On the night of August 13-14, 1956, a series of radar and visual contacts with unidentified flying objects occurred over RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath, two airbases in Suffolk, eastern England. The incident involved personnel from both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF), who tracked objects performing maneuvers impossible for conventional aircraft.1 This event is considered one of the most compelling radar-visual UFO cases on record due to the multiple independent confirmations.2
Radar and Visual Observations
The incident began at RAF Bentwaters when radar operators tracked a target approaching the base at several thousand miles per hour. Later, another target was detected approaching at an estimated speed of 2,000 to 4,000 mph.3 Lakenheath radar also picked up unidentified echoes, and ground observers at Lakenheath reported seeing a luminous object that stopped and then moved off rapidly.1 An RAF de Havilland Venom night fighter was scrambled to intercept a stationary target, and its pilot made visual contact with a bright white light, locking onto it with his airborne radar.4
Unusual Maneuvers and Official Stance
The UFO appeared to follow the Venom, even getting behind it, despite the pilot's evasive maneuvers. Radar operators at Lakenheath continuously tracked the UFO as a distinct echo behind the aircraft, confirming the unusual behavior.4 The Condon Committee, which conducted a scientific study of UFOs for the U.S. Air Force, unusually concluded that "the probability that at least one genuine UFO was involved appears to be fairly high" in this case.2 The British Government also listed the incident as "unexplained" in a secret briefing in 1957, highlighting its high degree of "strangeness" and contributing to the belief that UFOs deserved serious study.5