Ryan Graves is a former U.S. Navy lieutenant and F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot who flew with Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-11, the Red Rippers.
He reported repeated UAP encounters during 2014-2015 training operations off Virginia Beach and later founded Americans for Safe Aerospace to support aircrew reporting.
- Earned B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2008.
- Served in U.S. Navy 2009-2019 including deployments for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve.
- Witnessed UAP on radar, infrared, and visually while based at Naval Air Station Oceana.
- Testified under oath before Congress on July 26, 2023, about aviation safety concerns.
- Founded Americans for Safe Aerospace and chairs the AIAA UAP Integration & Outreach Committee.
- United StatesBorn and served
- U.S. NavyLieutenant, F/A-18F pilot 2009–2019
- VFA-11 Red RippersStrike Fighter Squadron, 2014–2015 UAP period
- Americans for Safe AerospaceFounder and Executive Director
- American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsChair, UAP Integration & Outreach Committee
- BAE SystemsFAST Labs, 2019–2021
Background
Ryan Graves grew up in Baldwinville, Massachusetts, and graduated from Narragansett Regional High School in 2004. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2008. Graves then joined the U.S. Navy in 2009 through Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He completed flight training and received his Wings of Gold.
Graves flew the F/A-18F Super Hornet with Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-11, the Red Rippers, based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. His decade of service included two deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. He later served as an advanced strike fighter instructor flying the T-45C Goshawk at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi, for about three years. Graves logged more than 2,000 flight hours, mostly in fighter aircraft, before leaving active duty in June 2019 as a lieutenant.
In 2014 and 2015, while conducting training off the Virginia and Florida coasts with the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, Graves and his squadron began detecting unknown objects on upgraded radar systems. Infrared sensors later confirmed physical objects that performed complex maneuvers, hovered in high winds, and remained airborne far longer than fighter jets. Pilots discussed the objects in preflight briefs as an open secret due to near-miss risks.
After leaving the Navy, Graves worked at BAE Systems FAST Labs from June 2019 to August 2021 on advanced military autonomy programs, including DARPA projects involving AI-assisted air-to-air combat. He subsequently held a role at Quantum Generative Materials as a Quantum Technology Program Manager. In 2020 he founded Americans for Safe Aerospace, a nonprofit focused on pilot UAP reporting, research, and policy.
Graves first spoke publicly in 2019 and 2020, describing the Virginia Beach encounters to The New York Times and in media appearances. He testified before the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security on July 26, 2023, stating that UAP represented aviation safety and national security concerns and calling for destigmatized reporting and data declassification. His account aligned with other Navy pilots and commercial aircrew who later contacted his organization.
Graves has appeared on 60 Minutes, the History Channel, and other outlets. He serves as the first chair of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Integration & Outreach Committee. The organization has grown to thousands of members and works with dozens of witnesses. No official rank or award details beyond lieutenant and standard pilot qualifications appear in public records.
Graves maintains a low public profile outside his advocacy work. He resides in southern New Hampshire. His statements have remained consistent across interviews and sworn testimony, focusing on observed performance characteristics and flight safety rather than origins.
Where They Are Now
As of October 2026, Ryan Graves continues as founder and executive director of Americans for Safe Aerospace. The nonprofit publishes pilot testimonies, issues statements on UAP policy, and hosts a podcast with recent episodes in 2026.
He remains active in aerospace safety advocacy and chairs the AIAA UAP committee.
Last updated 25 October 2026