Report of Unusual Target FLYOBRPT — Charleston, W. Va.

This Air Intelligence Information Report, dated 27 February 1953, details an unusual radar sighting recorded by the 783rd AC&W Squadron in Charleston, West Virginia, on 25 February 1953. The report describes an oblong object, estimated to be 2 miles wide and 7 miles long, which appeared on the AN/FPS-3 search radar scopes. The object was tracked for approximately 15 minutes, moving at a constant speed of 70 KPH on a heading of 070 degrees. The report notes that the object was accompanied by a faint 'String Line' approximately 30 miles in length. The sighting was observed by the Operations Officer, the Radar Maintenance Officer, and the entire shift, whose reliability is described as excellent. Radar scope photographs were taken at 5-minute intervals during the event. While the initial report from the 783rd AC&W Squadron provided the technical details of the observation, the document includes a formal comment from the Director of Intelligence of the 30th Air Division. This official assessment states that the value of the report was questioned and that the radar scope photographs were the result of electronic countermeasures (ECM). The document was forwarded for further evaluation and disposition as deemed appropriate.