UFOs, UAS & UAPs from military witnesses down under

In the wake of Tasmanian Green senator Peter Whish Wilson at the Defence Senate Estimates meeting of 27 October 2021 asking the Australian Defence chief about UAPs (Unusual aerial phenomena) and UFOs, the senator, in an interview with Brian Carlton on Triple M Hobart 107.3 radio on 28 October, gave an explanation as to why he asked the UAP question in Senate Estimates, paraphrasing:

"Over 20 years ago (presumably prior to 2000? - B.C.) a friend of mine, who I grew up with, he went into the Special Forces.  He went to Iraq & he went to East Timor.  He told me over 20 years ago, he was on a exercise.  He didn't tell me exactly where it was of course, on a boat.  Early in the morning they were basically followed by a metallic Tic Tac - an object.  He told me about this years ago - he and his mates didn't do anything about it because they were embarrassed. I was back in Western Australia in July, a month after the Pentagon report release and I caught up with him for a beer.  He said, you remember when I told you about this.  I said yes I do, it was out of character for you, because he was a no nonsense kind of fellow.  He said, Well, its out there now, people are talking about it it.  There are a lot of people in the services who have seen similar things."

In my post of  October 28, I stated, "Lets hope the new push to more openness might persuade this man and his many service colleagues to come forward with details of their experiences.  Many have come out over the decades, but it is an indictment on the toxic culture of ridicule and silence, that people have been constrained to reveal their experiences."

We didn't have to wait for long, as my colleague and "saucerer's apprentice", investigative journalist & author of "In Plain sight", Ross Coulthart, reported on November 20 further details of the incident which took place at about 2 am, on a clear night back in 1992. The sighting took place from the deck of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) destroyer escort ship HMAS Derwent.  It was heading back to its home port of HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, after an "up-top" Asian deployment.  

RAN serviceman Andrew Roberts & 4 other service persons on night watch duty saw "the cylindrical object" hovering about 500 metres off the ship's port bridge wings.  Roberts was a sonar technician at the time (later qualifying to be a naval clearance diver - in the RAN's special forces.

“I looked up and there was this long cylindrical silver object, about 20m long, with a heat-haze around it.

“It was following the ship no more than 500m away. We could see it very clearly in the night sky. I called out to the officer-of-the-watch and five of us all looked up at this thing for at least a good minute.

“As we watched it suddenly instantly accelerated and then disappeared into the distance. The acceleration was amazing, instantaneous. It just disappeared in the blink of an eye.”

30 years on, Andrew Roberts, in the interview with Ross Couthart, said "he is adamant that what he saw was not a conventional aircraft, balloon, or drone; indeed, he can think of no prosaic explanation for what he and his shipmates saw. But he admits it was neither reported to his superiors nor noted in the ship’s log, probably because of the stigma associated with reporting such anomalous objects."

Roberts elaborated, “I was so intrigued by what we’d seen I went down to the radar room and spoke to the radar ops centre to see if they’d seen it on screen; they hadn’t. Looking back now, I wish we had reported it but while reporting such things was neither discouraged or encouraged, we were puzzled as to what it was and we kind of let things lie, never passing the sighting on."

“I also went to the communications centre and checked if there was any comms’ with aircraft or passing ships. There was nothing out there apart from us. So, it went unreported. Part of the issue with that is, what would people think if you do report it because there’s such a stigma attached to UFOs.”

Given the long history of Australian military sightings I have looked at, I was unsurprised by Ross Coulthart's comment that Andrew Roberts told him he was aware from RAN colleagues of other sightings on Navy vessels, including one incident in which "a glowing sphere" followed a ship at sea.

                                                                 HMAS Derwent

A history of the HMAS Derwent indicates: "1992: Departing Darwin on 13 March, Derwent participated in Exercise KANGAROO 92 with Swan and Torrens. Pilotage Training for the SEAACs enabled Derwent to visit Noumea and the Whitsunday Group during the months of June July. A Reduced Activity Period commenced from the 15 August until the end of the year."

This suggests that the incident most likely occurred in June/July, 1992.

Ross Coulthart advised me that because Andrew Roberts was uncertain whether the Derwent was in the Tasman Sea or Bass Strait, he did not report the location. These details support that the event took place during the eastern Australian coast return voyage which took it it through Bass Strait and back to Western Australia via the southern route. 

