To Whom It May Concern,
In two recent interviews, former All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
Deputy Director Timothy Phillips stated that AARO will address select
reports of incidents involving UFOs and nuclear weapons in a forthcoming
historical report. According to Phillips, AARO determined that a “cascading
transformer failure” triggered by an “electrical storm”, and not UFO
activity, led to the March 1967 shutdown of a 10-missile “flight” of
nuclear-armed Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles at Malmstrom Air
Force Base, Montana.
Conversely, a 6 June 2025 Wall Street Journal story, citing AARO
officials, states that an unannounced Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) test
caused the shutdown.
However, official unit histories of the 341st Strategic Missile Wing (SMW),
other U.S. government documents, and witness testimony flatly contradict
both explanations.
Phillips also stated that AARO “did not see any evidence of UAP or UFO
activity in the journals or logs” of airfields and radar installations in
the vicinity of Malmstrom Air Force Base during the incidents in question.
This, too, is contradicted by official U.S. government documents,
contemporaneous media reporting, and witness testimony.
Of note, there are two incidents in question:
(1) The shutdown of Echo Flight on 16 March 1967
(2) The shutdown of Oscar Flight on 24 March 1967
Significant official documentation exists in the public domain regarding the
former, while none exists regarding the latter. This is likely due to the
non-disclosure agreements that the Air Force Office of Special
Investigations (OSI) required missile launch officer 1st Lt. Robert Salas,
his then-missile commander, 1st Lt. Frederick Meiwald, and, presumably,
other witnesses to the 24 March 1967 incident to sign.
Beyond the March 1967 incidents at Malmstrom AFB, official U.S. government
documents, contemporaneous media reporting, and witness testimony suggest
that at least one other similar incident occurred at Minot AFB in 1966.
Malmstrom AFB:
Immediately after the 16 March 1967 shutdown of Echo Flight, testing began
at Malmstrom to determine the cause of the incident. Official 341st SMW unit
histories state that, following initial testing, “the investigation teams at
Malmstrom were unable to determine a logical cause for the incident.”
Contrary to Phillips’ statements (and AARO’s apparent findings), the 341st
SMW unit history spanning 1 January – 31 March 1967 states that, “After
performing the tests, it was decided that
commercial power switching operations were not the cause of the Echo
shutdown.” (Emphasis added; see appendices for full sourcing).
Following additional testing at contractor facilities throughout mid-1967
and final testing again at Malmstrom, official 341st SMW unit histories,
some
written nearly a year after the incident, rule out an electrical fault or
power issue. Instead, engineers and contractors speculated that an Electromagnetic
Pulse may have caused the shutdown.
See:
“Due to the fact that the power tests were essentially negative, it
appears that the cause of the Echo Flight problem was of the EMP or
electrostatic nature.” (Emphasis added) (1 April – 30 June 1967 341st SMW
Unit History;
PDF p. 38)
“A primary cause always associated with Echo Flight Incident has been
connected with some type of adverse power affect [sic].
Tests have been conducted time and time again to determine this, but have
always lead [sic] to a negative result.” (Emphasis added) (1 July – 30 September 1967 341st SMW Unit History;
PDF p. 51)
“One of the primary theorys [sic] of the Echo Flight incident was connected
with some type of adverse power effect.
All test [sic] conducted toward this end proved negative results.
(Emphasis added) (1 October – 31 December 1967 341st SMW Unit History;
PDF p. 77)
“OOAMA thought that the cause of the incident was of the Electro Magnetic
Pulse (EMP) noise or electrostatic nature.” (1 July – 30 September 1967
341st SMW Unit History;
PDF p. 48)
“The EMP tests at Sierra-39 were considered to be the final series of
tests in this area.” (1 October – 31 December 1967 341st SMW Unit History;
PDF p. 77)
Additionally, as noted in the 1 January – 31 March 1967 341st SMW unit
history, and contrary to Phillips’ assertion, “weather was ruled out as a
contributing factor” in the 16 March Echo Flight shutdown. (See also:
“Weather condition and Capsule crew have been eliminated as causes of the
incident.”)
Similarly, according to the unit history, the Echo Flight shutdown occurred
before (at “0845”) any reported transformer malfunctions. The
first documented power failure occurred when a “7.2 KV transformer shorted
in the line to site E-3 at 1450, 16 March 67.” (Emphasis added)
Beyond official unit histories, former Boeing engineer Robert Kaminski, who
served as the Boeing in-house project engineer for the investigation of the
Echo Flight shutdown, wrote in a 1 February 1997 letter (attached) to
researcher James Klotz that, “After a week in the field the team returned
and pooled their data. At the outset the team quickly noticed a lack of
anything that would come close to explain why the event occurred.
There were no significant failures, engineering data or findings that
would explain how ten missiles were knocked off alert.” (Emphasis added)
According to Kaminski, “The use of backup power systems and other technical
system circuit operational redundancy strongly suggests that this kind of
event is virtually impossible once the system was up and running and on line
with other LCF’s and LF’s interconnectivity. The only thing that even came
close to a failure was that a transformer on a commercial power pole down
the road from one of the sites was in the process of failing. It exhibited
a[n] intermittent transient type of failure that could have generated noise
spikes on the power line.
