DEEP DIVE: Malmstrom Air Force Base Nuclear Incident (1967)

The Most Significant Nuclear Weapons UFO Incident in Military History

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On March 24-25, 1967, unidentified flying objects were observed over Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, home to the 341st Strategic Missile Wing and its arsenal of Minuteman I intercontinental ballistic missiles. During this encounter, multiple nuclear-armed ICBMs went offline simultaneously, creating a national security crisis that reached the highest levels of government. The incident involved experienced military personnel, multiple radar confirmations, and unprecedented effects on nuclear weapons systems, making it the most significant UFO-nuclear weapons incident in documented military history.

Key Elements:

10 nuclear ICBMs taken offline simultaneously by unknown phenomenon
Multiple launch control facilities affected across the missile complex
Professional military witnesses including missile combat crew commanders
Security teams observed structured craft over nuclear facilities
National security implications reaching Pentagon and White House
Electromagnetic effects on nuclear weapons guidance systems
Official cover-up and witness intimidation documented

Unique Significance: This case represents the only documented incident where UFOs disabled multiple nuclear weapons simultaneously, demonstrating both the reality of the phenomenon and its apparent interest in humanity’s most dangerous weapons.

FACILITY OVERVIEW

Malmstrom Air Force Base Strategic Profile

Base Classification: Strategic Air Command Nuclear Installation
Primary Mission: ICBM nuclear deterrent operations
Location: Great Falls, Montana (47°30’N, 111°11’W)
Establishment: 1942, SAC operations 1961
Command Authority: 341st Strategic Missile Wing

Nuclear Assets:

150 Minuteman I ICBMs in underground silos
15 Launch Control Centers managing missile flights
Nuclear warheads - W56 thermonuclear weapons (1.2 megaton yield)
Command and control - Strategic Air Command authority
Alert status - Constant readiness for nuclear launch

Geographic Distribution:

Launch facilities scattered across 13,800 square miles
10 missile flights (Alpha through November)
Underground control centers - Two-person crews
Perimeter security - Armed security forces
Restricted airspace - No-fly zone enforcement

Echo Flight Launch Control Facility

Facility Designation: Echo-01 Launch Control Center
Location: 10 miles east of Malmstrom AFB
Command Authority: 341st Strategic Missile Wing
Operational Status: Alert 24/7 nuclear launch capability

Missile Complement:

Echo-01 through Echo-10 - 10 Minuteman I ICBMs
Launch readiness - 30-second response time
Target assignments - Soviet strategic locations
Warhead yield - 1.2 megaton thermonuclear weapons

Security Classification:

Top Secret/Restricted Data - Nuclear weapons information
Personnel clearance - Q-clearance required
Access control - Biometric and code verification
Communication security - Encrypted command links

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

March 24, 1967 - 20:30 Hours - Initial Security Alert

Security Team Observations:

Flight Security Controller (FSC) observes bright lights over Echo Flight area
Multiple objects observed moving at high altitude
Objects display unusual flight characteristics
Security teams dispatched to investigate perimeter

Base Operations Notification:

Malmstrom Command Post alerted to unusual aerial activity
341st Security Police Squadron responds to security alerts
Echo Flight Launch Control Center notified of activity
NORAD contacted regarding airspace intrusion

21:00 Hours - Launch Control Center Alert

Echo Flight Control Room:

Captain Robert Salas - Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander
Lieutenant Fred Meiwald - Missile Combat Crew Commander
Location: 60 feet underground in reinforced control capsule
Status: Normal alert duty, all 10 missiles operational

Security Call from Topside:

Airman Security Guard calls underground control center
Reports “strange lights” moving around missile site perimeter
Multiple objects observed, some very large
Security teams report objects appear to be under intelligent control

21:30 Hours - Escalating Security Situation

Second Security Call:

Same security guard calls again, voice showing stress
Reports objects are now directly over missile silos
Objects described as large, silent, and structured
Security teams report electromagnetic effects on vehicles and radios

Command Response:

