Milton Torres intercept order

Record summary

What happened USAF pilot Milton Torres said he was scrambled from RAF Manston and ordered to fire rockets at a large radar target displaying unusual manoeuvres. Before he reached firing position, the target reportedly accelerated away. UK Ministry of Defence files released decades later confirmed his report and the intercept context, while the nature of the radar target remained uncertain. Evidence A named pilot, military-file correspondence and ground-radar reporting document the claimed order. Explanations considered A radar ghost, electronic warfare exercise, misidentified formation or classified test are alternatives. What remains uncertain Torres did not obtain a clear visual identification, and the full radar record and operational context remain unavailable. Primary source Milton Torres intercept order — Wikipedia