Within Malmstrom
What did radar and guards report?
Negative radar and security reports are crucial because they define what the official record says was not observed that morning.
On this page
- The Mobile Strike Team check
- The radar squadron's negative report
- Why absence of detection matters but does not end debate
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
The dispute over Echo Flight is often framed as a clash between a documented missile malfunction and later reports of unidentified objects. Less attention is given to a narrower but crucial question: what did the people responsible for security and surveillance actually record on the morning of 16 March 1967? The official record contains two specific checks that have become central to the debate. A Mobile Strike Team operating in the missile field reported no unusual activity, and the 801st Radar Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base reported no radar or atmospheric anomalies connected to Echo Flight. These negative findings matter because they are among the few contemporaneous observations directly addressing whether anything unusual was detected near the missile sites at the time of the shutdown. [The Black Vault]documents.theblackvault.comThe Black Vaultmalmstromufo.pdf14 Jun 2001 — On 16!-2rch 1967… Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Fl…
For supporters of a UFO connection, the absence of radar tracks or security sightings does not necessarily disprove later witness testimony. For sceptics, however, these reports are important because they show that the personnel and systems expected to notice an intrusion did not officially record one. Understanding what these checks did and did not establish is essential to evaluating the Echo Flight controversy. [Wikipedia]WikipediaMalmstrom UFO incidentMalmstrom UFO incident
The Mobile Strike Team check
One of the most frequently cited passages in the declassified command history of the 341st Strategic Missile Wing concerns a Mobile Strike Team that had been operating in the missile complex area on the morning of the incident. According to the Air Force history, rumours of UFO activity around Echo Flight were investigated after the missile shutdown. The report states that members of the Mobile Strike Team were questioned and said they had observed no unusual activity or sightings. [The Black Vault]documents.theblackvault.comThe Black Vaultmalmstromufo.pdf14 Jun 2001 — On 16!-2rch 1967… Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Fl…
This point is significant because the team was not a distant observer. Mobile Strike Teams were security personnel who moved among missile facilities and were responsible for responding to incidents in the field. If a conspicuous aerial object had been hovering over launch facilities for an extended period, their observations would have been relevant to any investigation. The official history therefore presented their negative report as evidence against rumours that an unusual object had been seen near Echo Flight. [Wikipedia]WikipediaMalmstrom UFO incidentMalmstrom UFO incident
The wording of the document is also revealing. Rather than merely stating that no UFO was found, it specifically says the team was questioned regarding the rumours and reported no unusual observations. This indicates that the possibility of UFO-related reports was known to investigators and was considered sufficiently important to check. [The Black Vault]documents.theblackvault.comThe Black Vaultmalmstromufo.pdf14 Jun 2001 — On 16!-2rch 1967… Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Fl…
Critics of the official account have argued that the existence of such questioning suggests that stories of unusual activity were already circulating. Some later witnesses also challenged the adequacy of the inquiry, arguing that the official record did not capture all reports made through security channels. However, no contemporaneous document has surfaced showing that the Mobile Strike Team itself reported an unidentified object during the Echo Flight shutdown. [nicap.org]nicap.orgMinuteman Missiles Shutdown - Robert SalasIt states the following: "Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo F…
The radar squadron’s negative report
The second key check involved radar surveillance. The declassified Air Force history records that the 801st Radar Squadron at Malmstrom provided what the document described as a negative report regarding radar or atmospheric interference associated with Echo Flight. In plain terms, radar personnel did not report tracking an unidentified target connected with the incident, nor did they report unusual atmospheric conditions that might explain anomalous radar returns. [Reddit]reddit.comLooking for official FOIA documentation regarding…The 801st Radar Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, gave a negative report on any radar o…
This finding carries particular weight because radar evidence is often viewed as more objective than eyewitness testimony. Human observers can misinterpret distance, brightness or movement, especially under unusual conditions. Radar systems have their own limitations, but a recorded radar track can provide independent confirmation that something physical was present in monitored airspace. In the Echo Flight case, the official record states that no such confirmation was obtained. [Reddit]reddit.comLooking for official FOIA documentation regarding…The 801st Radar Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, gave a negative report on any radar o…
The radar report also intersects with later claims that an unidentified aerial object may have influenced the missile system through some electromagnetic mechanism. If a sizeable object had been operating near the missile field, many researchers would expect radar evidence to be among the strongest forms of corroboration. The absence of a reported radar detection therefore became one of the principal reasons official investigations did not conclude that an aerial object was involved. [Reddit]reddit.comLooking for official FOIA documentation regarding…The 801st Radar Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, gave a negative report on any radar o…
Importantly, the historical record does not show a detailed radar log being released publicly alongside the command-history summary. What survives in widely cited documentation is the summary statement that the radar squadron’s findings were negative. That distinction matters because historians and investigators are evaluating a conclusion reported in the official history rather than a complete set of raw radar records. [The Black Vault]documents.theblackvault.comThe Black Vaultmalmstromufo.pdf14 Jun 2001 — On 16!-2rch 1967… Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Fl…
Why absence of detection matters but does not end the debate
The security and radar reports are often treated as either decisive proof against a UFO connection or as irrelevant bureaucratic paperwork. Neither interpretation fully captures their evidential value.