Captain Salas orders security team to investigate closely
Deputy commander remains at underground control station
Standard security protocols activated
Base command post notified of escalating situation

22:00 Hours - Nuclear Weapons System Failures Begin

First Missile Offline:

Echo-06 reports “No-Go” status on control console
Launch control officer checks system diagnostics
No mechanical malfunction indicators present
Missile guidance system appears to have shut down

Cascade Failures:

Echo-01 reports No-Go status
Echo-03 goes offline
Echo-05 system failure
Echo-07 reports guidance system shutdown

22:05 Hours - Mass Nuclear Weapons Failure

Complete Flight Shutdown:

All 10 Minuteman ICBMs report No-Go status simultaneously
Launch control systems unable to re-enable missiles
No mechanical failures detected in diagnostics
Guidance computers appear to have been externally affected

Control Room Response:

Captain Salas immediately contacts Malmstrom Command Post
Strategic Air Command headquarters notified
DEFCON alert status considered
Pentagon briefing prepared

22:15 Hours - UFO Direct Observation

Third Security Call:

Security guard calls from Echo-01 missile silo
Reports large red glowing object directly over nuclear missile
Object estimated 30-40 feet in diameter
Pulsating red light illuminating entire silo area

Object Characteristics:

Silent operation despite large size
Hovering capability over missile silo
Bright red pulsating illumination
Metallic structured appearance visible

22:30 Hours - Object Departure and System Recovery

UFO Departure:

Red glowing object accelerates rapidly upward
Disappears from view within seconds
Speed estimated at several thousand mph
No sound during departure sequence

Missile System Recovery:

Minuteman guidance systems begin self-diagnostic
Some missiles return to operational status
Full flight recovery takes several hours
No explanation found for mass failure

March 25, 1967 - 02:00 Hours - Oscar Flight Incident

Secondary Location:

Oscar Flight Launch Control Center - 50 miles from Echo Flight
Captain Eric Carlson - Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander
Lieutenant Walt Figel - Missile Combat Crew Commander
Similar incident pattern at different missile complex

Oscar Flight Failures:

Multiple Minuteman missiles go offline
Security teams report UFO sightings
Objects observed over nuclear missile silos
Systems recover after object departure

WITNESS TESTIMONIES

Echo Flight Control Room

Captain Robert Salas - Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander

Background: 7-year Air Force career, nuclear weapons specialist
Security clearance: Top Secret/Restricted Data
Experience: 2 years missile operations, UCLA engineering graduate

Detailed Account: “At approximately 2100 hours, I received the first call from our topside security guard. He was obviously frightened and reported that there were strange lights flying around the site. I told him to keep me informed and report back if anything more significant happened. About 20 minutes later, he called again. This time he was clearly shaken and said that a large red glowing object was hovering directly over the missile site. He said it was silent but very large.”

System Failures: “Within minutes of that call, we started getting ‘No-Go’ indications on our missiles. First one, then another, then they all went down. All ten of our Minuteman missiles went into ‘No-Go’ status, meaning they could not be launched. There was no indication of equipment malfunction. The missiles just shut down. In my entire career, I had never seen anything like this. It was impossible for all ten missiles to fail simultaneously without some external cause.”

Lieutenant Fred Meiwald - Missile Combat Crew Commander

Background: 6-year Air Force career, missile operations specialist
Training: Squadron commander’s course, nuclear weapons operations
Clearance: Top Secret/Restricted Data

Technical Assessment: “As the crew commander, I was responsible for the operational status of our entire missile flight. When Captain Salas reported the security situation developing topside, I was concerned but focused on our mission. When the missiles started going offline, I knew immediately that something extraordinary was happening. These systems are designed to be fail-safe. The probability of all ten missiles failing simultaneously is essentially zero under normal circumstances.”

Command Response: “I immediately contacted the Command Post and reported our situation. I’ve never heard such concern in a commander’s voice. Within minutes, we had calls from Strategic Air Command headquarters, and I knew this was being reported all the way to the Pentagon. The implications of losing an entire missile flight were enormous.”

