A family of four hiking in Joshua Tree National Park on October 14, 2023, observed and photographed an unidentified flying object, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
The object was described as dumbbell- or H-shaped, made of highly reflective silver material, and estimated to be the size of a car or small plane. The sighting occurred within a few miles of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms and approximately 115 miles from Edwards Air Force Base, the world's largest airfield and a testing ground for experimental aircraft since the 1940s.
The witnesses told safeaerospace.org, a nonprofit founded by former Navy pilot Ryan Graves, that they followed the object for approximately 45 minutes as it disappeared and reappeared several times before vanishing completely. Skeptics online suggested the object could be a box kite or an escaped helium party balloon, but the witnesses estimated larger dimensions inconsistent with those explanations. The images show a clear, reflective craft that the family described as resembling a capital 'I' or sideways 'H'.
Details of the Sighting
The family reported that the object moved slowly and erratically near Ryan Mountain, according to the Daily Mail. They watched it for about 45 minutes during a solar eclipse, noting that it would blink out of sight and then reappear at a different location. The craft appeared to have two large panels at each end, giving it a shape reminiscent of a TIE fighter from the Star Wars films. The witnesses stated that the object was clearly larger than a typical kite or balloon, leading them to believe it was a structured vehicle.
Images of the craft were submitted to safeaerospace.org, a secure channel for UAP reporting. According to NaturalNews, former Navy pilot Ryan Graves has disclosed that the Navy spotted UFOs in restricted American airspace regularly over a period of at least two years, including sightings southeast of Virginia Beach starting in 2014 [1]. The Joshua Tree sighting adds to a growing body of reports from civilian observers near sensitive military zones.
Proximity to Military Testing Sites
The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms is a major training facility, and Edwards Air Force Base has housed the 412th Test Wing and Air Force Test Center since the 1940s, according to the Daily Mail. Edwards has tested aircraft including the X-1, which made the first supersonic flight, and the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. The Pentagon did not comment on whether any tests were conducted in the area at the time of the sighting, the Daily Mail reported.
Other unusual objects have been reported near Twentynine Palms. In April 2025, a video captured a massive, hexagonal object over the same desert region, displaying erratic movements and shape-shifting abilities, according to NaturalNews [4]. Separately, swarms of fast-moving orbs were spotted near Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base in Indiana in October 2024, with Air Force personnel offering no public explanation [2]. Investigative journalist Leslie Kean, in her book UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record, notes that pilot sightings of unexplained craft near military installations have been documented for decades [5].
Role of Ryan Graves and Safe Aerospace
Ryan Graves, a former Navy pilot, testified before Congress in July 2023 that UAP sightings are not rare or isolated but routine among military and commercial pilots. According to NaturalNews, Graves told the House Oversight Committee, 'UAP are in our airspace, but they are grossly under-reported. These sightings are not rare or isolated; they are routine. Military air crew and commercial pilots, trained observers whose lives depend on accurate identification, are frequently witnessing these phenomena' [1]. Graves also stated that warnings about unexplained craft became standard in mission briefings during his career.
Graves founded the nonprofit Americans for Safe Aerospace, which operates safeaerospace.org as a confidential reporting platform for civilians, commercial pilots, and veterans. In his book on UAP, researcher Leslie Kean compiled an international database of over 3,400 firsthand UFO sightings by pilots, underscoring the frequency of such events [6]. The Joshua Tree report was submitted through this channel, indicating that civilian sightings are being systematically collected alongside military accounts.
Trump Comments on UFO Disclosure
President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he plans to release as much UFO-related material as possible, according to the Daily Mail. During a meeting with the crew of NASA’s Artemis II moon mission, Trump said, 'I think we will be releasing as much as we can in the near future. For some reason, and I guess it's just a reason, it's been in the minds of people for a long time. They want to find out about the UFOs and anything having to do with UFOs or related material.' Trump added that he interviewed military pilots who described encounters with objects they believed were non-human, stating, 'I interviewed some pilots. Very solid people, and they said they saw things that you wouldn't believe.'
The statement follows Trump’s announcement in February 2026 that he would direct the Department of War and other agencies to declassify government files related to UFOs and extraterrestrial life, reported by NaturalNews [3]. The move came as documentary filmmaker Dan Farah predicted on Joe Rogan’s podcast that Trump could be the first world leader to make a major announcement about non-human technology [7]. These developments signal ongoing public and congressional interest in UAP transparency.
References
- Navy spotted UFOs in restricted airspace every day for years ex-Navy pilot reveals. NaturalNews.com. June 14, 2021.
- Swarm of UFOs spotted near Air Force base in Indiana where a massive mothership was also spotted weeks ago. NaturalNews.com. October 29, 2024.
- Trump orders UFO files release as secret Air Force jet spotted near Area 51. NaturalNews.com. Kevin Hughes. February 23, 2026.
- Mysterious hexagonal UFO sighting over California sparks questions amid government secrecy. NaturalNews.com. Ava Grace. May 17, 2025.
- UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record. Leslie Kean. (snippet on O'Hare and routine sightings)
- UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record. Leslie Kean. (snippet on database of 3,400 sightings)
- Trump UFO Bombshell Incoming? Modernity.news. November 25, 2025.
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