RAF Bentwaters UFO Incidents
Two decades of UFO activity at a nuclear-armed NATO base culminated in the Rendlesham Forest incident. Objects tracked on radar, confirmed by RAF and USAF personnel.
RAF Bentwaters and its twin base RAF Woodbridge hosted some of the most significant UFO activity in British history, spanning from the 1950s through the famous 1980 Rendlesham Forest incident. The bases, which housed nuclear weapons during the Cold War, appear to have attracted unusual attention.
The 1956 Lakenheath-Bentwaters Incident
On the night of August 13-14, 1956, one of the most significant radar-visual UFO cases occurred over East Anglia. According to official records:
- RAF radar at Bentwaters tracked high-speed targets
- USAF radar at Lakenheath confirmed the contacts
- Objects performed impossible maneuvers
- An RAF Venom fighter was scrambled to intercept
- The pilot reported the object circled behind him and followed
The Condon Report (1968) called it “the most puzzling and unusual case in the radar-visual files.”
Ongoing Activity
Between 1956 and 1980, personnel at the bases reported numerous incidents:
- Strange lights over the airfield
- Objects hovering near weapons storage areas
- Radar anomalies
- Equipment malfunctions during sightings
The bases housed tactical nuclear weapons throughout this period, fitting a pattern of UFO interest in nuclear facilities.
December 1980
The activity culminated in the Rendlesham Forest incident of December 26-28, 1980, when multiple USAF personnel encountered landed objects in the forest between the two bases. Deputy Base Commander Lt. Col. Charles Halt led an investigation team and recorded his observations on tape.
Patterns
The Bentwaters/Woodbridge cases share characteristics with other nuclear site incidents:
- Sustained interest over years
- Activity near weapons storage
- Radar confirmation of visual sightings
- Multiple credible military witnesses
- Official suppression of information
Official Response
Despite the volume of incidents, official acknowledgment was limited:
- Many reports were classified
- Witnesses were debriefed and told to remain silent
- The UK Ministry of Defence maintained minimal public interest
- Files were not released until decades later
The concentration of UFO activity at these nuclear-armed bases over two decades suggests either coincidence or deliberate surveillance of humanity’s most destructive weapons.
Sources
- Lakenheath-Bentwaters incident - Wikipedia
- Condon Report (1968)