Summary
This U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable, sent January 28, 1985 from the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Honolulu, reports a host-nation intelligence inquiry about high-altitude, high-speed aircraft over Papua New Guinea on the night of January 24, 1985. A national intelligence officer relayed that residents were frightened by overflights and that there were reports of fast-moving lighted objects, contrails, and noise, deemed credible based on an Air Niugini pilot's radar account. The cable called the information sketchy and asked INDOPACOM whether U.S. military aircraft were in the airspace that night.
Detail
This U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable was sent on January 28, 1985 from the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USCINCPAC) in Honolulu, Hawaii. It reports that the embassy 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 host-nation National Intelligence Officer (NIO) throughout. The NIO said residents had been frightened by the overflights, prompting the provincial premier to call a public meeting, and described various reports of fast-moving lighted objects, contrails, and noise. The NIO assessed the reports as credible, citing an Air Niugini pilot whose radar reportedly tracked aircraft moving south to north at high altitude and speed. The cable characterizes the information as very sketchy and seeks clarification from INDOPACOM on whether U.S. military aircraft were present that night. The record was released through the PURSUE declassification.