This in itself could not have caused the problem at E-Flight. The
problem was reported to the local power company who took action to replace
the transformer. The team met with me to report their findings and
it was decided that the final report would have nothing significant in it
to explain what happened at E-Flight. In other words there was no
technical explanation that could explain the event.” (Emphasis added)
Kaminski continued, “The team went off to do the report. Meanwhile I was
contacted by our representative at OOAMA (Don Peterson) and told by him that
the incident was reported as being a UFO event –
That a UFO was seen by some Airmen over the LCF at the time E-Flight went
down. Subsequently, we were notified a few days later, that a stop work
order was on the way from OOAMA to stop any further effort on this
project. We stopped. We were also told that we were not to submit the
final engineering report. This was most unusual since all of our work
required review by the customer and the submittal of a final Engineering
report to OOAMA.” (Emphasis added)
Beyond Kaminski’s account, Robert Hastings, author of
UFOs & Nukes, has documented witness accounts from missile launch
control and targeting officers, as well as other persons involved in both
the 16 March and 24 March incidents. These include Col Walt Figel (Echo
Flight, missile launch deputy commander), T/Sgt N. Henry “Hank” Barlow (Echo
Flight, electro-mechanical team), Col Frederick Meiwald (Oscar Flight,
missile commander), Capt Robert Jamison (Oscar Flight, missile targeting
officer), LtCol Dwynne Arneson (Officer-in-Charge, Malmstrom AFB
communications center), and 1st Lt Robert Salas (Oscar Flight, missile
launch deputy commander). All of them attest to UFO activity coincident with
both the Echo and Oscar missile flight shutdowns. (Robert Hastings)
Moreover, contrary to Phillips’ claim that no UFO activity was reported
during the incidents, extensive Project Blue Book files document such
activity on 24 March 1967. A Telex from Malmstrom AFB to Wright-Patterson
AFB and various Air Force offices in Washington, D.C., for example, states
that “Between the hours of 2100 and 0400 MST numerous reports were received
by Malmstrom AFB agencies of UFO sightings in the Great Falls, Montana area.
Reports of a UFO landing near Belt, Montana were received from several
sources including deputies of Cascade County Sheriff’s Office.” (National Archives)
Contemporaneous news reporting also contradicts Phillips’ assertion that no
UFO activity was recorded at local airfields or radar stations. A 26 March
1967 Great Falls Tribune article on the reported UFO landing near
Belt, MT, titled
“UFO Breaks Monotony of Run,”
states that “Airmen at Malmstrom Air Force Base reported sighting a UFO
about 5 to 10 miles northeast of the base at 3:30 a.m. Saturday. FAA radar
picked up the object at 3:42 a.m. to the northwest and reported it was off
the radar at 4:26 a.m.” (Emphasis added) (Newspapers.com)
For additional details, see:
“Malmstrom Air Force Base Picks Up UFO on Radar; Sabotage Alert Team
Located Another UFO Directly Over The Base,”
25 March 1967, Great Falls Leader (The UFO Chronicles)
In short, a significant amount of official U.S. government documentation,
contemporaneous media reporting, and witness testimony directly contradicts
Phillips’ statements (and, apparently, AARO’s conclusions) regarding the
1967 Malmstrom AFB incidents.
Minot Air Force Base 1966:
Recommend AARO review the following:
19 August 1966: U.S. Border Patrol Officer Donald Flickinger observes
a disk-shaped UFO at close range along the western edge of Minot AFB’s Mike
missile flight. Flickinger draws detailed sketches (See: National Archives).
Note, also, static interference with Flickinger’s radio. (National Archives;
Saturday Evening Post;
Minot Daily News)
25 August 1966: Minot Air Force Base tracks two UFOs over Mike
missile flight. Per official U.S. government documentation, missile
commander “on duty at Missile Site (MIKE Flt)… indicated that radio
transmission was being interrupted by static, this static was accompanied by
the UFO coming close to the missile site (MIKE Flt). When UFO climbed,
static stopped.”
Additionally: “Strike team reported UFO descending, checked with Radar Site
they also verified this. The UFO then began to swoop and dive. It then
appeared to land 10 to 15 miles South of MIKE 6. ‘MIKE 6’ missile site
control sent a strike team to check. When the team was about 10 miles from
the landing sight [sic],
static disrupted radio contact with them [emphasis original]… Another
UFO was visually sighted and confirmed by radar. The one that was first
sighted passed beneath the second. Radar also confirmed this.” (Saturday Evening Post;
Minot Daily News;
Robert Hastings)
25 September 1966: Former Minot Air Force Base missile launch control
officer Capt. David Schindele arrives at November Flight (adjacent to Mike
Flight) Launch Control Facility to see that all 10 November Flight missiles
are off-alert status following a close-range UFO incident the previous
night. Per Schindele, Air Force OSI instructed him to never speak of the
incident. (Schindele testimony)
Sincerely,
Marik von Rennenkampff
Appendix A: Tim Phillips Comments
“There was some work done with the national labs dealing with a cascading
transformer failure at one of the missile ranges [Malmstrom]… The missile
silos were actually connected to the commercial grid for power. They did
have their critical power, they had their own generators but for
cost-savings they were connected to the commercial grid; dual-power feeds.
