# A reported underwater object implies extraordinary speed

Markdown copy of https://realalpha.app/s/a-reported-underwater-object-implies-extraordinary-speed/ on Real Alpha, the best minutes from long interviews with the people building AI. Cite and link the page, not this copy.

- Speaker: [Kevin Knuth](https://realalpha.app/people/kevin-knuth/) · Kevin Knuth is a physics professor at the University at Albany. · Led a multimodal UAP study combining optical, infrared, weather-radar and radiation data.
- Host: [Brian Keating](https://realalpha.app/people/brian-keating/) · Host, Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
- Show: Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
- Episode: [Physics Professor: How Much Power Does a UFO Really Need?](https://realalpha.app/v/EKlLswUgyRI/), Nov 11, 2026
- Moment: 27:44 to 30:18 of the episode (3 min), playing on https://realalpha.app/s/a-reported-underwater-object-implies-extraordinary-speed/; the episode from there: https://realalpha.app/v/EKlLswUgyRI/?t=1664

## Quote

> “they were followed by a large underwater object, which they measured to be **150 feet wide and 800 feet long**.”
> — [Kevin Knuth](https://realalpha.app/people/kevin-knuth/) at [28:22](https://realalpha.app/v/EKlLswUgyRI/?t=1702) · Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

## Takeaways

1. The reported object was 150 feet wide and 800 feet long.
2. The account says it closed 22.5 kilometers in about three seconds.
3. Knuth says he is still working to extract figures from the sonar record.

## About this segment

Kevin Knuth recounts a New Zealand naval report of a large underwater object that rapidly closed on a ship. His rough calculation suggests extreme speed and acceleration, though the sonar data still needs analysis.

From “Physics Professor: How Much Power Does a UFO Really Need?”, Nov 11, 2026. [Watch the full episode](https://realalpha.app/v/EKlLswUgyRI/)

## Transcript

Transcribed by machine (Whisper) from the episode’s audio, so a word may be off here and there.

[27:53](https://realalpha.app/v/EKlLswUgyRI/?t=1673) is from February of 1987, where the New Zealand frigate, the HMNZS Southland, was involved in daily exercises from November to February, where they were basically trying to lure USOs in from the Pacific Ocean into the Haraki Gulf. So they basically would go up north out of Auckland, through the Hiroki Gulf out into the Pacific Ocean, then turn around and come back and watch on their sonar to see if they're followed, and then try to study these objects. In February of 1987, they were followed by a large underwater object, which they measured to be 150 feet wide and 800 feet long. This is 30% longer than the Typhoon-class submarine, which is the largest submarine in the world, the Russian Typhoon-class. And they noted that they did not detect propeller wash on any of these objects. So they couldn't identify whether they were Russian

[28:55](https://realalpha.app/v/EKlLswUgyRI/?t=1735) or American. If they were submarines, they weren't typical submarines. There was no propeller wash. It does not escape me that the movie Hunt for Red October came out the same year, basically. And I know about this. And that's an interesting fact. So they were followed by this USO for some time they tried to shake it and at one point the USO was a 22.5 kilometers away and they were trying to shake this and it closed the distance in about three seconds so this underwater object accelerated to the ship passed under the ship in about three seconds and actually took all the power out on the ship the power went out on the ship drained the batteries so they couldn't restart the engines and they were adrift and had to be rescued so you can do this calculation this rough calculation, it closed a 2.5 kilometer distance in about three seconds, so you get a

[29:46](https://realalpha.app/v/EKlLswUgyRI/?t=1786) minimum speed of 1,800 miles an hour. Or if you have it accelerating, it would have a minimum acceleration of 57 Gs with a top speed of 3,700 miles an hour. so this is a really interesting case and in fact i was on a zoom call with david barnett last night we talked we talked for almost two and a half hours i was really grateful for his time ago