On one hand, the reports are among the strongest contemporaneous pieces of evidence available. They were produced close to the event, by military personnel performing operational duties rather than by witnesses recalling events decades later. The official Air Force position relied heavily on these negative findings when stating that rumours of UFO activity around Echo Flight had been disproven. [The Black Vault]documents.theblackvault.comThe Black Vaultmalmstromufo.pdf14 Jun 2001 — On 16!-2rch 1967… Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Fl…
On the other hand, a negative report is not the same as proof that nothing unusual occurred. Radar coverage is never perfect, and security teams only observe what falls within their field of view and attention. A brief, distant or poorly observed event might leave no official record. This is one reason later witness testimony continued to attract interest even after the release of declassified documents. Supporters of the UFO interpretation argue that the lack of recorded detection does not automatically invalidate accounts from personnel who later described unusual objects. [ufoevidence.com]ufoevidence.comMalmstrom AFB “Echo Flight” ShutdownMultiple witnesses provided affidavits describing reported UAP activity and briefings about a UFO connection (formalized state…
The key point is that the burden of evidence shifts. Without radar confirmation or corroborating security reports, claims of a UFO presence depend much more heavily on witness recollections and later statements. With such confirmation, the case would look very different. Because the official record contains negative findings from both the Mobile Strike Team and the 801st Radar Squadron, the Echo Flight dispute remains centred on a contrast between documented missile failure and disputed claims about what, if anything, was present above the missile field. [Wikipedia+2The Black Vault]WikipediaMalmstrom UFO incidentMalmstrom UFO incident
What the official record actually establishes
When the radar and security evidence is separated from broader arguments about UFOs and nuclear weapons, the historical record becomes clearer. The available Air Force documentation establishes three limited but important points:
- Investigators considered rumours of UFO activity significant enough to check. [The Black Vault]documents.theblackvault.comThe Black Vaultmalmstromufo.pdf14 Jun 2001 — On 16!-2rch 1967… Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Fl…
- The Mobile Strike Team reported no unusual sightings or activity connected with Echo Flight. [Wikipedia]WikipediaMalmstrom UFO incidentMalmstrom UFO incident
- The 801st Radar Squadron reported no radar or atmospheric anomalies associated with the incident. [Reddit]reddit.comLooking for official FOIA documentation regarding…The 801st Radar Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, gave a negative report on any radar o…
These findings do not explain why all ten missiles entered a No-Go condition, nor do they conclusively settle disputes over later witness accounts. They do, however, define an important boundary of the evidence: the official surveillance and security systems cited in the contemporaneous record did not report an unidentified object associated with the Echo Flight shutdown. [Wikipedia]WikipediaMalmstrom UFO incidentMalmstrom UFO incident
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to What did radar and guards report?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
UFOs
Provides broader context on official reporting, military witnesses, and evidence standards relevant to Malmstrom discussions.
The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects
Explains Air Force investigative methods and evidentiary issues that mirror debates over radar and security-force reports.
In Plain Sight: an Investigation Into UFOs and Impossible Sci...
Places historical military UFO cases such as Malmstrom within the wider contemporary UAP debate.
UFOs and nukes
Directly covers Malmstrom incidents, missile shutdown claims, military witnesses, security reports, and related investigations.
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Example marketplace items related to this page. Use the search link to explore similar finds on eBay.
Endnotes
-
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Malmstrom UFO incident
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malmstrom_UFO_incident -
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1dvt3m2/looking_for_official_foia_documentation_regarding/Source snippet
Looking for official FOIA documentation regarding...The 801st Radar Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, gave a negative report on any radar o...
