On April 24, 2024, a U.S. Coast Guard C-144 aircraft recorded thermal infrared imagery of two objects displaying heat signatures and morphological characteristics matching the “Tic Tac” descriptor — terminology originating from the widely documented 2004 USS Nimitz carrier strike group encounter off the California coast.
The Encounter Details
The Coast Guard aircraft captured the two objects using thermal infrared imaging systems, with the objects classified as displaying “Tic Tac IR hot” signatures — indicating strong infrared heat emission. The pill-shaped, featureless appearance documented in the thermal data parallels descriptions from the 2004 Nimitz incident, which involved Navy fighter pilots observing similarly configured objects.
This April 2024 encounter represents one of the few publicly acknowledged instances of the U.S. Coast Guard documenting unidentified anomalous phenomena, significantly broadening the pattern of UAP observations beyond Navy and Air Force platforms traditionally associated with such incidents.
Congressional Significance
The Coast Guard C-144 thermal imagery footage forms part of the broader evidentiary record that Congress has begun examining. The encounter is specifically referenced in Luna’s documentation demanding 46 specific videos from the Pentagon — a request that underscores ongoing Congressional pressure for transparency regarding military encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena.
The inclusion of Coast Guard assets in the documented record indicates the scope of UAP encounters extends across multiple service branches and operational contexts, suggesting systemic detection and documentation protocols that may extend beyond previously publicized Navy and Air Force incidents.
Classification Context
Objects displaying “Tic Tac” characteristics — featureless, thermally distinctive, and capable of rapid maneuvers — have emerged as a recurring descriptor in military UAP encounters. The April 2024 Coast Guard encounter provides fresh thermal signature data that may contribute to ongoing Pentagon assessment of these phenomena.
This article references Luna’s documentation of 46 specific videos demanded from the Pentagon as part of Congressional oversight of military UAP encounters.