C.luntrya Libya Subj~cta 'OtUSls Detected Near Wheelus AB on Sources 633d ..le&11 Squadron and 43lst Fight"Ar A TIC II: JOJ680 lr:. te otor 3c J adron .. .. Agency: 7272d Air Base Wing Combat Operations Canter~ Jdt l/1, Caret 1/5 D.R.; October 29 On 17/18 October 19.56 within a three (3) hour periodi commencing at l.7/2217Z, t.tO (2) d1tterent tracks ot !c;!enti!ied slo;., t]31ng objects were carried by the 6J3d AC~'ll , Wheelus Air Base I.ibya. i'..,86D i:ircrai't made radar contact w1 th the o bj acta repeated intercepts nth the 1-4 weapons system through all phases . ~ J p l:&sh without &Dj visual contact being made b:r the F-86D pilots. No satisfactory explanation ot these occurrances could be da This incident is considered i:cport.ant because ot the positive and repeated radar indications or an object in the 1. De~criptions i. Objects were never sighted vi~. Both gave a bright return on g:unnd and airborne radar. . Cl.ASSiF1ED . - Sat 1/l, Card 2/s 2. Description or course or ob,jectss de~ Flight de3cription and maneuvers& (1) 'lhe first o'bj~ct waa picked up 9n the groWld .r3d&f scope at 17/ 2217Z October~ 1~50 at NJPD 5047. The object maintained an approxi.ma~ ,altitude or 000 !set and hld a h&ttdL"'lg of 2la' u.ntil 2JOJZ at which time, and at NJPD 280$, the heading was changed to l7rP.. :Jrour.d rad~ contact was lost once just prior to the chal;ll o! heading and f'inal c~.1n'tact was. loat at 230)Z. (2) The .tecond objct was pick'-<! up on the ground radar scope at 17/ . 2317Z October at JJQD 0739. The object's initial altitude was $,400 tt. Altitude at disappearance approx1 me te]3' 3' 800 teat. . Pilote stated that there was no ceiling, a visibility or ten (10) . -naliUcal ld.lea and a ten (10) knot wind trom the Korth. 8. During this aeason migrator:r birds are !lying South across the 9. Interception and Identitic3tion action z a. .. (2) F-86D ircratt were diverted to lq~tion of tirst object . Both aircraft radar c9ntact with the object witJt t.tle~-4 weapOns system and 'JOW~ ,R.\Dl-l) A! :3 ':'_E.~R r ;~:A!-~:ui\lCLilSSJFIED proceeded through to Splash with no -rlsual contact at anytime. "Rhen the unknown object .=1!.0-d.-, its heading -:-hangs to 170:> gr'Ollild r dar ~ontact was lost momentarily. . b., 'l".vo (2) .F~"\60 a.l:cr.1tt 71:-~ra d-..ve-rtad t .o -r-.Jlc:s ssoond obj.ct. .\t 2J57Z ~."/3~u.e 1~ . tl.yi.n~ at S;l COO f.;,et,SJ macit1 ra~"!~ . . "C! . tact ou a heading of 0500. F /Bl~e 1 l'f~.d (2) nautical milda from the :-.arg~ti at tbe ti.me <>i' the initial cont,act. .\t 23 53Z F /Blwa . l got a Judy on a head1 hlg of C5G"J one mile from target. At 2359Z F'/Blue 1 :~o ~ a Spu.iho l.t thia time tha. object and fightar "'~re 35 nautical miles from the ground radar on a bear-ing o! 049'l., F/Blua l did not. get a Tally-ho. got a radar contact at 23$9Z on r.1 b.