UFO's Detected Near Wheelus AB on 17/18 October 1956

This document details a series of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) incidents occurring near Wheelus Air Base in Libya on the night of October 17-18, 1956. Over a three-hour period, ground radar at the 633d AC&W Squadron tracked two distinct, slow-moving objects. In response, the 431st Fighter Interceptor Squadron scrambled F-86D aircraft to intercept the targets. Despite the F-86D pilots utilizing the E-4 weapons system to achieve repeated radar locks and performing multiple intercepts, they were unable to make any visual contact with the objects. The radar returns were described as very bright on both ground and airborne systems. The objects maintained varying altitudes, with one recorded at 9,000 feet and another descending from 5,400 feet to 3,800 feet. Weather conditions were reported as clear with no ceiling and ten miles of visibility, ruling out standard meteorological interference. The report notes that migratory birds were flying south across the Mediterranean at the time, which was considered as a potential explanation. However, investigators expressed skepticism regarding this theory, noting that the altitude of the objects and the likelihood that repeated fighter passes would disrupt a flock made it an unlikely cause. A later memorandum from the Foreign Technology Division in 1965 reinforced the conclusion that the lack of visual contact, despite close proximity, suggested the absence of a material target, potentially pointing toward atmospheric anomalies rather than physical objects.