State Department UAP Cable 001, Papua New Guinea, January 28, 1985

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               MRN:                       85 PORT MORESBY 199
               Date/DTG:                  Jan 28, 1985 / 280000Z Jan 85
               From:                      AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY
               Action:                    USCINCLANT ROUTINE
               E.0.:                      Unknown
               TAGS:                      MARR, PP
               Reference:                 n/a
               Subject:                   PAPUA NEW GUINEA INQUIRY RE OVERFLIGHTS

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               PAGE 01    PORT M 00199 280704Z
               ACTION PM-11

               INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 INR-10 SS-00             CIAE-00 DODE-00
                  NSAE-00 EAP-00 /022 W
                         ------------------026406 280708Z /12
               0 280653Z JAN 85
               FM AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY
               TO USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
               INFO 43SW ANDERSON AFB GU IMMEDIATE
               SECSTATE WASHDC 1694
               AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
               AMEMBASSYJAKARTA


               LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PORT MORESBY 00199

               USCINCPAC FOR J3 AND POLAD
               43 SW FOR DONO
               STATE FOR EAP/PIA AND PM/RSA

               E.O. 12356: N/A
               TAGS: MARR, PP
               SUBJECT: PAPUA NEW GUINEA INQUIRY RE OVERFLIGHTS

               1. EMBASSY JANUARY 28 RECEIVED INFORMAL INQUIRY FROM
               PNG NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (NIO) CONCERNING
               REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF HIGH-ALTITUDE, HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFT
               OVER PNG DURING EVENING JANUARY 24. MATTER CAME TO
               NIO'S ATTENTION WHEN ITS OFFICER IN WEWAK REPORTED LOCAL
               RESIDENTS HAD BEEN FRIGHTENED BY OVERFLIGHTS, WHICH LED
               TO THE PROVINCIAL PREMIER'S CALLING OF A PUBLIC MEETING
               ON THE SUBJECT ATTENDED BY THE PRIME MINISTER WHO WAS
               WEEKENDING IN HIS ELECTORAL DISTRICT.


                                           Released in Full
                                           IJohn Powers, Acting-Director
                                           US Department of State
                                           12/25/2026


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               2. NIO SAID THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS REPORTS OF
               UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 24,
               INCLUDING FAST-MOVING OBJECTS WITH LIGHTS, CONTRAILS,
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               AND NOISE. THE REPORT IN WHICH NIO PLACES SOME CREDENCE
               ORIGINATED WITH AN AIR NIUGINI PILOT WHO HAD JUST TAKEN
               OFF FROM WEWAK ENROUTE PORT MORESBY. PILOT SAID HIS
               RADAR PICKED UP AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUT H TO NORTH AT HIGH
               ALTITUDE AND HIGH SPEED WHEN HE WAS OVER ANGORAM (VIC 4
               DEG S, 144 DEG E). SEVERAL VISUAL SIGHTINGS OF
               CONTRAILS WERE ALSO REPORTED FROM VARIOUS POINTS AROUND
               PNG, OF ONE AIRCRAFT MOVING NORTH TO SOUTH AT 1900 LOCAL
               AND OF SIX-EIGHT AIRCRAFT TRAVELING SOUTH TO NORTH AT
               2200 LOCAL.

               3. BASED ON OUR RECORDS AND TELCON WITH 43SW, WE HAVE
               TOLD NIO WE KNEW OF NO B-52 OVERFLIGHTS AND NO U.S.
               AIRCRAFT IN PNG AIRSPACE ON JANUARY 24.

               4. ALTHOUGH INFORMATION PROVIDED US ON THESE SIGHTINGS
               IS VERY SKETCHY AND SOURCES WERE UNSURE OF THE
               DIRECTIONS IN WHICH AIRCRAFT WERE FLYING, WE WOULD MOST
               APPRECIATE CONFIRMATION OF PARA 3 ABOVE AND ANY LIGHT
               YOU MIGHT THROW ON THESE REPORTS.
               GARDNER




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               Dissemination Rule:      Archive Copy


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