-acting of l./J(.jJ at a distance at our (4) nautical miles beari.'lg 042 at 32 miles i'roa growul radaro F/Blue 2 bad a Ju~ when he s .32 nautical miles from the ground a Splash 31! nautical m las at OSCP !rom tba gz'Ound radar. He did not h a ~a a 'ral.l1'-ho. (3) ?.le laat two intercepts Kere as follows: F/Blue 1 got a contact at 0046Z mila:; i'ro:n ~get on a heading of 085 (bearing from ground radar 02~ at 28 D&utical mi~es) & JuetT one (l) m; le !rom get on a haading ot 085.), (bearing from ground radar 0.3cP at 29 nautica1. miles) and a Splash at 0047Z (bearing trom Set l/1.9 Card 4/$ Rp c e #: IR-l-56 ground OJ~ at 30 naut..ieal miles). F/Blue 2 got. a contact two ( 2) miles f'rom the target on a bearing of 09CP (beaM.ng f:om ground radar 02~ at 28 ~au tical miles) anJ. a Splash at CC4oZ t tlea:ing frcm rOUlJ.d radar 0.35 -1t 30 nautical mila). 'lhis S; d . .asb .. ~as tha last racar ~ontact. vrlth !.na obJ e c t ~ arry type radar" The altitude o.: both fighters on tha:S'e two (2) p,; .,)ses wa~ .3.()800 faet, Ueither fighter acllievc-!d a Tall.Y--hoe~ Due to lotr fuel eond.i tions ooth aircraft \,-ere released for landing. (4) F/Blus 1 stated that just before each Splash the fightar air- c-caf~ would be just aboYe_, just below or between clotlds, but never in a cloud. The fighter scope return 4fas described as very bright.. ~Jo evasive action was taken by either or t."le objects at a:tJ.7 ti;~e. . . 10. Thera was no other air traf'.f'ic in the area. 11. Comments ot Preparing Officer: a. In view or the available data, no def'inite explanation for these objects can be made. One possible explanation is that the objects are flo~ks of jJ.igra~rr bi:ds. HoJJeverj) it is co~sidered unlikel,yj) in view ot the 9~000 foot al~itude ot one ot the objects plus the probability that repeated passes or the fi~ter Aircraft would be likely' to change the course or the !lock or disrupt it .altogether. T~j) the ~kelihood or the E---4 system maintaining lock all the way Card 5/5 Libra ATIC #s 303680 Rpto #s IR-~-56 through to a Splash. signal on a get or this nature ia considered inwob&bla . b., Becaus~ of ~peed or roovewnent ~nd weather conditions a temperature i.nver.91oo i .a not conaid9red prtlbabl.: cauae of indications Extract or a s page docnment. February 6 UNCLASSIFIED HBAOQUARl' r:RS FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION AIR FORCE SVSTEM3 COMMAND lJMITEO ITA TIES Atilt 1="0.-rC WfUGHTPATT~ASON AlA fi'ORCE ltASE, OHIO suaJECT: h~elu~ PJ~, L:ibyn, lfJ Oct 56 11 Feb o:,J r:1c f:.1ct th:..tt th~ visibility \it.J 10 rr.il.e s und. t h.? pilot bPi: noth :--~g ( v isun.lly) ~ .. he~'\ he l~::.d c loscd to lC!ss t1,o.n :1 r\i1.: is ~n i r.e i~.,.;::ttion that tberc ''~::; n0 t"'l'"!t.!riaJ. t arg .:t; it :.;o:.cmo l'I:X~t, lilt~ly that nome su<ldcn cl1:n (! l n th~ st:~03pheric c11. r[tctcri.st.!..cc - not r-~e,;essnrily tE>~tperat _lJ ... ~ itlverc ion as sue:--. -may h'IV\.! c: .u.!; c u tr.H- re::ur!l Bird3 Ci.lll giv: r;..~l'll' retnr:.15, but 'iiC f:v:l~Ul' t i r bird..; 1)<~ Ul !--_l':..e.~.y to m lLt"'ln r-blvcrl cou1G~, ( or r\,:.let Ln in t l!c vir; i n i_ty a:i ':'("'r:?.ft.) for so lo:1a e p;J ti.ocl of t .j.ra::. ')y ~ jrrr U~;t:;~.-~F\OI:ICS El' G I lf.i~EH YOU THE NUCLEUS OF SECURITYI