Newfoundland UFOs still a mysteryThe unidentified flying objects spotted in January off Newfoundland remain a mystery to the government, despite extensive scrutiny, according to Department of National Defence (DND) documents obtained by CBC News.
The documents contain grainy images of a rocket with a long, fiery tail soaring skyward. The reports rule out missiles and model rockets, but don't suggest what the images might show.
Military experts discredit the possibility of ballistic and cruise missiles. DND's Directorate of Scientific and Technical Intelligence (DSTI) assessed the images and reported: "The object is not a ballistic missile, not a cruise missile in boost phase nor a cruise missile in flight phase. It is also not a licensed model rocket launcher."
...
The DSTI says in the documents that the only missiles that can be launched from a submarine are ballistic or cruise missiles, but the country's top arms experts say the object photographed doesn't fit that profile.
"There are no distinguishing features on the object to use for identification … the shape of the flame is atypical of a missile launch," and "the length of the flame is greater than that of the rocket body. This eliminates the possibility that it is a cruise missile jet engine exhaust," said DSTI.
...
The government has blocked nine pages and a several paragraphs of the UFO documents from public release.
One of the lines leading into a blocked-out portion reads, "Media reporting has linked the sightings to …"
At the time there was speculation the rockets may have come from a French submarine near St. Pierre-Miquelon, since a few days later the French government announced test-fires of its new M51 ballistic missiles were successful.
In a phone call Friday, however, the Directorate General of Armament for France said that the ballistic test-fires took place on Jan. 27, and not on Jan. 25, the day of the sightings off Newfoundland.
It is not clear if new information was uncovered about the UFO sighting since Feb. 1, as that date marked the closing time frame for the Access to Information request.
CBC News is awaiting the Department of Public Safety's response to the question of whether or not the UFO was eventually identified.
To me, that ragged orange flame with little smoke looks more like a liquid fuel space rocket than a solid fuel military or hobby rocket. I wonder if it's been confirmed that the photos were taken at the time and place claimed.
The DND report is available in PDF here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news//pdf/dnd-ufo.pdf
