State Department UAP Cable 001

Papua New Guinea, January 28, 1985

Unclassified diplomatic cable from the US Department of State.

Official description

This document is a U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to USCINCPAC (United States Indo-Pacific Command) at Honolulu, HI on January 28, 1985. The cable reports that the U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea received an inquiry from the host nation’s intelligence services regarding reports of high-altitude, high-speed aircraft in Papua New Guinean airspace on the evening of January 24, 1985. The cable refers to a representative of the local intelligence services as “NIO,” or National Intelligence Officer, throughout. The NIO relayed to U.S. diplomatic personnel that residents had been “frightened by overflights, which led to the provincial premier’s calling of a public meeting on the subject.” The NIO also stated there had been “various reports of unidentified aerial phenomena the night of January 24, including fast-moving objects with lights, contrails, and noise.” The NIO assessed these reports as credible based upon the testimony of an Air Niugini pilot who said that their radar had “picked up aircraft flying south to north at high altitude and high speed.” The cable concludes by characterizing the information provided by the NIO as “very sketchy.” It also sought clarification from U.S. INDOPACOM on the presence or absence of U.S. military aircraft within Papua New Guinean airspace on the night in question.

Reproduced verbatim from the releasing agency.

AI summary

This diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea documents inquiries from local intelligence regarding high-speed aircraft seen in the airspace on January 24, 1985. Residents expressed fear over these unidentified aerial phenomena, prompting a public meeting, while the cable notes that an Air Niugini pilot confirmed radar detection of such objects. The report aims to clarify if U.S. military aircraft were involved during the incident.