USAF Globemaster Alaska Formation 1952

On June 18, 1952, a USAF C-124 Globemaster transport aircraft en route from Anchorage to Japan observed a large formation of disc-shaped objects overtake the aircraft at extreme speed over Alaskan airspace. The aircraft commander and all crew members observed the objects, which were estimated at 50–80 feet in diameter each and flying in a precise V-formation. Elmendorf AFB radar tracked the formation for approximately five minutes before it departed the coverage area to the northwest toward Siberia. The incident was particularly sensitive given its occurrence in Alaskan airspace adjacent to Soviet territory, as intelligence analysts initially considered whether the discs could be advanced Soviet experimental aircraft. The Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson analyzed the case and concluded the performance characteristics were beyond any known Soviet or American aircraft. The case was classified at a higher level than most Blue Book files and forwarded to CIA analysts who were studying Soviet aerospace developments. The Alaskan departure heading — toward Siberia — was noted as a potentially significant navigational data point.