There was an electrical disturbance, there were some storms, and the
filtering, the capacitors that would have shielded the critical systems in
the missile silos from an energy surge coming through the commercial grid
failed and actually took some of the missile silos down.” (Interview with Mick West, 17 June 2025)
“There’s been new stories about an EMP test that I was not privy to when I
was still in the government. What I knew about was a report of a cascading
transformer failure where there was [an] electrical storm and the silos were
actually connected to the commercial power grid, however they did have their
own generators and critical power and they would switch off to their own
generators so power would not be interrupted. There was some electrical
disturbance that actually defeated those filters, and the silos themselves
were taken offline by a cascading transformer failure.” (Interview with John Michael Godier, 2 July 2025)
“There were also some reports of security personnel who were up above who,
in some of the stories, they saw UFOs or things that they could not
understand. We were able to get logs at the various towers and we did not
see any evidence of UAP or UFO activity in the journals and logs that AARO
actually got to investigate.” (Interview with John Michael Godier, 2 July 2025)
Appendix B: Excerpts from 341st Strategic Missile Wing Unit Histories
1 January – 31 March 1967:
“On 16 March 1967 at 0845, all sites in Echo (E) Flight, Malmstrom AFB,
shutdown with No-Go Indication of Channels 9 and 12 on Voice Reporting
Signal Assemble (VRSA). (PDF p. 7)
“The initial time of the incident, decided by the crew, could be no more
than two or three minutes earlier than the official log of 0845.” (PDF p. 11)
“Weather was ruled out as a contributing factor in the incident.” (PDF p. 14)
“Rumors of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) around the area of Echo Flight
during the time of the fault were disproven.” (PDF p. 14)
“The power outage that affected E-1 at 1453 on 16 March 67, occurred on the
7.2/12.5 kilo volts (KV) transmission line from Winifred Substation.” (PDF p. 16)
“Weather condition and Capsule crew have been eliminated as causes of the
incident.” (PDF p. 16)
“A 7.2 KV transformer shorted in the line to site E-3 at 1450, 16 March 67.”
(PDF p. 20)
“On 28 March 67, the 341st SMW in conjunction with the Montana Power Company
conducted a switching test on the 50 KV high voltage line between the
Harlowton and Glengarry substations. The test was performed at the request
of OOAMA/OONE as a part of the initial Echo Flight incident investigation
performed at Malmstrom. The intent of the test was to verify correlation, if
possible, between high voltage switching and launch facility shutdown or
other launch facility faults.” (PDF p. 20)
“After performing the tests, it was decided that commercial power switching
operations were not the cause of the Echo shutdown.” (PDF p. 21)
“The investigation teams at Malmstrom, were unable to determine a logical
cause for the incident.” (PDF p. 21)
1 April – 30 June 1967:
“A test plan was reviewed to accomplish the transformer failure simulation
tests at Malmstrom. Boeing had co-ordinated with the power company, and had
received their approval for the tests.” (PDF p. 35)
“The power tests were accomplished at Malmstrom AFB during the week of 15
May 67… Information on the Sensitive Information Network lines and on the
commercial primary power lines showed no significant noise propagation as a
result of simulating the transformer failure.” (PDF p. 36)
“Due to the fact that the power tests were essentially negative, it appears
that the cause of the Echo Flight problem was of the EMP or electrostatic
nature.” (PDF p. 38)
1 July – 30 September 1967:
“OOAMA thought that the cause of the incident was of the Electro Magnetic
Pulse (EMP) noise or electrostatic nature.” (PDF p. 48)
“A primary cause always associated with Echo Flight Incident has been
connected with some type of adverse power affect [sic]. Tests have been
conducted time and time again to determine this, but have always lead [sic]
to a negative result.” (PDF p. 51)
“On 28 September 1967, Sierra 39, 564th SMS, was depostured and turned over
to Boeing for EMP tests.” (PDF p. 51)
1 October – 31 December 1967:
“In direct relation to the Echo Flight incident as covered in the April –
June 1967 History of the 341st SMW was the Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP)
testing conducted throughout the quarter.” (PDF p. 76)
“One of the primary theorys [sic] of the Echo Flight incident was connected
with some type of adverse power effect. All test [sic] conducted toward this
end proved negative results. The EMP tests at Sierra-39 were considered to
be the final series of tests in this area.” (PDF p. 77)
Appendix C: Power Distribution to Echo, Delta, Mike, Oscar Flights
Launch Facilities (LFs) E-2-6, E-9-11
Supplied by Different Substations than E-7, E-8
(PDF p. 17)
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