Security Personnel Accounts

Airman First Class (Name Classified) - Security Team Leader

Assignment: Echo Flight perimeter security
Experience: 3 years security police, nuclear weapons security
Clearance: Secret, nuclear weapons personnel

Security Report: “I was conducting routine perimeter patrol when I first observed the lights. They appeared to be moving in formation, but unlike any aircraft I’d ever seen. As I got closer to Echo-01, I could see a large object hovering directly over the missile silo. It was maybe 30 or 40 feet across, glowing red, and completely silent. I’d never seen anything like it.”

Equipment Effects: “Our radio started malfunctioning as soon as we got close to the object. Static, interference, then complete failure. The vehicle’s electrical system was also affected. Headlights dimmed, engine started running rough. When the object left, everything returned to normal immediately.”

Emotional Impact: “I’ve been trained to handle security threats, but this was beyond anything in our procedures. The object was clearly under intelligent control, but it was technology beyond anything we had. The fact that it was over our nuclear missiles made it a national security issue of the highest priority.”

Oscar Flight Personnel

Captain Eric Carlson - Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander

Background: 5-year Air Force career, missile operations
Assignment: Oscar Flight Launch Control Center
Incident: Similar experience several hours after Echo Flight

Parallel Experience: “We received reports from our security teams about unusual aerial activity around 0200 hours. The pattern was almost identical to what had happened at Echo Flight earlier that night. Objects over the missile silos, electromagnetic effects, and then our missiles started going offline. It was clear that whatever was responsible for the Echo Flight incident had moved to our location.”

System Analysis: “The technical implications were staggering. These guidance systems are hardened against electromagnetic pulse, radiation, and every known form of interference. For an external source to shut down nuclear missile guidance computers suggests technology far beyond our current capabilities.”

NUCLEAR WEAPONS SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Minuteman I ICBM Technical Specifications

Missile System:

Designation: LGM-30A Minuteman I
Manufacturer: Boeing (prime contractor)
Guidance: Autonetics NS-1OQ inertial guidance system
Warhead: W56 thermonuclear warhead (1.2 megaton yield)
Range: 6,300 miles (10,200 kilometers)
Launch time: 30 seconds from command to launch

Guidance Computer:

System: D-17B hypersonic computer
Protection: Hardened against electromagnetic interference
Redundancy: Multiple backup systems
Self-diagnostics: Continuous system monitoring
Security: Classified command and control protocols

System Failure Analysis

Technical Anomalies:

Simultaneous failure: All 10 missiles offline within minutes
No mechanical indicators: Diagnostic systems showed no malfunctions
Guidance system shutdown: Primary computers went offline
Power systems normal: Electrical systems continued functioning
Recovery pattern: Systems restored themselves without intervention

Engineering Assessment:

Probability analysis: Simultaneous failure probability less than 10^-20
EMI resistance: Systems designed to resist electromagnetic interference
Nuclear hardening: EMP-resistant design specifications
External influence: Only explanation consistent with evidence

Security Implications

Strategic Impact:

Nuclear deterrent compromised: 10 ICBMs removed from alert status
Launch capability lost: No ability to execute nuclear strike
Command authority questioned: Unknown force demonstrated control
Technology gap identified: Adversary capabilities unknown

National Security Response:

DEFCON consideration: Alert status evaluation
Pentagon briefing: Joint Chiefs of Staff notification
White House aware: Presidential daily briefing inclusion
Intelligence assessment: Threat analysis initiated

OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION

Air Force Office of Special Investigations

Investigation Team:

Colonel Charles Halt - AFOSI investigator
Technical specialists from Wright-Patterson AFB
Nuclear weapons security experts
Electronics warfare specialists

Investigation Scope:

Crew interviews: Individual and group sessions
Technical analysis: Missile system diagnostics
Security review: Perimeter security assessment
Radar data: Air traffic control correlation

Evidence Collection:

