UFOs and the military

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

US Tried to Shoot Down UFO, File Shows
October 20, 2008
Associated Press

LONDON - An American fighter pilot flying from an English air base at the height of the Cold War was ordered to open fire on a massive UFO that lit up his radar, according to an account published by Britain's National Archives on Monday.

The fighter pilot said he was ordered to fire a full salvo of rockets at the UFO moving erratically over the North Sea - but that at the last minute the object picked up enormous speed and disappeared. The account, first published in Britain's Daily Star newspaper more than 17 years ago and to this day unverified by military authorities, was one of many carried in the 1,500 pages the archives made available online.

The unnamed pilot said he and another airman were scrambled on the night of May 20, 1957 to intercept an unusual "bogey" on radars at a Royal Air Force Station Manston, an airfield at the southeastern tip of England about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from central London.

"This was a flying object with very unusual flight patterns," the pilot said, according to a typed manuscript of his account mailed to Britain's Ministry of Defense by a UFO enthusiast in 1988. "In the initial briefing it was suggested to us that the bogey actually was motionless for long intervals."

Ordered to fly at full throttle in cloudy weather, the pilot said he was given the order to fire a volley of 24 rockets at the mysterious object.

"To be quite candid I almost (expletive) my pants!" the pilot said, saying he asked for confirmation - which he received.

Retired U.S. airman Milton Torres told Britain's Sky News on Monday that he was the pilot and has spent 50 frustrating years attempting to uncover the truth of his mid-air encounter.

Speaking from his home in Miami, Florida, Torres said he never saw the UFO with his naked eye, but watched in awe as it appeared on his jet's radar and sped off before he had chance to fire.

"All of a sudden as it was coming in, it decided to take off and leave me behind ... The next thing I know it was gone," Torres told Sky News. "It was some kind of space alien craft. It was so fast, it was so incredible ... it was absolutely death defying."

In the newly published government file, the U.S. airman said the UFO appeared impossible to miss.

"The blip was burning a hole in the radar with its incredible intensity," the pilot said. "It was similar to a blip I had received from B-52's and seemed to be a magnet of light. ... I had a lock on that had the proportions of a flying aircraft carrier."

As he closed in on the object to prepare for combat, however, the object began to move wildly before fading off his radar. The target gone, the mission was called off, and he returned to base to an odd reception.

"I had not the foggiest idea what had actually occurred, nor would anyone explain anything to me," the pilot said. He said he was led to a man in civilian clothes, who "advised me that this would be considered highly classified and that I should not discuss it with anybody not even my commander."

"He disappeared without so much as a goodbye and that was that, as far as I was concerned," the pilot said, according to the account.

Britain's military said it had no record of the incident, according to the files. Neither did the U.S. military. The second pilot's account, also included in the files, paints a somewhat different picture of events, saying there were not one but several "unknowns" and that he did not remember being contacted by anyone about staying quiet. He did not mention the targets' size.

"I know this is not a very exciting narrative but it is all I can recall," the second pilot said.

His name, like his colleague's, was redacted from the files.

David Clarke, a UFO expert who has worked with the National Archives on the document release, said it was one of the most intriguing stories he had culled from the batch of files released Monday.

He said that the CIA once had a program intended to create phantom signals on radar - and that this may have been an exercise in electronic warfare. Whatever the case, Clarke argued that "there's no doubt something very unusual happened."

Clarke said the batch of files released Monday - which include witness accounts, investigations, and sketches - was part of a three to four year program intended to make a total of 160 UFO-related files available to the public.

What do you think about this?

[TruBlu]

My first thought is this: What in the hell is a UFO expert?!?! I mean really, a UFO EXPERT?

Other than that, its all a load of crap, the whole UFO shindig is. I'll be very blunt on my position here: I don't believe that we are visited or being watched by extraterrestrial beings, and I sure as hell don't think that these "UFOs" are anything more than random anomalies. Think about this: why are all or most of the "UFOs" "discovered" in obscure places like the middle of the desert or above the ocean. If we were being observed, why would "they" do it there? Think about it!

