02 · LORE
551 FILES·LAST 1D AGO
United Kingdom1956-08-13civilian claim

Lakenheath-Bentwaters Radar Case

On the night of August 13-14, 1956, ground radar at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, airborne radar aboard a USAF bomber, and visual observers all tracked unidentified objects moving at extreme speeds over East Anglia. Two RAF de Havilland Venom jets were scrambled; one pilot reported the target maneuvering behind his aircraft and shadowing him for ten minutes.

On the night of August 13-14, 1956, ground radar at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, airborne radar aboard a USAF bomber, and visual observers all tracked unidentified objects moving at extreme speeds over East Anglia.

Brief

On the night of August 13-14, 1956, ground radar at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, airborne radar aboard a USAF bomber, and visual observers all tracked unidentified objects moving at extreme speeds over East Anglia. Two RAF de Havilland Venom jets were scrambled; one pilot reported the target maneuvering behind his aircraft and shadowing him for ten minutes. The Condon Committee researcher Gordon Thayer called it 'the most puzzling and unusual case in the radar-visual files.' The final Condon Report, which otherwise sought mundane explanations, concluded the probability of a genuine unknown was 'fairly high.' The case is Chapter 2 of the Condon Report and is cited in CIA FOIA archives.

Metadata

Date
1956-08-13
Year
1956
Location
RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England
Region
United Kingdom
Status
confirmed
Tag
civilian claim
Primary
UFO Encounter II. Sample Case Selected by the UFO Subcommittee of the AIAA
Source type
html
Sources
3

Key Points

  • On the night of August 13-14, 1956, ground radar at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, airborne radar aboard a USAF bomber, and visual observers all tracked unidentified objects moving at extreme speeds over East Anglia.
  • Two RAF de Havilland Venom jets were scrambled; one pilot reported the target maneuvering behind his aircraft and shadowing him for ten minutes.
  • The Condon Committee researcher Gordon Thayer called it 'the most puzzling and unusual case in the radar-visual files.' The final Condon Report, which otherwise sought mundane explanations, concluded the probability of a genuine unknown was 'fairly high.' The case is Chapter 2 of the Condon Report and is cited in CIA FOIA archives.

Most Interesting

  • The Condon Committee researcher Gordon Thayer called it 'the most puzzling and unusual case in the radar-visual files.' The final Condon Report, which otherwise sought mundane explanations, concluded the probability of a genuine unknown was 'fairly high.' The case is Chapter 2 of the Condon Report and is cited in CIA FOIA archives.
  • On the night of August 13-14, 1956, ground radar at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, airborne radar aboard a USAF bomber, and visual observers all tracked unidentified objects moving at extreme speeds over East Anglia.
  • Two RAF de Havilland Venom jets were scrambled; one pilot reported the target maneuvering behind his aircraft and shadowing him for ten minutes.

Timeline

  1. 1956-08-13 · Encounter

    On the night of August 13-14, 1956, ground radar at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, airborne radar aboard a USAF bomber, and visual observers all tracked unidentified objects moving at extreme speeds over East Anglia.

  2. 1976 · Source record

    UFO Encounter II. Sample Case Selected by the UFO Subcommittee of the AIAA is the preferred source material attached to this encounter.

Sources

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