THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND UFOs / AN EERIE HUMANOID IN SAITAMA

This document, published in Flying Saucer Review, contains two primary reports. The first, written by Roberto Pinotti of the Italian National UFO Research Centre (C.U.N.), details the Italian Ministry of Defence's handling of UFO reports in 1977 and 1978. Pinotti describes how C.U.N. pressured the Ministry to release information regarding sightings at Elmas Air Force Base in Sardinia, which involved military personnel and German Air Force pilots. The Ministry initially claimed the sightings were unidentified aircraft due to twilight weather conditions, but later released files on six 1977 sightings. Pinotti highlights the Ministry's embarrassment and inconsistent communication with the press. The second report, by Jun-Ichi Takanashi, details an encounter in Sayama City, Japan, on October 3, 1978. A witness, Hideichi Amano, reported an encounter with a humanoid creature inside his vehicle. The creature, described as having a round face, no neck, and a pipe-like device projecting from its mouth, emitted high-pitched noises. The encounter was accompanied by electromagnetic effects, including the failure of the vehicle's headlights and the stopping of the witness's watch. The creature eventually vanished, and the light on its stomach disappeared.