VPM beträffande rymdprojektiler över svenskt territorium

This memorandum, dated December 15, 1946, outlines the Swedish military's response to the appearance of 'strange light phenomena' over Swedish territory. The phenomenon first came to the attention of the Defense Staff (Försvarsstaben) on May 23, 1946, through press reports and civilian observations. By July 8, 1946, approximately thirty reports had been received, including one from the military attaché in Finland. Consequently, the Defense Staff issued orders to all military units to report sightings and instructed attachés in Norway and Denmark to monitor the situation in their respective countries. The volume of reports peaked on July 9, 1946, with approximately 250 sightings, followed by further peaks on August 11 and September 10. By December 1, 1946, a total of 975 reports had been collected. On July 10, 1946, a committee was formed under the leadership of Colonel B. Jacobsson to manage these issues, comprising representatives from the Defense Staff, Air Staff, Naval Administration, Air Administration, the National Defense Research Institute (FOA), and the National Defense Radio Institute (FRA). The committee met approximately 15 times by December 1. The Defense Staff organized intensified surveillance, including the verification of reports by personnel from the Defense Staff and Air Administration, and the investigation of suspected impact sites. Cooperation was established with civilian agencies, including the Customs and Pilotage services and the Stockholm Observatory. The Air Force initiated radar surveillance on July 24, 1946, using ERstn type III b stations, which were later redeployed to Skåne for military exercises. Following a maintenance period, radar surveillance resumed on November 6, 1946, with stations at the southern tip of Gotland, the southern cape of Öland, and Simrishamn, though operations were limited by personnel shortages and equipment constraints. Additionally, the Navy established a radar station on Mälsten on November 15, and the National Defense Radio Institute maintained continuous monitoring with its standard equipment, supported by two B 3 aircraft.