NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T

This document, authored by Captain Henry S. Shields of HQ USAFE/IHOMP, details a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings reported by Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) crews in the Tehran area during late 1976. The events began at 0030 on a clear autumn morning when the IIAF command post received reports of strange airborne objects described as 'bird-like' or 'brightly-lit helicopters.' A senior officer observed an object to the north that appeared larger and brighter than a star, prompting the scramble of an IIAF F-4 interceptor. As the F-4 approached the city, the pilot reported the object was visible from 70 miles away. Upon reaching a distance of 25 nautical miles, the aircraft experienced a total loss of instrumentation and communications, which returned to normal once the intercept was broken. A second F-4 was scrambled ten minutes later. The backseater reported a radar lock on the object at 27 nautical miles, noting a closure rate of 150 knots. The object maintained a constant separation distance, and while its radar return was comparable to a KC-135, its intense brilliance made visual size estimation impossible. The object displayed flashing strobe lights in a rectangular pattern, alternating between blue, green, red, and orange. During the pursuit, a second, smaller object detached from the primary UFO and headed toward the F-4 at high speed. The pilot attempted to fire an AIM-9 missile, but experienced a sudden power loss in the weapons control panel and a simultaneous loss of communications. The pilot initiated a defensive maneuver, and the object eventually returned to the primary UFO. Subsequently, a third object detached and descended rapidly to the ground. The aircrew observed it land, casting a bright light over a two-three kilometer area. The pilot later flew over the location to fix its coordinates. Upon returning to base, the crew experienced further communication failures and fluctuations in their inertial navigation system. A civil airliner in the area also reported communication failures. The following day, the crew was flown to the landing site, which was identified as a dry lake bed. While searching, they detected a beeper signal traced to a nearby house, where inhabitants reported loud noises and a very bright light the previous night. The document concludes by noting that while arrangements were made for radiation checks, the results were not reported.