The Malmstrom AFB Missile Shutdown

On March 24, 1967, a UFO was reported over Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. As the object hovered, multiple Minuteman nuclear missiles in their underground silos went offline simultaneously. The incident suggests UFO interest in nuclear weapons and raises disturbing questions about our control over our most dangerous technology.

The Base

Malmstrom Air Force Base housed Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles, each carrying a nuclear warhead. The missiles were designed with multiple redundant systems to ensure they remained operational. The chances of multiple missiles failing simultaneously were calculated to be astronomically small.

The UFO

In the early morning hours of March 24, 1967, security personnel reported a glowing red object hovering outside the perimeter of one of the missile launch facilities. Guards attempted to approach, but the object moved away, staying just out of reach.

Meanwhile, at Oscar Flight, one of the launch control centers, missile commander Captain Robert Salas received alarmed reports from topside security. A glowing red object was hovering at the front gate.

The Shutdown

As Salas received these reports, alarms began sounding in his underground capsule. One by one, the nuclear missiles under his command went offline, displaying “No-Go” status. Ten missiles were affected.

Similar shutdowns occurred at Echo Flight, another launch control center, where more missiles went offline while UFOs were reported in the vicinity.

Investigation

The Air Force investigated the missile failures but found no equipment malfunction, no sabotage, and no explanation for why multiple independently operating missiles would fail simultaneously.

Boeing, the missile contractor, analyzed the incident and concluded that the probability of all missiles failing in sequence was essentially zero—unless there was an external cause affecting all of them.

Official Response

The incidents were classified. Air Force personnel were debriefed and told not to discuss what had happened. For decades, the missile shutdowns remained hidden.

Captain Salas and other witnesses eventually went public, testifying about the incident at press conferences and in documentaries. The Air Force has never provided a satisfactory explanation.

Assessment

The Malmstrom incident suggests a disturbing connection between UFO phenomena and nuclear weapons. Something hovered over the base, and nuclear missiles that should have remained operational went offline.

Whether the UFOs were observing, testing, or sending a message about humanity’s nuclear capability, the incident remains one of the most significant—and most troubling—in UFO history.