-
Source: nicap.org
Link: https://www.nicap.org/malmstrom67-3.htmSource snippet
Minuteman Missiles Shutdown - Robert SalasIt states the following: "[Rumors]({{ 'rumors/' | relative_url }}) of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo F...
-
Source: ufoevidence.com
Title: Malmstrom AFB “Echo Flight” Shutdown
Link: https://ufoevidence.com/case/malmstrom-afb-echo-flight-shutdown/Source snippet
Multiple witnesses provided affidavits describing reported UAP activity and briefings about a UFO connection (formalized state...
-
Source: timhebert.blogspot.com
Link: https://timhebert.blogspot.com/2010/11/did-ufos-disable-minuteman-missiles-at.htmlSource snippet
The 801st Radar Squadron...
-
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/HighStrangeness/comments/fmewue/the_unexplained_deactivated_nukes_incident_by/Source snippet
sabled. Completely denuclearized by aliens or whatever it is...Read more...
-
Source: reddit.com
Title: 967 malmstrom afb ufo incident how do i balance
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufo/comments/1g9mjfo/967_malmstrom_afb_ufo_incident_how_do_i_balance/Source snippet
967 Malmstrom AFB UFO Incident: How do I balance the...I'm currently writing a film MINUTEMAN centered around the mysterious 1967 UFO in...
-
Source: documents.theblackvault.com
Link: https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/malmstromufo.pdfSource snippet
The Black Vaultmalmstromufo.pdf14 Jun 2001 — On 16!-2rch 1967... Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Fl...
-
Source: documents.theblackvault.com
Link: https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/oasd.pdfSource snippet
1948 and 1969, the Air Force investigated 12,618 reported sightings. The following is a statistiCal listing of reported UFO sight ings du...
Additional References
-
Source: abcnews.com
Link: https://abcnews.com/Technology/airmen-govt-clean-ufos/story?id=11738715Source snippet
Former Airmen to Govt.: Come Clean on UFOsHe was stationed 60 feet underground at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana in March 1967...
Published: March 1967
-
Source: medium.com
Link: https://medium.com/%40chantern15/malmstrom-airforce-base-ufos-9bcf40f8d409 -
Source: academia.edu
Link: https://www.academia.edu/101922617/The_Reliability_of_UFO_Witness_Testimony -
Source: dokumen.pub
Link: https://dokumen.pub/extraterrestrial-contacts-the-roswell-foil-ufos-and-how-they-alter-our-understanding-of-the-modern-world-0936618132-9780936618135.htmlSource snippet
Extraterrestrial Contacts: the Roswell foil, UFOs, and how...No radar report was included in the 17-page report—it was missing from the...
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/WIONews/posts/former-us-air-force-captain-says-ufos-attacked-a-nuclear-missile-base-in-the-196/2364275070449781/Source snippet
March 16, 1967 another launch control center assigned to Malmstrom AFB, Echo Flight experienced a similar incident when all ten missiles...
Published: March 16, 1967
-
Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFdEfgMWWekSource snippet
Malmstrom UFO incident [Robert Salas]({{ 'salas/' | relative_url }}) UFO disabled nuclear missiles at Malmstrom - Captain Robert Salas Unleash the Truth...
-
Source: meer.com
Title: 74766 the malmstrom nuclear ufo incident 1967 returns
Link: https://www.meer.com/en/74766-the-malmstrom-nuclear-ufo-incident-1967-returnsSource snippet
The Malmstrom nuclear UFO incident (1967) returns23 Jul 2023 — Officers at the base reported to Salas that they saw a craft that appeared...
-
Source: academia.edu
Link: https://www.academia.edu/145378825/Potential_Dangers_in_Engaging_Unidentified_Aerial_Phenomena_UAP_for_Military_and_Civilian_Craft_and_InstallationsSource snippet
P) under the hypothesis that they employ coherent electromagnetic structures...
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/UnexplainedMysteriousUniverse/posts/story-of-man-who-claims-aliens-once-shut-down-10-nuclear-missiles-to-prevent-nuc/1581542977310457/Source snippet
A 30-year-long investigation by UFO researcher Robert...Read more...
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ufoupdates/posts/10157934371461790/Source snippet
ecurity, in 1975, multiple UFOs were seen over Malmstrom...
Topic Tree