State Department UAP Cable 001, Papua New Guinea, January 28, 1985
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.
✦ AI summary
Declassified U.S. State Department diplomatic cable (CSP-2025-00040), from AMEMBASSY Port Moresby to USCINCPAC Honolulu and SECSTATE Washington, dated January 28, 1985 (subject: 'Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights'). The Embassy reports that PNG's National Intelligence Organization (NIO) informally inquired about reported sightings of high-altitude, high-speed aircraft over PNG on the evening of January 24, 1985, which frightened local residents in Wewak and prompted a public meeting attended by the Prime Minister. NIO cited multiple reports of unidentified aerial phenomena that night: fast-moving objects with lights, contrails, and noise. The most credible report came from an Air Niugini pilot who had just taken off from Wewak; his radar picked up aircraft flying south-to-north at high altitude/speed while he was over Angoram. Other visual sightings of contrails were reported: one aircraft moving north-to-south at 1900 local time, and six-to-eight aircraft traveling south-to-north at 2200 local. The Embassy told NIO it knew of no B-52 overflights or U.S. aircraft in PNG airspace that day (per records and a call with 43SW/Andersen AFB Guam), and requests confirmation from Washington/PACOM and any additional information. The cable was released in full by the State Department in 2026.
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
▸Transcript(3 of 3 pages legible)
[PAGE 1] UNCLASSIFIED CSP-2025-00040 B-00002707027 "UNCLASSIFIED" 3/2/2026 UNCLASSIFIED MRN: 85 PORT MORESBY 199 Date/DTG: Jan 28, 1985 / 280000Z Jan 85 From: AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY Action: USCINCLANT ROUTINE E.O.: Unknown TAGS: MARR, PP Reference: n/a Subject: PAPUA NEW GUINEA INQUIRY RE OVERFLIGHTS LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 PORT M 00199 280704Z ACTION PM-11 INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 INR-10 SS-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 NSAE-00 EAP-00 /022 W --------------- 026406 280708Z /120 280653Z JAN 85 FM AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY TO USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE INFO 43SW ANDERSEN AFB GU IMMEDIATE SECSTATE WASHDC 1694 AMEMBASSY CANBERRA AMEMBASSY JAKARTA LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PORT MORESBY 00199 USCINCPAC FOR J3 AND POLAD 43SW FOR DONO STATE FOR EAP/PIA AND PM/RSA E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: MARR, PP SUBJECT: PAPUA NEW GUINEA INQUIRY RE OVERFLIGHTS 1. EMBASSY JANUARY 28 RECEIVED INFORMAL INQUIRY FROM PNG NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (NIO) CONCERNING REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF HIGH-ALTITUDE, HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFT OVER PNG DURING EVENING JANUARY 24. MATTER CAME TO NIO'S ATTENTION WHEN ITS OFFICER IN WEWAK REPORTED LOCAL RESIDENTS HAD BEEN FRIGHTENED BY OVERFLIGHTS, WHICH LED TO THE PROVINCIAL PREMIER'S CALLING OF A PUBLIC MEETING ON THE SUBJECT ATTENDED BY THE PRIME MINISTER WHO WAS WEEKENDING IN HIS ELECTORAL DISTRICT. Released in Full [signed] John Powers, Acting Director US Department of State 3/2/2026 UNCLASSIFIED Page 1 of 3 [PAGE 2] UNCLASSIFIED CSP-2025-00040 B-00002707027 "UNCLASSIFIED" 3/2/2026 2. NIO SAID THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 24, INCLUDING FAST-MOVING OBJECTS WITH LIGHTS, CONTRAILS, LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 PORT M 00199 280704Z AND NOISE. THE REPORT IN WHICH NIO PLACES SOME CREDENCE ORIGINATED WITH AN AIR NIUGINI PILOT WHO HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM WEWAK ENROUTE PORT MORESBY. PILOT SAID HIS RADAR PICKED UP AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUTH TO NORTH AT HIGH ALTITUDE AND HIGH SPEED WHEN HE WAS OVER ANGORAM (VIC 4 DEG S, 144 DEG E). SEVERAL VISUAL SIGHTINGS OF CONTRAILS WERE ALSO REPORTED FROM VARIOUS POINTS AROUND PNG, OF ONE AIRCRAFT MOVING NORTH TO SOUTH AT 1900 LOCAL AND OF SIX-EIGHT AIRCRAFT TRAVELING SOUTH TO NORTH AT 2200 LOCAL. 3. BASED ON OUR RECORDS AND TELCON WITH 43SW, WE HAVE TOLD NIO WE KNEW OF NO B-52 OVERFLIGHTS AND NO U.S. AIRCRAFT IN PNG AIRSPACE ON JANUARY 24. 4. ALTHOUGH INFORMATION PROVIDED US ON THESE SIGHTINGS IS VERY SKETCHY AND SOURCES WERE UNSURE OF THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH AIRCRAFT WERE FLYING, WE WOULD MOST APPRECIATE CONFIRMATION OF PARA 3 ABOVE AND ANY LIGHT YOU MIGHT THROW ON THESE REPORTS. GARDNER LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNN UNCLASSIFIED Page 2 of 3 [PAGE 3] UNCLASSIFIED CSP-2025-00040 B-00002707027 "UNCLASSIFIED" 3/2/2026 Dissemination Rule: Archive Copy UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Page 3 of 3
Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.
Source: U.S. Department of War / AARO — public domain · war.gov/ufo
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