Expediente Número 830712: Avistamiento de Fenómenos Extraños (Vinaroz / LED 104)

This file documents the investigation into an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on July 12, 1983, near Vinaroz, Spain. A French citizen, while on the terrace of his apartment, observed an object with unusual characteristics that left a luminous trail and moved in smooth, spiral curves. The witness, who used precision binoculars, was unable to identify the object. The report was initially handled by the local Municipal Police and subsequently forwarded to the 3rd Air Region and the Air Sector of Valencia.

The file includes internal military correspondence, including reports from the Ala nº 12 (12th Wing) and the Torrejón Air Base control tower. Pilots from an F-4C formation and commercial airline pilots (Iberia and USAF) also reported observing the luminous trail. Despite these visual reports, military and civil radar systems, including Madrid Control, failed to detect the object. The incident gained political attention when a member of the Popular Parliamentary Group submitted a written question to the Spanish Congress, expressing concern about the potential intrusion of an unidentified object into national airspace and questioning the effectiveness of the national air defense system.

The military's response, coordinated through the Air Operations Command (MACOM), suggested that the phenomenon was likely a natural event, such as a meteorite or space debris re-entering the atmosphere, noting that such occurrences are frequent during July and August. The file concludes that the Spanish Air Defense system is designed to handle threats, but acknowledges the limitations in detecting objects from outer space. The file was officially declassified on January 29, 1996, with the Intelligence Officer of the Air Operations Command (MOA) determining that there was no longer a need to maintain its classified status.