fracking theory). 2025 drone surveys: 'Anomalous hulls' in wrecks. Stamps: Black project cover (anti-sub blimps)?
The Photographs Table: Frame-by-Frame Breakdown
| Frame | Description | Behavior | Evidence/Anomaly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cigar breaching water | Emerging from sea | Rivets visible; ice displacement |
| 2 | Cigar ascending | Tilting upward | Exhaust plume; no props |
| 3 | Disk hovering | Stable low altitude | Dome structure; periscope vignette |
| 4 | Triangular shadow | Against clouds | Sharp edges; metallic glint |
| 5 | Cigar exploding | Venting plasma | Cracks; duplicated clouds (edit?) |
| 6 | Debris field | Falling into sea | Fragments; 'Criminal Sanction' stamp |
Key Players: Crew, Skeptics, and the Shadows
| Name | Role | Quote/Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Dean Reynolds Sackett, Jr. | Commander (USNA 1956) | "Routine patrol. No anomalies. Only saw ice." (2015/2024 interviews) |
| John Klika | Spotter Officer | "Nothing unusual. No one saw anything." (2021) |
| Richard D. Olson | Chief Photographer | Snapped frames; unverified status |
| John Greenewald, Jr. | FOIA Expert (Black Vault) | "Likely weapons tests/targets." (2015 FOIA) |
| Gilles Fernandez | UFO Analyst | "Photoshop duplication in explosion." (2017) |
| Alex Mistretta | Investigator | Sourced photos; ongoing probe (mistretta1020@gmail.com) |
The Woo Theories: USOs, Black Projects, or Balloon Bust?
Rational: Barrage balloons for Mk 48 torpedo drills (Trepang's focus); hit causes burst. Shapes match 1971 Aereon 26 (lift-gas hybrid). Duplication: Magazine print artifact. Woo: USOs from Barents bases (Nazi/ET; transmedium like 2004 Nimitz Tic-Tac). Stamps: Classified anti-sub tech. Oil scouts? Arctic's 90 billion barrels undiscovered. 2025 surveys: 'Hulls' in wrecks. Sackett/Klika denials: Oath-bound? Or ice only?
The Legacy: Stamps That Still Seal Secrets
Photos viral on Reddit (r/aliens: 3K upvotes, 2023; r/submarines: crew vets weigh in). Navy: 'Unverifiable.' Trepang decommissioned 1991 (scrap 2000). Logs ice-bound. 2024 PolitiFact: False. Yet grain endures: rivets, plumes. X debates (2025: 'USO bases?'). Arctic whispers: dive deeper.
Sources
- Black Vault: Arctic UFO Photographs USS Trepang, 2023
- PolitiFact: Navy UFO Photos Don't Hold Water, 2024
- Reddit r/submarines: USS Trepang UFO Incident, 2021
- Reddit r/aliens: USS Trepang UFO Photos, 2023
- Daily Mail: Navy Photos ET Oil Hunt Theory, 2015
- UFO Highway: 1971 Trepang Revisited, 2024
- Reddit r/UFOs: Arctic UFO Photos Trepang, 2015
- UFOMG: 6 Images USS Trepang Sighting, 2015
- Wikipedia: USS Trepang (SSN-674), 2025
- Naval History: Trepang II, 2025