led; he made a fast check of the
targets that had now been put on the plotting board and called to a
jet fighter-interceptor base for a scramble.

The fighter base, located about 100 miles south of the radar site,
acknowledged the captain's call and in a matter of minutes an F-94
jet was climbing out toward the north.

While the F-94 was heading north, the radar crew at the outpost
watched the unidentified target. The bright dots that marked its path
had moved straight across the radarscope, passing within about 50
miles of the site. It was still traveling about 1,500 miles an hour.
The radar had also picked up the F-94 and was directing it toward its
target when suddenly the unidentified target slowed down, stopped,
and reversed its course. Now it was heading directly toward the radar
station. When it was within about 30 miles of the station, the radar
operator switched his set to a shorter range and lost both the F-94
and the unidentified target.

While the radar operator was trying to pick up the target again, the
F-94 arrived in the area. The ground controller told the pilot that
they had lost the target and asked him to cruise around the area to
see if he and his radar operator could pick up anything on the F-94's
radar. The pilot said he would but that he was having a little
difficulty, was low on fuel, and would have to get back to his base
soon. The ground controller acknowledged the pilot's message, and
called back to the air base telling them to scramble a second F-94.

The first F-94 continued to search the area while the ground radar
tried to pick up the target but neither could find it.

About this time the second F-94 was coming in, so the ground radar
switched back to long range. In a minute they had both of the F-94's
and the unidentified target on their scope. The ground controller
called the second F-94 and began to vector him into the target.

The first F-94 returned to its base.

As both the second F-94 and the target approached the radar site,
the operator again switched to short range and again he lost the jet
and the target. He switched back to long range, but by now they were
too close to the radar site and he couldn't pick up either one.

The pilot continued on toward where the unidentified target should
have been. Suddenly the F-94 radar operator reported a weak target
off to the right at 28,000 feet. They climbed into it but it faded
before they could make contact.

The pilot swung