PROJECT 100:Z3 RECORD CARD DATE 2. LOCATION CONC LUSIONS 19 :?ebruary Hok~taido. 0 Probably Balloon Po:s:si bly Balloon OATETIM CROUP L ENCiloi OF OBSERVATIOfo4 TYPE OF OI5SERVATIOH rJ Ground-Visual 0:: i:Sraund R ad or 0 Wos Airr;raft 0 Probably Aircraft 0 Air-Visual 0 Airlnterr;ept Radar 0 P o s5ibly Aircraft 0 Was A .ilronomi cal 0 P rob obi y Astronomical :\tili tary Possibly Astronomical NUMBER OF OBJECTS 0 lnsuflici~tnl Data lor Evaluation 0 Unlc nown stationary BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING .] 3. re rrom 1 ~ac~rn developed rapidly t o a dense cluud t hat e xpanded ~o cover an a rea pproximataly 65 miles long and rose r~om an altitude of 3~000 ft to ~6, ~00ft. Return similar ~o weather re ::urn e x'cept for speeoof davelopmen t. ~ive a1rcraft in are3 all turned towaf ~h e return and proceeded ~o tne genera ,\ie a . Return resembled e xplo510n of :arge ~uoitions ship exploding. \TlC i"Qq\4 Jl') (P~V :!II SP:P ~l) 11. COMMENTS dev3loomen t .... md a/c reactl.. rule out weather 9h9nomena and I equipme~t malfunctiono Explosion possibls cause cor~elated ~ith IR l88d-5 8 as e:,plosion. Oosa1v~( by fisher~en. Also sei s mic daLec tion of nuclear dXplosion report d from ~atsushiro. Set 1/1, Card. J/.3 UNCLASSIFIEil 1 . Overlay 2 . Scope presentation . 3. Source's origina l report, 2 Q1S with incl 1 & 2, 1 cy each L4B4 Annotation: .3 !nels Receive/ DOW}'( GRAD E'D .-\ 'T ~ Y F: A R !~Yf~R V A l.S;. UNCLASS1Fl EIJ vountry: USSR UNCLASSiFIED Subjec t : Un,usual Radar Sighting Associated With Russian Aircraft Activity 2ource: Det #45, 613th AC&W Sqdn APO 181, Francisco, California ?~eparing Officer: ROBERT C. LAIDLAW, Capt, :~fo Spec: nEJ}IT/smh ~ 1: UK and ACZ P.gencyi Ho 39t h Air Div DoRo : February Doi o: February Ref: Nom Given Ent~ Document L/ J/hi1e conductiz:g surveillance of Russiaq_:~Jrcraft. on 19 Feb 58 at C059/.-y Jperations personnel of AC& .Ji Site #45 at Asoi wayama ( GEOREF XJGF .3020) (Rok.\caidv) J~pan observed the r~pid development of an unusual radar retur n on FP HRI) 2aight finding radar-V(see Incl l)o The ~adar return was from t.be area of 40 ;o min north, latitude, 13730 min e ast longatude (in GEOREF G~id XJCQ) o~r the : aa of Japan approximately 80 nautical miles off t he Russian Caast (.ari time) o e return developed to a dense cloud that expanded to cover an area appr oximately 65 mil's long from 4410 min north 13710 min east to 45,30 min north 1371~0 min /!f/Jiv eas~ and approximately 25 miles across which rose from an altitude of -3 000 feet(j to a fi.nal altitude of 46 00'0 feet; The return lJa s sim ~r a weather return except for the speed of its development. appeared at 0059Z and issipated at OJOOz.:: All five Russian aircraft tracks in the area proceeded t o the ge neral vicinity of this phenomenon.