I am not saying there is not a possibility of life other than us existing within our universe (that's what it is until we find proof otherwise, OURS). But, there has been no solid or tangible evidence to prove any form of the existence of life outside of our own.

When we look at this single indecent, it doesn't make much sense. For one, the two pilots involved at the exact same time for the exact same event, have conflicting stories about the events that "occurred" during and afterwords. And I still want to know what a UFO expert is...

[El Supremo]

Originally Posted by TruBlu

My first thought is this: What in the hell is a UFO expert?!?! I mean really, a UFO EXPERT?

Other than that, its all a load of crap, the whole UFO shindig is. I'll be very blunt on my position here: I don't believe that we are visited or being watched by extraterrestrial beings, and I sure as hell don't think that these "UFOs" are anything more than random anomalies. Think about this: why are all or most of the "UFOs" "discovered" in obscure places like the middle of the desert or above the ocean. If we were being observed, why would "they" do it there? Think about it!

I am not saying there is not a possibility of life other than us existing within our universe (that's what it is until we find proof otherwise, OURS). But, there has been no solid or tangible evidence to prove any form of the existence of life outside of our own.

When we look at this single indecent, it doesn't make much sense. For one, the two pilots involved at the exact same time for the exact same event, have conflicting stories about the events that "occurred" during and afterwords. And I still want to know what a UFO expert is...

I concur, what is a UFO expert? I've never heard of an occupation like that before.

But my take on UFO's has always been this: "If there is intelligent life out there in the universe, and they have/are, observing/ed, us. Then chances are, they'd want nothing to do with us, or probably lose interest in us very quick".

[PhoenixCadet]

Aliens do not exist... Please look into this light for me please... *flash*

On a serious note - I, too, have to second the "load of crap" notion. I personally think the whole UFO thing is fake, but a great way to get a bunch of people's money (as well as wasting their time).

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

My personal opinion:

It could or could not have happened. I wasn't there, so I can't say otherwise.

However, there have been incidents from the '50s to the '60s about US Military Craft being scrambled after "Phantoms" on RADAR, some even coming into visual range of the crafts before they "dissapear" or "speed off".

Intelligent Life could exist inside or outside of our Galaxy. Why they'd be intrested in us? I have no idea.

[ang1sgt]

Having lived in England during the Cold War era, the only ARMED aircraft were those on "ALERT" Status. They were not then or not now flying regular missions with "ROCKETS". Please remember that ROCKETS on an Aircraft are NOT Guided especially back then. Missiles are guided, not rockets. The Pilot admits that he never SAW the target and as such how could he have shot and fired upon this UFO? This was before our Radar was advanced enough to look out, acquire and shoot accurately enough beyond the line of vision.

I say B.S.

19 years as a Certified Aircraft Weapons/Munitions Technician

[Drill for life]

This sounds like Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the crystal Skull. Aliens do not exsist, there are bacateria and parasites in space,nothing else.

[AirForceAlways]

There's actually neither of those in space, drill for life. The problem with space is that it's a vaccum, and not a whole lot lives in a vaccum with no oxygen or life supporting materials. Though, they've been "close" to finding evidence of life on Mars. They think they've found life-sustaining water on the surface, but no one knows for sure yet. So as of yet, no life found outside of Earth.

I'm also with ANG1SGT. Though I have no experience in any of that stuff he talks about, some of the basic story doesn't hold water with me. The basic fact that neither story really matches with each other, though that could be due to the differentiation memories of the participants, doesn't seem like it would come from two retired military personnel. I don't know, it just sets off a sense with me.

[ang1sgt]

The other thing you must realize that "SKY News" is more Celebrity Journalism than actual fact. Very close to the Tabloids they have in England where they sell more due to the page 3 girls than actual NEWS content.

Just brings up the fact that you have to really be aware of your sources in these cases.

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

Well, I retrieved this from Military.com, the same source that provides news links to this site.