Clifford Stone Special Report 4 - Military Radar Visual Cases

Magazine Overview

This document is a "SPECIAL REPORT 4" titled "MILITARY RADAR/VISUAL CASES Denied Evidence of UFO Reality," authored by Clifford E. Stone and dated November 15, 1990. It functions as a report rather than a typical magazine issue, focusing on declassified government documents related to UFO sightings.

Introduction

The report is compiled by a research team including Ralph E. Heick and Clifford E. Stone, with the stated aim of making the information publicly available. The reports are primarily sourced from government documents released through Freedom of Information Act (FOI/PA) requests. Special Report #4 specifically contains information from U.S. Government documents classified since 1955, declassified on September 7, 1989, by Major General C. Norman Wood. These documents were classified from Secret to Top Secret. The author asserts that the National Security Agency (NSA) holds additional information classified at the Top Secret level, compartmentalized under "UMBRA" and "ALTRA" within the SCI Program, which clearly indicates the existence of flying saucers, despite the NSA's public denial.

General Discussion

The report details several specific incidents:

• July 17, 1957 RB-47 Incident: A U.S. Air Force RB-47, equipped with electronic countermeasures (ECM), was followed by a UFO for about 1.5 hours, covering over 700 miles. The object was visually observed by the crew, tracked by ground radar, and detected by the RB-47's onboard ECM equipment.

This case was brought to the attention of the Condon Committee, which concluded that any original reports were no longer in existence and that the evaluation must rest solely on the crew members' recollections made ten years later, deeming these descriptions inadequate for identification.

The author criticizes the Condon Committee, citing three main issues:

1. They had no intention of "proving" the existence of UFOs, regardless of evidence.
2. Despite being cleared for Secret, the U.S. Air Force restricted them to Project Blue Book files and kept them away from Air Force Intelligence Files, as the most interesting cases were classified Top Secret/SCI.
3. The U.S. Air Force concealed the fact that other government agencies, particularly the NSA, were actively involved in UFO investigations.

The report notes that the Condon Committee's "Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects" was mandated by Congress. While the Air Force did not object to a review of the public Blue Book Files, they strongly opposed any knowledge or examination of the classified Air Intelligence UFO Files and the involvement of other agencies.

Thanks to the efforts of the late Dr. James E. McDonald, several military records concerning the RB-47 case were uncovered. However, these documents do not clarify what happened to the evidence gathered, nor do they reveal who possesses such evidence and records. The report asserts that similar cases exist and that the missing evidence is held by the NSA, classified as Top Secret/SCI.

The following case files are presented as direct copies from Air Intelligence reports forwarded to the NSA at their request. The author believes this direct quotation is the best way for the reader to understand the NSA's concern regarding these cases.

Case Files

The report details four specific cases involving RB-47 aircraft:

• ITEM 1 (June 1, 1955): An eastbound RB-47 near Devon Island experienced electronic contact with an unknown aircraft/object. A bright radar return was received for 20 minutes, accompanied by intermittent warning light flashes. The RB-47's X-system recorded what might have been another radar sweep. Contact was lost at 2120Z. No visual contact was made. On the return westbound flight, the aircraft had another contact for 30 minutes at approximately 8,000 yards, without warning light activation. Coordinates and times are provided for two contacts.

• ITEM 2 (June 4, 1955): A westbound RB-47 in the Melville Sound area experienced electronic and visual contact with an unknown aircraft/object. The gun warning light flashed intermittently, and radar detected the object at 7,000 yards. The crew chief described the aircraft as glistening silver metallic, seen low and to the rear, maintaining a position slightly right of the RB-47. Its configuration was obscured by contrails. The aircraft broke off contact to the north with an increase in speed. The RB-47 was at 32,000 feet, indicating Mach .735. Gun camera films were of poor quality. Radar and visual contacts lasted for 9 minutes. Coordinates and times are provided.

• ITEM 3 (June 7, 1955): A westbound RB-47 en route to Eilson AFB, Alaska, at 35,000 feet experienced electronic contact southeast of Banks Island. The RB-47 detected an aircraft/object at 3,500 yards, at the same level, with a small, rectangular radar return, interpreted as jamming. The target warning light activated three times in as many minutes. No visual or K-system contacts were made. Coordinates and times are provided.