In the same reporting, Ross Coulthart also described that another former Navy sailor, Elliott Seiffert, described in his followup 7 News Spotlight documentary "Secrets of the UFOs" aired on November 18, 2021, indicating he and another sailor witnessed glowing lights high above their patrol boat at sea, probably in orbit, doing manoeuvres and speeds far beyond known human technology.

“I think it was non-human technology,” Elliott said. Again, at about 2 am, on a patrol boat, based out of Cairns, while in cruise control heading west, on an operation to intercept illegal immigrants, he and the officer of the watch, saw a white light move deliberately 3 times in a triangular manner, before apparently taking off and disappearing. Elliot Seiffert was certain, “This was something not of this world.”

While examining the Department of Defence RAAF UAS (Unusual Aerial Sightings) files in Canberra between 1982 and 1984, I came across a number of naval reports including the following cases.

A covering memo dated 27 Apr 78 from HQDAR to HQOC attention SOINTEL subject Unusual Aerial Sightings states:
"1. Herewith is a sighting report on an unidentified light observed by members of the crew of HMAS Adroit. The sighting is interesting as it was made by a group of servicemen and probably has more credibility than some civilian/urban reports."

In a telex dated 11 April 1978, the RAN ship HMAS Adroit reported an intriguing sighting at sea 20 nm of Cape Fourcroy (Mitchell Point) south of Bathurst Island, Northern Territory:

"1. While at anchor in position 1208 South 12954 East a red light was observed at 112030IK bearing 280 estimated range 10 NM for 30 seconds.  I considered this to possibly be an ICOV and proceeded to intercept.  Contact was not gained in 30 mins and I commenced a sweep to Northeast and north.

                                                                  HMAS Adroit

2. At 112317IK in position 1205 south 12954 east an object bearing 285 was observed by several personnel to rise and hover and sink to the horizon several times before finally disappearing beyond the horizon. This object appeared very large and bathed with bright red lights and at one stage appeared to close the ship. Again the range could be estimated at 10 miles and bearing width was 4 degrees. The light also appeared at one stage to flicker on and off. The phenomenon lasted several minutes.

3. Weather conditions on both occasions of sightings were good. Visibility 8NM. 1/2 cloud with no cloud below 15 degrees elevation. Radar conditions and performances were excellent with land echoes at 25 miles and trawler size contact 15NM. No contacts were gained to offset these sightings.
4. There is no possibility that the second sighting was the Moon setting and I believe them to have caused by a UFO.
5. Personnel who observed the second sighting were Leut J D Napier RAN, SBLT I O Schmidt, RAN POQMG I Potter, PO COX B Cristensen, LSETC D Williamson, LSETP G Gillies, ABQMG G Brown, ABMTPD N Paser, ABQMG M Townsend, ABWM M Howard."
The multiple page standard UAS pro forma RAAF form "Report of unusual aerial sightings was completed by naval officer Lt. John David Napier (26). The sighting location is given as 12 deg 5 min south, 129 deg 54 mins east. The second observation started at 2137 (IK) and finished at 2140 (IK) on 11 Apr 1978. Weather conditions are shown as "One half cloud, nil wind, sea calm, nil swell. Visibility 8-10NM. 
The object was sighted at bearing 285 degrees at 4 degrees elevation. It was last seen at 285 deg 0 deg elevation. The report form shows a sketch of a large, oval shaped object with the major axis parallel to the horizon, with the centre of the oval at 4 degrees elevation, with a note: "The lights around the entire object, bathing it in brilliant red light. No sound was emitted. Shape as shown. From observer's position - bearing width 4 degrees."
Officer Napier included the following "additional comments":
"In excellent radar conditions, no contact was gained to offset the sighting. The object appeared to hover above the horizon, then descend to the horizon then rise and switch off the lights. The object was next sighted on the horizon with lights only burning at both ends. The object then rose and became completely illuminated before sinking below the horizon. At one stage the light intensified and appeared to close the ship."

                                                          Witness drawing
The UAS pro forma revealed the following RAAF investigation:
There were no military aircraft in the area. An Ansett DC9 heading 230 deg at 19/2000ft speed 400 departed from Darwin at 1024z to Port Headland, which returned to Darwin and then took off again at 1224z. There were no known balloons in the area. Temperature was 28 deg dry bulb, 24 deg wet bulb. 79% humidity. Cloud cover 1 octa at 3000 feet cumulus. No temperature inversions. Nil wind. (Source Met bureau at Darwin.)
The RAAF investigating officer indicated " It has not been possible to interview the crew as Adroit is on sea duty with short refuel stops in DAR. They are scheduled for longer post(?) time early May. Will interview then."
The RAAF officer's evaluation of the sighting reads "Cause unknown but lack of radar response points to some form of light aberration," which is at odds with the actual observing and reporting officer, who asserted "There is no possibility that the second sighting was the moon setting and I believe them to have caused by a UFO."