~ Observers were unable to describe the return and associated Russian reaction in terms of any previous experience. Observers stated that it most nearly resembled a very large explosion such as that of a very large ammunition ship. A weak low pressure area was l ocated in the Sea of Japan approx mately 41 north latitude. Winds a t Site at 20p000 feet were from 260 at 50 knots, ~eather was CAVU. The above data was furni shed by Capt Henry Kolb, Det 45 Operations Office~, who wi event along with 1st Lt. Thomas V. Cole, Ass t Operations Qrficer and Mr. Tech Rep. on GEFPS-6. 30DOIComment& Rapidity of development plus apparent Russian aircraft reacti on would appear to ruJe out a natural Meather phenomenon or a radar malfunction. Veracity of witnesses is not questioned. No lntelligence personnel are assigned at Radar Sites. Site 45 had no radar scope so a sketch of scope face was substituted. This report delayed due to late reciept in_this Hq (26 Feb 58) and need for preparation of report on reproducable JF Form ll2. UNCLJ\SS\F\ED J apaz:jt;SS?. Lu:ninc.:s J ape.n/USSR MC # : 6001.tn AISS, vi~it.ed Noboru 1'1'0, Chief of the Aviation 1dm~istratio:1 Section a."':a :'0!"1l SAHARA, Chief of tbe ~o. 2 Securit7 ~ction, :...~::'~ 5!lS7! BOA.W (Y...SA) tcr inf0l7'...e"tl c n on a..'! alleged explosion off the 3I23?..!l~ coas-:. on 19 2 . Recently, three t:tl.-<Zlm-'11 l~inous sightings we>s iM.Ce o~: ... t.:Ce coast c f HOrJUIDO by fisher:r.en a:cd reJ:arted to 1-'.SA. MSA has :-ec-::-:-ded.ti:ese inc i - ~ants but vill n~t investigate tr.e ter f er. Li e& st~:.ce t~e ;:.;h:iz:s vasn:ade a t r.i.gh:.. !":-:ere is ~c repcrt i::ld!cetin~ e.-. ~xplo'5i'Jn f f ~:-:~ coast of SIBERIA on 19 ?sb:-Jary 1953. !. At 20.3-k hct:.rs ( .?ST) en 1 March 1958 fis~e~c c'bs~rvec s l:JJ")i nous : .. C.7 ::at c!iscq;~ared lU."t~r :2.0 ;rl:r~tes at en el ~itude o f e;:p:-oxirr.atel:r 2,000 m the Jir9ct1on o f NO!'St:ETO P0T~L.J~'l/1L.5253) em KUN~S~I?I ISLL"'D ':"!le ~lcr ~as not det ir~d. A~ ;.1~3 ~ours (J3T) en tte s csy, a lu cus : ody ..1-!s ebser7ed :-is~"li; ~ajn!lly ! or abot;t. 20 ~inutes t~-:e n ~i9'!p~l.l1"i.."!g near -lPADN~1~ (ONN6 u) (4345N/~526E). ~r.e co!or es not ce~si::l~ ide~ti!ied, : ;!. va!! oct red or gre~n. ~t l/1, Card 3/J J a r-an/USSR C Ol' THE ffiEP!..~DlG On"IC~R: {._V At ap;n-o:xi:nately 0959 hour~ (JS1') 01: 19 ~brue..r,r 1953 an 1:no\f!l ;:.cencmena~1 beJ.ie7'9d to have b-=en an explosion, ._,a~ detS"Jctad at .!4~0N?iJ7JCE at a :::.3 radar si:-e :!.n J~FAN. '!"ca ~encllli9:Ja laated a ppro.:d.:na"el7 +."o !'m:rs. '.:'his of:ice chedc~d vitb t2:e ft!etecrological Agenc:r f or ~a=ct:St~ic cr ;eis!llic cata oa ~he prami~e teat explosion as det~ated. !~ va~ le~rr~d ~tat . sre ~re no barometric or se!s~i~ chaLges L~i~s+.i;~ of 3~ e~l~s~co at ~b~ ?.bo-~ .i:te. Negeti'?':! i!U'cr-_.ation as else oot3iz:ed f>")::l t!:e ~...a:-1::'-:? a~ Ur Statt Of.fi~es of the Defense ls;ency. ~ Officials cf :~e tacrological Aggncy s~a:ad ~r. e=y =~:- v4ic :tan~S'?r-J.:~d be d9~ac~6d at eat;,e:-s~ati:>ns i..:J :AFA."Y. ~::e se!3=:tJ,:: =:J~'!!Cvion''O ::r ~9:s~c cstectic~ cf uSSR ~uclear 9xplcsion. )