A retired United States Air Force officer has claimed that unidentified flying objects (UFOs) disabled several nuclear missiles at a military base during the Cold War, raising fresh questions about one of the era's most mysterious incidents.
Robert Salas, a former missile launch officer, said the incident took place in March 1967 at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. Speaking on a podcast, the 85-year-old recalled that he was on duty underground when security guards reported strange lights moving rapidly in the night sky above the facility.
At first, Salas believed the guards were joking. However, the situation quickly turned serious when a guard called back in panic, describing a glowing red object hovering near the base gate. According to Salas, one guard was reportedly injured during the incident.
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Moments later, alarms sounded inside the control room. Salas said all 10 Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles under his supervision suddenly went offline, making them impossible to launch.
"We checked everything, but one by one, all missiles failed," he said, adding that the systems were designed to resist external interference.
Security teams sent to inspect the launch sites also reported seeing unusual lights hovering above the missile areas. Salas said they were too frightened to approach further.
He claimed that an official investigation at the time could not explain the failure, despite advanced shielding against electromagnetic disruption.
Salas now believes the incident may have involved non-human intelligence attempting to prevent nuclear conflict. He also alleged that he and others were ordered to remain silent about the incident for years.
