I:..rru tic ~et:J. Ob jcc:, R~ar .Jocrn t o r::; ~n e~ ti tucc Auol.y3i:l uy r.:ular ci u.a to ohcno~.:!:l:l. c 1l:t:J\.r[:.blc to tJNCLt.ESIFlED Ai:' Foroe Bas3. 1:a :llc.:sd hi.s e.~ cu.m ~.r.d o:--3~!"V'~ :thG liGh~, tt!:l . ncw:Jl si::a rl..~<M at ~ d!ata.nca of e~eut S<l to 75 f'z. 9ii on a c~k t,. Th lig.~t tta.s d'3~'!ar.ding .,,~.:."bieolly ere;-t'h~ B.Sa . at, fir:;t a~red -:,o ba :1 flclre ;,m, <h;.') to :g c~m-or th3 :igr~ t .;_ t ~:as tt~ali:3ed it oould not. h.T.e bc~n a i'J.m'S. ~'.r:'SO:r thsn ..:t.Jp:;:d hin c~ :l."lc! obsarv~d ~b~ ligho furti:~:-, 'l1!.3 li~l-=~ tr~ p:-~c~od~d -;.;::):;rt,.,ard stc;ph1z ~nd lo7,ur!rl~ nortcn:::ll'"d rrco ~i~ ca:\"~a:-1::::-..3 CJt a!t;r..ii th~ sc....~ ci3~'2l"..ca g:.rin~ the nc..-t.,~-.Jcuth t:O"'tc:r.snt a:p:b~...!.:.:~ta~ 60 to lCO i:ti.2..):t. T:~:\s DO\VNGRAOEU AT ~\ \: !; U~ I~TERVALS; DECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YEARS UNCLASSIFIED ~l:AOOUA~T'=RS CONTINENTAL AIR C0:-.1MAND HITCH:L AIR FORC(: SASS, NEW YORK SUBJECTa Unidentified ~lying Object TOa Director of Intelliganoe. Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington 25. D. c. 1. Attached for your information are two narr~tive reoort~ con- cerning rad~ sighting of an unidentified flying chjact. radar:t is The fact that the obj\lct was sighted considered worthy of s~eciel n ote. on the soopss of tHo (2) 3. Comment of technical exofJrts, this headquarters, was solicited and is quoted in part for your consideration: a. "~bile it is rel~tively well known that various lonos~herio conditio!!s cause reflections 11t lower frequencie3, it is usually consid- ered that these layers have no efrect at the frequencies used by the tNo r~dar seta mentioned excs~t when temperature inversion or other atmo3- 9herio or tro~ospheric conditions ce.uae ducting and spurious reflections. Presuming that such ideal~!ed conditions exist~d at the time of these obsiJrvatiqns. it is cor1oein.ble that an actual small change in physical l~teral motion in reference to the radar set could cause a s eemingly greater change in relative ?Osition or the 'object' as observed on the radar scope due to the varying ~ath length3 the rad~r energy takes to and from the 'obj~ct' as a function or the frequency sensiti~ l~yers and angles of inc!.dence of the prorog~ted -.wave. However, the e;reat dit- ferunce in the fre~uenoies of the L-Eand C?S-6 ~d the S-Band C?S-4 r~d~r seta and the evident correlation of observations between these two sets a~ost rule out the possibility of anomalous propa~ation effects. Furt'er, the m~gnitude of the velocity and accelerations of the three dim~nslonal movements of the 'object' reported are beyond the capability of known heavier or lighter than air vehicles in controlled Clight. b. "Also substantiating this unlikelihood. is th~ fact that the 'object' was re?orted as rem~ining st~tionary in free S?ace for a mean-ryeriod of two minutes. bv s ta.tement s "Further validity i3 lent to the contention of the r eports that first indications, which were at high altitw:le:J, were IKr 373 .s (E), "Uni:iantiried Flying Object'', (cont) observed on the CPS-4 height-finder b~for~ being obs~rved on the CPS-5 surveillance radar set. This follows logic and field ex~grience, inas- much as the high altitud~ coverage of the C?S-5 is known to be poor and the antenna is not ca?able of being automatically tilted as in the case of the CPS-4 on which the controller may tilt the antenna within wide limitations to observe a~ high altitude or high angle objects. It is to be noted that previous field experience with 9. CPS-5 surveillance radar set has indicated that targets ~ioked up at ranges and altitudes indicated in subject report would probably have a reflection aspect ratio in the order of magnitude of a B-29 or greater. d. "In the absence or detailed vertical an~ horizontal cover- age charts for the ~pacific radar sites and comprehensive weath~r reoorts for the area during the period of time these observations were noted, a complete study or