• ITEM 4 (June 8, 1955): An eastbound RB-47 at 30,000 feet experienced electronic and visual contact south of Bathurst Island. The RB-47 was indicating 450 knots. The warning light flashed, and two radar indications were observed. The K-system scope showed indications of sweeping by another radar. Visual contact indicated the aircraft was 5-10,000 feet above and approximately 5-10 miles behind for about 20 minutes. The co-pilot described the aircraft as having a fighter configuration. A contrail was observed as the aircraft disappeared, and a second RB-47 80 miles behind sighted the contrail, suggesting it remained visible for some time. Coordinates and times are provided.

These preceding cases were withheld from the Condon Committee because they were not deemed to have a 'need to know,' despite the committee's mandate to evaluate UFO information. They were also excluded from Project Blue Book because the U.S. Intelligence Community considered them real and a potential national security threat.

Conclusions

The author opines that these four cases illustrate General Bolender's 1969 memo stating that reports of unidentified flying objects affecting national security would be handled according to JANAP 146 or Air Force Manual 55-11, not as part of the Blue Book System. The cover letter forwarding these documents to the NSA shows early NSA interest in UFOs, despite their public stance of disinterest. The author believes much more information exists but remains classified by the NSA for national security reasons, questioning whether the public has a right to know the truth.

The U.S. Intelligence Community is reluctant to admit its knowledge of UFOs, much of which remains classified. They have even denied the existence of documents that later surfaced. Given the current technological capabilities of UFO researchers, they could draw significant conclusions from these RB-47 cases. However, with the NSA denying the existence of these cases, accessing the information is unlikely.

While the U.S. government is generally considered open, its statements are not always truthful, especially concerning what it truly knows about UFOs.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes are military encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena, the role of radar and electronic detection, and the alleged cover-up and classification of evidence by U.S. intelligence agencies, particularly the NSA. The editorial stance is critical of government transparency regarding UFOs, advocating for public access to information and asserting that significant evidence of UFO reality is being deliberately concealed. The report emphasizes the importance of declassified documents in revealing this hidden information.

This document consists of scanned pages from what appears to be a collection of reports and correspondence related to Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings, primarily from the late 1970s. The content includes official military reports, a letter from the Department of the Navy, and internal memos.

Item 3: RB-47 Encounter near Panka Island At 0050Z on June 7, an RB-47 aircraft en route to Zilson AFB, Alaska, at 35,000 feet, experienced electronic contact southeast of Panka Island. The aircraft's APG-32 radar detected an aircraft/object at 3,500 yards and at the same altitude. The scope return was described as small and rectangular. The pilot initially interpreted it as jamming. The target warning light activated three times within minutes. No visual or K-system contacts were made. Coordinates were logged as 71°02'N, 127°00'W, with contact established at 0050Z and lost at 0053Z on June 7, possibly later.

Item 4: RB-47 Encounter south of Bathurst Island At 2014Z on June 8, an eastbound RB-47 flying at 30,000 feet south of Bathurst Island experienced electronic and visual contact with an unknown aircraft. The RB-47 was indicating 450 knots. The warning light flashed, and two indications were observed on the APG-32 scope. The K-system scope showed indications of sweeping by another radar. Visual contact indicated the unknown aircraft was 5 to 10,000 feet above the RB-47 and approximately 5-10 miles behind for about 20 minutes. The co-pilot described the aircraft as having a fighter configuration. A contrail was observed as the aircraft disappeared, and this contrail was also sighted by a second RB-47 approximately 80 miles behind, suggesting it was about 70 miles behind the sighted aircraft. Coordinates were logged as 74°28'N, 103°25'W, with contact established at 2044Z and lost at 2140Z on June 8.

Letter from Department of the Navy (August 1, 1979) This letter, dated August 1, 1979, from the Department of the Navy, Commander Sea Based ASW Wings Atlantic, addressed to Staff Sergeant Clifford E. Stone, acknowledges a previous request for information regarding the "Pinecastle Electronic Warfare Range UFO sighting." The letter states that a reply was mailed on September 30, 1978, but regrets that Sergeant Stone did not receive it. Enclosed are duplicates of the information previously mailed, which include a handwritten log entry described as "sketchy" and providing little information. The Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, had released an advisory message to the Chief of Naval Operations, summarizing the information contained in the Ocala Star-Banner article, with the only addition being a statement verifying the reliability of Petty Officers Clark and Collins.

The letter explicitly states that "No formal investigation or informal investigation was made into the reported sightings." It was considered by the command that "some unexplained object was in the air as reported and there was no way to reenact the situation." Once the command certified the reliability of the individuals involved, "there was nothing that could be accomplished."

