SHETLAND UFO SIGHTING PROMPTS SPY PLANE SPECULATION

This document is an FBIS report dated December 14, 1992, summarizing an article from The Guardian regarding a series of UFO sightings in the Shetland Islands. On the evening of Saturday, December 12, 1992, at approximately 9:00 PM, the Shetland Police, the Coastguard, and the Lerwick Observatory recorded 17 sightings of a large, white object traveling at a low altitude and at a very high speed. A scientist at the Lerwick Observatory expressed confusion, noting that the object moved so quickly that it was impossible to track. The report highlights that these sightings prompted speculation that the United States military was testing a new, ultra-top-secret aircraft, potentially a successor to the SR-71 Blackbird. Defense industry experts cited in the report suggested that this hypothetical aircraft could reach speeds of Mach 8, or eight times the speed of sound, allowing it to travel anywhere on the globe within three hours. The report further notes that the Pentagon had imposed a no-comment zone regarding the aircraft, and that the speed of the vehicle would necessitate testing outside of US airspace.