Italian Air Force Livorno Disc Pursuit 1978

On October 27, 1978, an Italian Air Force F-104G Starfighter operating out of Grosseto Air Base was scrambled after Pisa military radar detected an unidentified contact over the Ligurian Sea. The crew intercepted and visually acquired a metallic disc-shaped object at 12,000 feet. When the crew attempted to activate the F-104's fire control radar for a weapons solution, the radar system experienced a complete malfunction that was not replicated on the ground post-flight. The disc maintained ahead of the fighter for 22 minutes, demonstrating the ability to monitor and respond to the Starfighter's approach vectors, before departing at extreme speed. Both Grosseto and Pisa military radar confirmed the contact throughout the engagement. The Italian Air Force filed a classified incident report. In an unusually candid public statement, Italy's Air Force Commander acknowledged later in 1978 that unexplained aerial phenomena were a matter requiring serious investigation by the armed forces.