The Farmington UFO Armada

On March 17, 1950, and for two days following, the small town of Farmington, New Mexico, witnessed an extraordinary sight: hundreds of UFOs filling the sky. Approximately half the town’s population watched as disc-shaped objects maneuvered overhead in formations no known aircraft could achieve.

The First Day

On March 17, 1950 (St. Patrick’s Day):

• Residents noticed strange objects in the morning sky
• The objects multiplied throughout the day
• By afternoon, hundreds were visible
• The entire town was watching

The Display

Witnesses observed:

• Hundreds of disc-shaped objects
• Moving at varying speeds
• Flying in formations
• Performing coordinated maneuvers
• Occasionally a larger, red object appeared

Mass Observation

The scale was unprecedented:

• Approximately half the town’s population watched
• People stopped work to observe
• Streets filled with observers
• The event continued for three days

Local Newspaper

The Farmington Daily Times:

• Ran front-page coverage
• Estimated up to 500 objects
• Interviewed numerous witnesses
• Called it the biggest story in the paper’s history

Witness Descriptions

Observers described:

• Silver or white disc-shaped objects
• Approximately 20-30 feet in diameter
• Flying at various altitudes
• Some traveling slowly, others fast
• Formations shifting and changing

The Red Object

Periodically, a different object appeared:

• Larger than the others
• Red or orange in color
• Seemed to coordinate the others
• Witnesses speculated it was a “leader”

Official Response

There was no significant official response:

• The Air Force made no public investigation
• Local authorities were simply observers
• No aircraft were scrambled
• The event went largely unaddressed officially

Geographic Context

Farmington’s location was significant:

• Near Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Nuclear weapons research facility
• High-security area
• Pattern of UFO activity in New Mexico

Duration

Unlike brief sightings:

• The display continued for three days
• Objects returned each day
• Witnesses had extended observation
• The phenomenon seemed deliberate

Comparison

The scale was compared to:

• Flocks of birds (but wrong appearance and behavior)
• Military exercises (none were occurring)
• No conventional explanation fit

Significance

The Farmington armada is significant for:

• Mass witnesses (thousands)
• Extended duration (three days)
• Newspaper documentation
• Hundreds of objects simultaneously
• Location near nuclear facilities

Legacy

The Farmington UFO armada remains one of the largest mass sightings in UFO history. The three-day display of hundreds of objects over a small New Mexico town—documented by the local newspaper—has never been explained.