The author, M. P. Young, Public Affairs Officer, states they worked closely with the incident, fielding media requests and arranging interviews with Clark and Collins. While not a believer in UFOs, the author asserts conviction that "a number of people witnessed an unexplainable event at Pinecastle that night." The speed and maneuverability of the object ruled out helicopters and known aircraft, including VSTOLs.

The author reiterates regret for the non-receipt of the initial package and assures no intent to deny information. The furnished information is described as "sketchy" with "little to be documented and actually little command concern." The incident was not reported to command until the story broke in the Star-Banner, at which point a condensation of the article was released, and no further command action was taken beyond handling media requests.

OPREP-3 Report (May 17, 1978) This is a CONFIDENTIAL OPREP-3 report from NAS Jacksonville, dated May 17, 1978, concerning UFO sightings at the Pinecastle Electronic Warfare Range. The report details a series of events on May 14-15, 1978.

Initial Report: At 2200 local on May 14, SK1 Clark, the duty officer at Pinecastle Range, received a call from an unidentified female who lived near Silver Glen Springs. She reported seeing strange red, green, and white lights above the trees over the west bank of Lake George, near an area called the "Sinkhole." She mentioned observing numerous parachute drops in the past and asked if the range was open.

Second Civilian Call: At 2210 local, Clark received another call from an unidentified male who, along with eight other people, had observed an object about 50-60 feet in diameter passing overhead at tree-top level, displaying "multi-colored" lights. This group was located on State Highway 19.

Military Observation: Clark notified the control tower watchstander to search the area towards Silver Glen Springs with binoculars. The watchstander observed stationary lights at an estimated altitude of 1600 feet in the reported area.

Radar Detection: Clark checked with Jacksonville Center regarding commercial/military aircraft operations but found no information. He then summoned TD2 Collins from the barracks to activate the MSO-102 radar. After a 20-minute warmup, Collins locked onto a known target in the area – the Civil Defense tower. His "Alpha" scan indicated one stationary target (the CD tower) and one unidentified blip "fluttering" over the tower. Collins put the tracking computer on the unidentified target, which was not registering significant ground velocity. The bearing to the C/D tower was 291 degrees magnetic. The object was observed for approximately 400-500 knots, moving from northwest to south. Collins attempted to "train" the radar on the object, but it accelerated rapidly, evading tracking. When he caught up with it, the object reversed direction and started back toward Pinecastle. Collins finally locked on the object after it had practically stopped moving, and the computer indicated 2 knots ground velocity. Shortly after, the target broke radar lock, and Collins secured the radar at 0020L on May 15. Collins has eight years of radar service.

Visual Observation: A total of eight naval personnel visually observed the red, green, and white lights of the object from the control tower for over an hour. Towards the end of this period, the lights were observed to move south for about 20 miles and then return to the vicinity of the Pinecastle Range.

Location: The sighting occurred on the west-southwest bank of Lake George, near the settlement of Silver Glen Springs, on State Highway 19, approximately 5 miles north of the Navy's Pinecastle Electronic Warfare Range.

Initial Reports and Media Influence: Initial reports by PEWR military personnel were not considered particularly unusual or positive, but were influenced by two unidentified civilian callers and active curiosity. Unofficial contact between media and servicemen resulted in media presenting servicemen's remarks as official Navy news releases before command had discussed the events. OINC PEWR stated his quoted statement was inaccurate as printed. The OPREP was not submitted earlier as the initial report was considered a hoax and unlikely to generate significant press interest if approached factually.

Witness Status: Petty Officers Clark and Collins were on normal liberty on May 15, as a result of watch standing. Their statements were taken on May 16 and provided to NAS Jax on May 17 due to communication line problems.

Press Interest: An abnormal amount of press and TV interest was being shown.

Final OPREP-3: This was the last OPREP-3 report for this incident.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance The recurring themes in these documents are unexplained aerial phenomena, military radar and visual detection, witness testimony (both civilian and military), and the official response (or lack thereof) from military and governmental bodies. The documents highlight instances where military personnel encountered objects exhibiting characteristics beyond known aircraft capabilities, such as extreme speed and maneuverability. There is also an undercurrent of skepticism and a procedural approach to reporting and investigating such events, as evidenced by the "no formal investigation" stance and the initial consideration of the Pinecastle event as a potential "hoax." The letter from the Department of the Navy suggests a cautious approach to public disclosure and investigation, prioritizing witness reliability over extensive inquiry when no concrete evidence or threat is identified. The overall stance appears to be one of documenting events as reported by credible sources while maintaining a degree of official reserve and procedural adherence.