During the night of August 13–14, 1956, radar operators and military personnel at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Lakenheath tracked several unidentified objects exhibiting extraordinary speed and maneuverability. One object was reportedly pursued by a Royal Air Force Venom night fighter before evading interception. The incident was investigated by Project Blue Book and later described by J. Allen Hynek as one of the most credible military UFO cases on record.
During the evening of August 13, 1956, radar operators at RAF Bentwaters began detecting unidentified targets moving at extraordinary speeds across eastern England. Operators estimated one object accelerated to several thousand miles per hour before stopping abruptly, behavior inconsistent with known aircraft of the era. Shortly afterward, personnel on the ground visually observed a bright object corresponding to the radar contacts.
As reports increased, RAF Lakenheath also began tracking unidentified targets using both surveillance and precision radar systems. Several radar operators independently confirmed unusual returns, while observers reported bright white lights maneuvering silently in the night sky.
A Royal Air Force Venom NF.3 night fighter was scrambled to intercept one of the targets. According to both radar operators and the aircraft crew, the fighter successfully approached the object before it maneuvered behind the interceptor, appearing to follow it for several minutes. After additional maneuvers, the object accelerated away and disappeared from radar.
The incident involved multiple independent radar systems, visual observations from military personnel, and an attempted fighter interception. Project Blue Book investigated the event but was unable to identify a conventional explanation. Astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek later described the Lakenheath–Bentwaters Incident as one of the most puzzling and significant military UFO cases ever investigated due to the combination of radar and visual evidence from trained observers.
| Date: | 1956-08-13 |
| Location: | RAF Lakenheath and RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Category: | Military / Radar-Visual Encounter |
| Credibility: | Very High / Multiple Military Witnesses and Radar Confirmation |