Project 10073 Record Card — Itazuke AB, Japan, 17 December 1956

This document is a collection of records, reports, and correspondence regarding an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sighting that occurred on 17 December 1956 near Itazuke Air Base, Japan. The incident involved two USAF jet pilots from the 68th Fighter Interceptor Squadron who were conducting radar-positioned intercepts. During the exercise, the lead pilot detected a strange radar blip from an unknown object. The object was estimated to be at least as large as a B-29 bomber, tan in color, flat on the bottom, and round on top. The pilot reported that the object was moving at speeds between 1,500 and 1,800 knots. As the pilot attempted to close in, the jet's radar experienced significant interference, which was interpreted as electronic countermeasures (ECM) activity. The pilot switched frequencies to maintain a lock, but the object eventually accelerated and moved off the radar scope. The wingman, flying approximately six miles behind, reported no visual or radar contact with the object. Following the incident, the aircraft's radar and equipment were tested and found to be functioning correctly. Initial reports from the Far East Air Force (FEAF) characterized the object as a material object of unknown origin and type, noting it was the first such report in the theater with simultaneous visual and radar contact. Subsequent evaluations by AFOIN-4E and other intelligence officers suggested that the visual observation was likely a weather balloon, and the radar return was a spurious or false target. The document also includes materials from the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), which publicized the incident in their 'UFO Investigator' publication, highlighting the discrepancy between the Air Force's official explanation and the pilots' reports. The file contains various internal routing sheets, intelligence information reports (FFIR-A 5685), and comments from intelligence officers debating the validity of the sighting and its potential correlation with other events, such as reports of B-57 aircraft over Vladivostok on the same date. The documentation reflects the internal military process of evaluating UFO reports under AFR 200-2, balancing pilot testimony against technical limitations of radar and the possibility of meteorological phenomena.