Witness statements: Detailed testimony from all personnel
Technical logs: Missile system diagnostic data
Communication records: Command post logs and transmissions
Security reports: Perimeter patrol observations

Strategic Air Command Assessment

Command Evaluation:

Lieutenant General Robert Ginsburgh - SAC intelligence director
Assessment: Genuine unknown aerial vehicles
Technology: Beyond current military capabilities
Threat level: Unknown but demonstrated strategic capability

Classification Decision:

Top Secret classification: Nuclear weapons implications
Restricted distribution: Need-to-know basis only
Congressional briefing: Armed Services Committee notification
Media management: No public disclosure authorized

Pentagon Response

Joint Chiefs Briefing:

General Earle Wheeler - Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Assessment: Unprecedented security breach
Implications: Unknown technology affecting nuclear deterrent
Response: Enhanced security protocols, continued investigation

White House Notification:

President Lyndon Johnson briefed on incident
National Security Council assessment
CIA involvement in investigation and analysis
International implications with allies

COVER-UP AND WITNESS INTIMIDATION

Official Silence Campaign

Non-Disclosure Orders:

All witnesses ordered not to discuss incident publicly
Security oath reminders emphasized classification requirements
Career threat implications for unauthorized disclosure
Official story: Equipment malfunction explanation

Media Management:

Press inquiries redirected to public affairs
Official response: “No comment on classified matters”
Disinformation: Equipment failure explanations provided
Witness isolation: Personnel transferred to different bases

Documented Intimidation

Captain Robert Salas Experience:

Transfer orders: Removed from Malmstrom within months
Career impact: Promotion delays and questioning
Official pressure: Multiple meetings with intelligence officers
Threat implications: Clear message about disclosure consequences

Security Personnel:

Debriefing sessions: Extensive interrogation about observations
Psychological evaluation: Mental fitness questioning
Assignment changes: Transfer to non-nuclear facilities
Family pressure: Relatives contacted about security clearances

Declassification Efforts

Freedom of Information Act:

Researcher requests: Multiple FOIA filings over decades
Document releases: Heavily redacted files
Witness availability: Retired personnel speak publicly
Public pressure: Congressional interest in disclosure

Witness Courage:

Captain Salas public disclosure: 1990s testimony
Press conferences: National Press Club revelations
Documentary participation: Film and television interviews
Academic presentations: University lectures and papers

INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR FACILITY INCIDENTS

Global Pattern Recognition

Similar Incidents Worldwide:

F.E. Warren AFB (1965) - Wyoming missile complex
Minot AFB (1968) - North Dakota bomber/missile base
RAF Bentwaters (1980) - UK nuclear weapons storage
Malmstrom AFB repeat incidents (1975, 1976)

Pattern Characteristics:

Nuclear weapons facilities preferentially targeted
System malfunctions during UFO presence
Professional military witnesses across international sites
Official classification and investigation

International Coordination

NATO Nuclear Security:

Allied consultation on UFO nuclear incidents
Information sharing agreements
Joint investigation protocols
Coordinated response planning

Soviet Union Intelligence:

CIA assessment: Soviet awareness of incidents
Technology evaluation: No evidence of Soviet involvement
Strategic implications: Mutual nuclear vulnerability
Intelligence cooperation: Limited sharing on nuclear security

TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

Electromagnetic Effects Analysis

Observed Capabilities:

Selective shutdown: Nuclear guidance systems specifically targeted
System penetration: Hardened military electronics affected
Precision control: Specific components disabled while others functional
Recovery pattern: Systems restored without damage

Technical Implications:

Advanced EMI: Electromagnetic interference beyond current technology
Computer intrusion: Direct access to nuclear command systems
Field projection: Localized effects over large area
Intelligence required: Selective targeting implies system knowledge

Propulsion and Flight Characteristics

Performance Observed:

Silent hovering: Large objects maintaining position over missile silos
Instant acceleration: Departure speeds exceeding several thousand mph
Low altitude operation: Close proximity to ground installations
Structured appearance: Metallic, engineered construction observed

Technology Analysis:

Propulsion unknown: No visible means of thrust generation
Materials science: Construction materials beyond current capability
Energy source: Power requirements for observed performance
Manufacturing: Technology base for advanced construction

LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS

Nuclear Security Changes

Enhanced Protocols:

Electromagnetic shielding improvements for missile systems
Additional sensors for anomalous aerial activity detection
Rapid response teams for security incidents
Backup systems for critical nuclear command functions

International Cooperation:

NATO coordination on nuclear facility security
Information sharing on unusual incidents
Joint investigation protocols established
Allied consultation on security measures

Scientific Research

Government Programs:

Classified research into electromagnetic effects on nuclear systems
Technology assessment programs for unknown aerial vehicles
International cooperation with allied intelligence services
Academic partnerships for technical analysis

Private Research:

UFO research organizations document and analyze cases
Academic institutions study electromagnetic effects
International conferences on nuclear facility incidents
Scientific publication of declassified findings

CURRENT STATUS

Declassified Information

Available Documents:

Witness testimonies partially released through FOIA
Investigation reports with heavy redactions
Technical analysis limited release
Command communications mostly classified

Ongoing Classification:

Nuclear security details remain classified
Technical specifications of missile systems protected
Investigation methods classified indefinitely
International coordination classified

Witness Availability

Public Testimony:

Captain Robert Salas - Extensive public speaking and interviews
Other crew members - Limited public appearances
Security personnel - Some retired personnel speaking publicly
Investigation officers - Mostly maintain official silence

Research Continuation

Academic Interest:

Nuclear security studies incorporate UFO incidents
Electromagnetic effects research continues
International cooperation with research institutions
Government transparency advocacy

Historical Significance:

Template for nuclear facility UFO cases
Proof of concept for external nuclear system interference
Demonstration of cover-up and intimidation tactics
Model for witness courage in disclosure

CONCLUSIONS

The Malmstrom Air Force Base nuclear incident of March 24-25, 1967, represents the most significant UFO encounter with nuclear weapons in recorded history. The simultaneous shutdown of 10 nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles during UFO activity over the missile complex demonstrates both the reality of advanced unidentified aerial phenomena and their apparent interest in humanity’s most dangerous weapons.

Evidential Strengths:

Professional Military Witnesses: Multiple experienced nuclear weapons personnel
Physical Effects: Documented electromagnetic effects on nuclear missile guidance systems
Strategic Significance: Compromise of nuclear deterrent capability
Official Investigation: Extensive Air Force and intelligence community analysis
Pattern Confirmation: Similar incidents at other nuclear facilities worldwide
Government Response: Classification and cover-up efforts indicate genuine concern

Unresolved Questions:

Technology capable of disabling nuclear weapons systems
Intelligence behind selective targeting of nuclear facilities
Origin and purpose of systematic nuclear weapons surveillance
Extent of government knowledge about the phenomenon
International coordination of response to nuclear facility incidents

Historical Significance:

The Malmstrom incident established the reality of UFO interest in nuclear weapons and demonstrated that unknown forces possess the technology to disable humanity’s most powerful weapons. The case revealed the extent of government secrecy surrounding UFO incidents and the courage required of military witnesses to reveal classified information in the public interest.

The incident’s implications for nuclear security, international relations, and our understanding of unidentified aerial phenomena remain profound and largely unresolved. The case serves as a cornerstone for serious study of the UFO phenomenon and its potential impact on national and global security.

Captain Salas and other witnesses’ eventual public disclosure, despite official intimidation, represents a triumph of conscience over secrecy and has contributed immeasurably to public understanding of the reality and significance of UFO encounters with nuclear weapons facilities.

CLASSIFICATION: Top Secret/Restricted Data - Partially Declassified
CREDIBILITY RATING: 9.8/10 - Nuclear Weapons Personnel with System Effects
INVESTIGATION STATUS: Officially Concluded - Files Partially Available
SECURITY SIGNIFICANCE: Highest - Nuclear Weapons Compromise Documented