I will point out that 1978 was a striking year for UFO activity in Australia.

Commodore Bruce Hamilton Loxton, Director of Naval Intelligence (RAN) in a memo dated 22 July 1966, to DAFI, titled "REPORT BY HMAS ANZAC - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS" addressed the following:

"HMAS ANZAC has reported that at 1745 (L) Thursday 5th May, 1966, when in position 13 degrees 27' S, 166 degrees 18' E ((off Vanua Lava Island in the New Caledonia group - B.C.), four unidentified flying objects were sighted at about 20 degrees angle of elevation on bearing of 150 degrees T by the Navigating Officer and several other officers who were not on the bridge at the time.

                                                                      HMAS Anzac

                                                            from the UFO report of the Anzac

"2. These objects were quite distinct and appeared closely grouped with the leading object glowing red and three trailing objects green in colour and forming an equilateral triangle, apex towards the leading object.  They left trails of colour in their wakes but these did not last.  The trails were approximately 6 times the size of the objects in length.  

"3. After the objects had disappeared behind cloud ahead of the ship, they reappeared momentarily on an approximate bearing of 105 degrees T before once again disappearing behind cloud.  No smoke or other evidence was visible during the passage of these objects.

"4. The approximate time in sight was not more than 25 seconds and the objects were travelling at high speed.  No radar contacts were detected at the time."

The radar reference had a handwritten annotation (a jibe or ?): "To be expected with many radar operators."

A further handwritten annotation noted, "NOA (Notice of action - B.C.) Mr. John P___[EA] extension ___ handling to see if any French aircraft movements around this time. Not to be included in Australian UFO list."

Aircraft, meteor ... or UFO? Although there is insufficient information available to be certain, it is worthwhile to note that there was a worldwide wave of UFO sightings in 1966 and 1967. Only a month earlier in Victoria there has been a run of impressive UFO sightings - 2 April, 1966 - Jim Kibel's Balwyn photo, 3 April, 1966 - A DCA official tracks a UFO on radar from Tullamarine Airport, 4 April, 1966 - rural Victoria at Bourkes Flat - the extraordinary "bent headlight beam" case and on 6 April 1966 - the now famous Westall school case.  I also drew attention in a post to a Vietnam case correlation on the same day. Richard Hall's fascinating study "Alien Invasion or human fantasy? The 1966-67 UFO wave" should be consulted for US and international cases.

While I'm describing military cases in the main here in this post, I'll draw attention to a striking but apocryphal case from late April 1966 in central Victoria allegedly on Puckapunyal Army base. Details of the event, I believe, were described to Dr. James McDonald during late June 1967 by James Kibel or Peter Norris. Keith Basterfield summarised the taped conversation and I include that information here (attributed to  a Captain  in the Australian Army Legal Corps, who was on the base at the time)

At around 2am on 24 April 1966, seven Centurion tanks were on a firing range, firing shells at stationary targets on a hill, illuminated by flares.

A Centurion tank

While the tanks were firing, suddenly a UAP rose from "dead ground" about 700 yards away. The tanks stopped firing. The object rose up to 60-70 feet above the ground. It then hung in the air, wobbling slightly on its axis. It was dome shaped, and looked like it was made out of bluish metal.

There were 23 witnesses in all. The object appeared damaged, as one side looked to be "bashed in" around the rim. There was also a reported "patch of oil" or some other fluid visible on the side which was damaged.

The object moved towards the tanks, then stopped at a range of about 150 yards. A diaphragm opened on the near side of the object, looking like the iris of a camera.

At this point, one of the tank gunners, turned his gun towards the object. The diaphragm snapped shut, and the object then moved off to the left flank of the tanks.

At its closest approach, the object's size was estimated as 45-50 feet across, and its speed equal to that of an Army Cessna observation aircraft.

Finally, the object sped away to the west, at high speed and was lost to view.

The next day, someone went to view the location from which the object had risen. It was reported that a 10 foot diameter depression was found in the ground. Also found, were traces of oil - engine oil - possibly from one of the tanks.

Once again, either secrecy, ridicule or concerns have meant that in these various cases only limited data is available.  Anyone with more detail? Please contact me.