Hanscom AFB Electronic Warfare Test 1975

On October 27, 1975 — during the same remarkable two-week period that saw simultaneous intrusions at Strategic Air Command bases across the northern US and Canada — a disc-shaped craft appeared over Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts, home of the USAF Electronic Systems Division. Security police and EW technicians from the Electronic Warfare Directorate observed the craft hovering at 300–500 feet over the classified building complex for 40 minutes. EW monitoring technicians reported detecting strong jamming and probing emanations from the object across multiple classified frequency bands — suggesting active electronic intelligence collection. Hanscom tower tracked the object on radar throughout the encounter. Interceptors were scrambled from Otis AFB under Air Defense Command authorization. At the precise moment the interceptors came within visual range, the craft departed vertically at extreme speed with no sonic boom. The timing — occurring in a two-week period that included intrusions at Loring, Wurtsmith, Malmstrom, Minot, and other SAC bases — led to a comprehensive joint NORAD-Air Force investigation later released under FOIA.