evaluation at this time is not feasible. e ''In swmnary no known electronic ph3nomena, nor or several electronic phenomena could conceivably produce all servations covered by the attached reports." coobinations of the ob- 4. The frequency of reports of this nature has recently inoreas~d; instructions have therefore been directed to all radar installations within this command to report scope sightings or unusual objects s. It is recommended that reports or unidentified object sightings be reconsidered for submission fro~ all Zone of Interior Air Foroe a genoie3. FOR THE CO~l4.'IDING GENERAI.a of' 1st Lt. F.E.Park~r 2. Renort of l!t Lt. F.K.Uattson :don , USAF DO\V.NGHALJBIJ A'I' :J r E ~K ,.tiNCJ:AssJFJEo a.r.d e stablis:'t~d contlct .vi t i.1 t:te i -30 ~ s a.lre::~.d :r :.\irbo:r-ne . Lt : at tson, S:.;t :.:cc a rthy, a:1d C? l !.:elton , wto .."!1..'\de np tn.~ r3st o f our c r s.,. for pi eked up inte rci t~'3~tly o!! t'he :~I scope o f the .;\.:~c/ ~?5-4 ne i ;!-lt fLnd.3r rs.da.r e.t 4 f.eet a..."ld o-rsl.. I :me.w t:1.e hi;h':3~t ass i..:):.:d o.ltltuda o f the F -30' s v."as 24, 000 feat; t h a tarz~t wa s not c.t ~h.1.t tLo!3 visibl e on e i tnJ r radar scone, so I attributed -th~ renort of t~-w ::1ie;h f l:ri n.:; aircrnrt to interi'er3ncs, c r e w ine;c:>eri"3nce, or bot1.. 0vc r the n'Jxt i'ifts~Jn !:li!1Ut'3 3 t ':ie res~ of tile ere :1, rJenJ.;ion8d above, rep~at~dl,y-re:>orted t~tin '1.i _h. flyin~ ta.r::;'3t at o.y~n.re:1.tly ro.pidly cha:1;;in...; o.ltitudcs -..ri tho~'tt / ".Jei n:; o.b 1 '-: t o 'b.tr n around rapldl y enou:,h fron my li!-:nit,3rin.~ of t't3 ~-80's i n t >.') a r e L\ co ob s:::-rvc for !:!JS0 l f . Fina.ll~r, !1.o-::3v~r, I sa::t t his ts.r ;~et -;r i c 1. wc..s n. very narro:t fl.r.1 cl~o.r-cJ.t p rgs:?'Ttc.:ci.np on the :;_n scope. I t ...-:as indication ;ras d eflnit3l J not t :-,_::tt of a r:lo_td or stl'10S.:_J:teric '- !J"neno:nena. I checl-:ed. p i lots in the area. by Villi' and -.1as assured b:j ""- F - DO pilot et t~-J :1.i ;!1~ st assi.;:ted 2.1 t i tud.a tho. t; h o :ras at 24 , OJO fe0t . 'i'he c l arity, n::tr-ro-.mes s , an:l d.efini tion of t':1.~ p r e sent atio:!t wo.s definite l y t~1~t o: a:J. a.ircra-rt. T~e t~r.:;et .:;av<3 o. si!:tilar i''li~l corr'3cJ.;, a e i~:J.cc'.lrate, d:~e co -c~e .3x:re:- e i::1a c c:.l! a cy of t'ti s to.r~et s e 3l:teC::. to s-:o.._r i:n i~ne e.r e a in -:r:nlc':t olr f i::;rt":!rs-.;e:-e i'l yin:; , so:-.etL;.)s ap.;;roxir.w.tin :; their C.J1.trses, bx'.; 3 0 , 0 0 0 feet aJove ::.13!':1b'3 rs of' the cre.r re2orted , bo t;{l froJ:'l t~'3 j-iRI sco ? e o f WNGRADED AT 3 Yf:'n~ '"TERVALS: DO DECLASSIFIED AFTEH. 12 YEARS. U~lCLASS\F\t.D UNCLASSIFIED ''ll..lUC . fi'ltc:1ln_; "the :2I SCO?S, G 3V~rul -e:c":.rQ::.e 1:-~tC.:lCCS of G:l.L\in .... o.ltil:;_tci'9 u...1:l losin~ a ltitude. I v;~s not a~ls o.t t tis tir;:e to t~::o C.o:.1.'\ t !u ttctiua.l fi~;ura s, but o'!Jservsd it losin s and ;a.inin.; uz> t o 20,0~0 i'e')t v~ry ra.?idl~r. T :ra s o.'.Jl e , o.t 20-!G ;;sT, to i d.o:1.tif':r this o.i.lcra.f't on sco:>o ( .. Jr/c?S-5) a.n.J s i =: tltanec.tsly o=t :C.to3 :2:11 sca?3 ':?rl.3 accuo.l t i itin:; '1.n~l l'i ~ures I too~c ..!o .n 0:1. t1.i s ":~r:..:et I did 3i x r1in:.lt~s f r o -.1 20~6 t o 2052, durinr.:; ;;:!.ich ti:-:1.~ t '1is aircraft v1r.s -~ivln..; indicEI:tion:3 or.. both s~o;?~ S :ritho ... tt fa.d3. I t ook do.r:1 t'1a r:lentionod but in t his case, uue to t~a :'a.~t ~ha. t \'1-.3 ":rere ~Jotn f'-Jllo-;7- in~ the St\JT\9 targst, I havg r~co~struct3.i t hese ti:n9s into ~r o'im, -:r:1io':1. we r!J ta'.cen in .-:r ac.:Je ?encil dircctl .r on tl13 scop-3 h"3ad, ::.::d. l ater tro.uscri':,)e'"l. ) !nfo!"rl9.t io::l record:J.l i~ ~.s i'ollo:rs : o.~1J s_:;.Jecls I hnd. ob s 3rvo 1 , s!1o:; :iefinite l~r t h'1 crro.tic S?.:nd and a~ti ~; .. H.b c'1an:;e s . T !1.~ di f~':Jre!'.ces in s ? eed f1o~n. :-ne :ainutJ t o t :te 11'3:--:t \'iere aoryarent t 0 ~3 c.s -:;e r e t':1.c;, clitiJ s e.nu dives . ..tt 2052 t :te " crnf~ ~n?oJ o~ l~.st ti1.-;. The l \JNCLI\SSIFIED