Arctic Ocean between Iceland and Jan Mayen, claimed, United States Navy / international waters
The USS Trepang Periscope Photographs
A set of dramatic black-and-white periscope photographs surfaced publicly in 2015 with claims that USS Trepang (SSN-674) photographed enormous unknown objects in the Arctic in March 1971. USS Trepang really was operating beneath the northern ice cap during that period for weapons-system and scientif
Why This Case Matters
A famous modern archival-photo mystery whose strongest verified element is the submarine's exercise context, not an authenticated UFO encounter.
Chronology
- 22 Feb–22 Mar 1971 Trepang operates under northern ice cap
- claimed periscope images assigned to March 1971
- photos remain obscure for decades
- 2015 images circulate online as Trepang UFO case
- researchers note target-balloon/test-object resemblance and lack of original Navy provenance
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Naval target balloons, test shapes, missile/weapons-system targets, weather balloons and atmospheric distortion are strong explanations given the exact exercise context.
What Remains Unresolved
- Original negatives/prints
- Navy caption/log
- photographer/periscope station
- exact target type
- whether every circulating frame comes from the same source.
Key Takeaways
- Official ship history confirms an Arctic weapons-test deployment, not a UFO encounter. Until a Navy photo log or crew testimony surfaces, target/testing explanations dominate.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: