Strategic Air Command Nuclear Base UFO Intrusions (1975)

Between October 27 and November 10, 1975, a series of unprecedented UFO intrusions occurred at multiple Strategic Air Command bases across the northern United States and into Canada. Objects were observed and tracked on radar at Loring AFB (Maine), Wurtsmith AFB (Michigan), Malmstrom AFB (Montana), Minot AFB (North Dakota), and Canadian Forces Station Falconbridge (Ontario). The objects specifically targeted nuclear weapons storage areas and ICBM sites, prompting scrambled interceptors, alerts to the National Military Command Center, and daily briefings to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The NORAD Message

Official Documentation

November 11, 1975 NORAD communication:

• “Since 28 Oct 75, numerous reports of suspicious objects have been received at the NORAD COC”
• “Reliable military personnel at Loring AFB, Maine, Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, Minot AFB, North Dakota, and Canadian Forces Station Falconbridge, Ontario, Canada, have visually sighted suspicious objects”

Distribution

Who received the reports:

• National Military Command Center
• Defense Intelligence Agency
• National Security Agency
• Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Daily updates throughout period

Loring AFB Incidents

October 27, 1975

First documented intrusion:

• Staff Sergeant Danny K. Lewis observed apparent aircraft
• Low altitude approach
• Red light and pulsating white light
• Object penetrated base perimeter
• Came within 300 yards of munitions storage area

October 28, 1975

Second night:

• Similar intrusion pattern
• Object lingered for 40 minutes
• F-106 interceptors scrambled
• Unable to intercept
• Radar tracked object
• National Military Command Center notified

Object Description

What witnesses reported:

• “Four car-lengths long”
• Red and orange colors
• Self-luminous
• Maneuverable at will
• Not conventional aircraft

Wurtsmith AFB Incident

October 30, 1975

The encounter:

• Approximately 10:10 PM
• Running lights of low-flying craft observed
• White light pointed downward
• Two red lights near rear
• Hovered and moved erratically near perimeter

Weapons Storage

Particularly concerning:

• Unidentified “helicopter” with no lights
• Over weapons storage area
• No identification possible
• Deliberate approach to sensitive area

KC-135 Pursuit

Tanker crew engagement:

• KC-135 crew established visual contact
• Established radar contact
• Attempted intercept
• Crew statement: “Each time we attempted to close on the object, it would speed away from us”
• Estimated speed: approximately 1,000 knots
• Far exceeded any known aircraft capability

Malmstrom AFB Incidents

November 7, 1975

ICBM site intrusions:

• Multiple Minuteman missile sites reported orange-red objects
• Sabotage Alert Team at K-7 site observed enormous disc
• Object described as “size of a football field”
• Orange in color
• Illuminated entire missile site

Team Response

The encounter:

• Team refused to proceed into site
• Fear of enormous object
• Object rose to approximately 1,000 feet
• Tracked by NORAD radar
• F-106 interceptors scrambled from Great Falls

Extreme Performance

What tracking showed:

• Object reportedly tracked to altitude of 200,000+ feet
• Before disappearing from radar
• Performance beyond any known aircraft
• Acceleration impossible for conventional craft

November 8, 1975

Continued activity:

• Radar showed up to 7 objects
• Altitudes 9,500-15,000 feet
• Objects detected moving at only 7 knots
• Despite sounding like jet aircraft
• Contradictory characteristics

Minot AFB Incident

November 10, 1975

Final major incident:

• Bright, noiseless object
• “Size of a car”
• Buzzed base at 1,000-2,000 feet altitude
• Pattern consistent with previous intrusions
• Nuclear weapons site targeted

Military Response

CINCSAC Directive

“Defense Against Helicopter Assault”:

• Sent to multiple bases
• Security Option 3 implemented
• During hours of darkness
• Recognition of threat

Air Force Public Affairs

November 11, 1975 directive:

• Instructed public information staff
• Avoid linking scattered sightings
• Downplay connections
• Control public narrative

Classification

Document status:

• Originally classified CONFIDENTIAL
• Later declassified through FOIA
• Some files remain restricted
• Pattern of official concern evident

Analysis

Targeting Pattern

What the intrusions revealed:

• Specific focus on nuclear weapons
• Storage areas approached
• ICBM sites observed
• Not random activity
• Deliberate reconnaissance pattern

”Clear Intent”

Official assessment:

• Objects demonstrated “clear intent in weapons storage area”
• Coordinated activity across bases
• Two-week duration
• Multiple platforms observed

Technological Superiority

What was demonstrated:

• Outran F-106 interceptors
• Speeds exceeding 1,000 knots
• Hovering capability
• Silent operation possible
• Extreme altitude capability

Significance

Multiple Base Confirmation

Why this matters:

• Not isolated incident
• Pattern across northern tier
• Radar confirmation at each base
• Multiple military witnesses
• Official documentation at highest levels

Nuclear Connection

The disturbing implication:

• UFOs specifically interested in nuclear weapons
• Pattern seen at other bases historically
• Malmstrom missiles affected 1967
• Continued surveillance apparent

Never Identified

The conclusion:

• Objects never identified
• No nation had such capability
• Not balloons, not conventional aircraft
• No explanation provided
• Case remains open

The Question

October to November 1975. The northern tier.

America’s nuclear deterrent is under surveillance.

Not by the Soviets. Not by any known nation. By something else.

Loring AFB. Nuclear weapons storage. An object the length of four cars hovers 300 yards from the bunkers. For 40 minutes. F-106s scramble. They can’t catch it.

Wurtsmith AFB. A KC-135 tanker tries to intercept. “Each time we attempted to close on the object, it would speed away from us.” A thousand knots. Nothing we have goes a thousand knots and hovers.

Malmstrom AFB. The Minuteman missiles. The actual nuclear warheads. An object the size of a football field. Orange. Glowing. Hovering over the silos. The Security Alert Team refuses to approach. It rises to 200,000 feet and disappears.

Minot AFB. Same pattern. Silent object. Nuclear site. Observation.

NORAD tracks it all. The Joint Chiefs are briefed daily. The National Security Agency receives the reports. This is not classified as unimportant.

For two weeks, something moved through America’s nuclear infrastructure. It watched. It observed. It demonstrated capabilities we didn’t have. It proved it could get close to our most sensitive weapons.

And then it stopped.

The Air Force told public affairs to avoid connecting the incidents. Keep them separate. Don’t let anyone see the pattern.

But the pattern was there.

The nuclear bases.

Something watching the weapons.

And we couldn’t stop it.

We couldn’t even catch it.

Declassified now.

Still unexplained.

The nuclear watchers.

Still unidentified.