RAF-BENTWATERS-WOODBRIDGE · CLOSED
RAF Bentwaters / Woodbridge
CREDIBLE WITNESS OPERATOR · USAF / RAF
Former US Air Force base in Suffolk, England, site of the Rendlesham Forest incident in December 1980 — one of the most documented military UAP encounters on record. Multiple USAF personnel, including the deputy base commander, observed and interacted with an unidentified craft over two nights.
The Rendlesham Forest incident occurred over two nights, December 26-28, 1980. USAF security personnel first observed lights in Rendlesham Forest adjacent to the base. A patrol was dispatched and encountered a triangular metallic craft resting in a clearing. The craft left physical impressions and elevated radiation readings at the landing site.
On the second night, Deputy Base Commander Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt led a team into the forest and recorded the encounter on audio tape, which was later released. The craft was described as a structured object with coloured lights that fired beams of light toward the ground.
The British Ministry of Defence conducted an investigation but concluded the incident posed no threat to national security. The Halt Memo, a formal report filed by Lt Col Halt, remains one of the most significant official documents relating to a military UAP encounter.