PROJECT 1947

By Jan L. Aldrich

The following is a list of Far East Cases from a draft version of the updated Radar Catalogue RADCAT.  The main source of these cases is an FEAF intelligence report which listed cases which FEAF stated that the explanation was radar interference.  At the time I only made notes from the FEAF intelligence report thinking that the report was present in the Project Blue Book files.  It was not. Fortunately, Hynek had a copy.  There were no other details but those listed.  Included in this catalogue are a few other cases which are available in the Project Blue Book files.  These are indicated by the sources Berliner (Project Blue Book Unknowns) and Robertson (IAPR).  Those cases indicating an evaluation, “FEAF: Radar Interference” are from the FEAF report.  Cases which have further information will later be discussed here.

The FEAF intelligence report did not indicate what type of radar was involved, the Service involved, nor who did the evaluation. Project 1947 believes that further information on these cases may be in the records of the FEAF or other Far East military commands.

DATE: January 26, 1951 TIME: 1405 local CLASS: R   LOCATION: Sea of Japan Near S. Korean coast 36° 40' N, 130° 50' SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference Added Case: Sparks Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: February 15, 1951 TIME: Early afternoon CLASS: R   LOCATION: Sea of Japan Near S. Korean coast 38° 30' N, 130° 0' SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary: Radar tracking of unidentified target at 12,000 14,000 mph Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: March 9, 1951 TIME: 1425 local CLASS: R   LOCATION: About 29 miles SE of Tsushima Island, Japan 34° 05' N, 129° 31' E SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  About 20 miles SE of Tsushima Island, Japan (at 34° 5' N, 129° 31' E). 2:25 p.m. Radar tracking of unidentified target at 3,350 mph. Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: April 14, 1951 TIME: 1322 local CLASS: R   LOCATION: Yellow Sea 27° 09' N, 123° 20' E SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  April 14, 1951. Yellow Sea (at 37° 9' N, 123° 20' E). 1:22 p.m.  Radar tracking of unidentified target at 3,755 mph. Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: August 21, 1951 TIME: 1205 local CLASS: R   LOCATION: Sea of Japan 41° 55' N, 135° 52' SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  Aug. 21, 1951. Sea of Japan (at 41° 55' N, 133° 52' E). 12:05 p.m. Radar tracking of unidentified target. Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: September 9, 1951 TIME: 1850 local CLASS: R   LOCATION: About 50 miles off the coast of N. Korea 39° 05' N, 128° 40' E SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  Sept. 9, 1951. About 50 miles off coast of North Korea (at 39° 5' N, 128° 40' E). 6:50 p.m. Radar tracking of multiple unidentified targets at 900 mph. Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: October 7, 1951 TIME: 1937 local CLASS: R   LOCATION: Few miles off coast of Honshu, Japan 37° 37' N, 137° 15' SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  Oct. 7, 1951. A few miles off coast of Honshu, Japan (at 37° 37' N, 137° 15' E). 7:37 p.m. Radar tracking of unidentified target at 420 mph. Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: February 2, 1952 TIME: 1030-1040 local CLASS: R   LOCATION: About 40 miles E of Pusan South Korea 35° 00' N, 129° 40' E to 35° 30' N, 129° 40' W SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: FEAF: Radar Interference BB: Insufficient Information Robertson: Insufficient Information Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  Feb. 2, 1952. About 40 miles E of Pusan, South Korea (at 35° 0' N, 129° 40' E). 10:30, 10:40 a.m. Radar track of 767 mph unidentified target. 2nd track from position 35° 30' N, 129° 40' E, at 10:40 of 1,257 mph unidentified target. Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: April 18, 1952 TIME: 1207 local CLASS: R/Ground   LOCATION: 50 miles NW of Kyushu, Japan 34° 19' N, 129° 51' E SOURCES: US Air Force Intelligence Report                    Berliner Project Blue Book   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: Project Blue Book--unknown Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  1130 April 18, 1952. 50 miles NW of Kyushu, Japan (at 34° 19' N, 129° 51' E [34° 30' N ?, 129° 30'E ?]). 12:07 p.m.  A radar operator tracked unidentified target at 2,700 [2,100?] mph. (Berliner) Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: May 26, 1952 TIME: n/a CLASS: R/V Air visual/ground radar   LOCATION:  North Korea SOURCES: Weinstein: ACUFOE                    Phillip Robertson: IAPR   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: Blue Book--balloon                           Phillip Robertson--unknown Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  May 26, 1952. North Korea. 3:20 a.m. USAF pilot and radar observer flying in an F-94C jet fighter saw and radar tracked a bright white object that accelerated to high speed, and tracked by ground radar. (Weinstein) Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: May 31, 1952 TIME: 1545 local CLASS: R/V Air visual-radar/ground radar   LOCATION:  South of Chorwon, South Korea SOURCES: Berliner: PBBU   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: Project Blue Book--unknown Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  May 31, 1952. S of Chorwon, South Korea (at 37° 55' N, 129° 7' E). 3:45 55 a.m. Bright object to NE fell from about 3,500 3,600 ft. to 2,000 2,600 ft. height then ascended to 3,000 4,000 ft., headed E about 1/2 mile with jerky motion, stopped, reversed coursed to NE again at a speed of about 100 150 mph, reversed again heading E, climbed at 25° angle increasing to 45° angle away in 3-4 secs accelerating with jerky motion to disappearance. Second guard at different location Post 6 saw same but also heard? pulsating sound? and saw disc shape. Duration 2 mins. At about 3:50 a.m. 319th Fighter Sq F 94 interception of white bluish round object on airborne radar for 9 mins at 500 mph at 6,000 ft. height heading 90¦ initially, maneuvering down to 1,000 ft. then up to 28,000 ft. disappearing on 45° heading. (Hynek UFO Rpt, pp. 87 90; Project 1947) Notes: TBP Status: TBP

DATE: June, 1952 TIME: n/a CLASS: R   LOCATION: Far East theatre SOURCES: Ruppelt, 191   RADAR DURATION: n/a EVALUATIONS: Ruppelt - "good reports", "unidentified" PRECIS: "In June 1952 the Air Force was taking the UFO problem seriously.  One of the reasons was that there were a lot of good UFO reports coming in from Korea.  Fighter pilots reported seeing silver-coloured spheres or disks on several occasions, and radar in Japan, Okinawa, and in Korea had tracked unidentified targets." Status: n/a

DATE: August 9, 1952 TIME: 2057 local CLASS: R/V Air visual/ground   LOCATION: K-3 area E of Pohang, Korea SOURCES: Project Blue Book files   RADAR DURATION: Unspecified EVALUATIONS: Project Blue Book--unknown Added Case: Sparks Initial Summary:  Aug. 9, 1952. K 3 area E of Pohang, Korea (at 38° N, 127° E). 8:57 p.m. Pilot of 1st Naval Air Wing aircraft a fireball with stream of flame pass the aircraft at 1,500 mph, tracked on airborne and ground radars. (Project 1947) Notes: TBP Status: TBP