The Connection Between UAP And Nuclear Sites Explained

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be diving into the world of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena - what we used to call UFOs - and their connection to nuclear sites.

In recent years, many believe that UFOs - now referred to as UAP, or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena - have gone from “conspiracy theory” to “confirmed fact.”

Exactly what they are, however, is yet to be determined.

Since the release of UAP videos in 2017 (including the famous “The Tic-Tac” video), the US government has admitted their existence and has even declassified many documents relating to UAP. Many members of the US military have since come forward to share their experiences witnessing these phenomena. There has also been an increase in former members of the US government coming forward to share what firsthand knowledge they have in UAP Programs, known and unknown to the public. Luis Elizondo is one such individual.

Elizondo is the former Director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). This Pentagon program studied UFOs in secret and was unknown to the public for many years.

In 2024, the appearance of drones in New Jersey kicked off another round of debate about UAPs in the United States. The phenomena wasn’t contained to the east coast, however; soon after, many cities across the United States and around the world were seeing the same thing. “Drones” and “orbs” that seem to defy our idea of modern physics were being reported.

Government officials couldn’t seem to agree on an explanation, even though some of these objects were hovering over military bases and nuclear sites. One such base is the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, home to a decommissioned 10-megawatt nuclear reactor.

The first atomic bomb test took place in 1945 at the Trinity Test Site at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Shortly after, a UAP may have crashed on a nearby ranch according to witnesses. Jacques Vallee, who was the inspiration for the scientist in Stephen Spielberg's “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” co-wrote a book on the topic. Although many have questioned the veracity of this story, others maintain it should be believed.

A link between UFOS and nuclear capability has certainly been seen in popular culture. “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is an early example.

Tom DeLonge, one third of the popular band Blink-182, later wrote a novel loosely based on the incident, in hopes of highlighting the important connection between UAP and our nuclear sites. DeLonge has also been working with members of the US government and military to compile similar experiences.

UFOligist Robert Hastings spent decades interviewing members of the US military who had similar experiences. Hiughes compiled these interviews into a book titled “UFOs & Nukes: Extraordinary Encounters at Nuclear Weapons Sites.” During this time, Hastings interviewed over 160 members of the military and documented their experiences. Many of those interviewed were part of the Personnel Reliability Program, lending credence to their testimony. He himself claims to have been witness to UAP on the radar systems of Malmstrom Air Force Base in 1967. From that point forward, the idea of a connection between UAP and nuclear sites would continue to be prevalent as he gathered data from others who had witnessed UAP incursions at US nuclear bases.

Malmstrom Air Force Base in 1967 is thought to have been a hotspot for UAP activity. It was one of the largest missile fields in the US, covered 23,500 square miles and included four missile squadrons. It’s also one of three US Air Force Bases that operates, maintains and secures the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM.

Captain Robert Salas is another military member who has come forward over the years since his experience in 1967 at Malmstrom Air Force Base. His guards called him up on March 24, as he had been stationed underground, stating they were seeing an object above the base, moving in ways that couldn’t be explained. Captain Salas told them to ensure the safety of the weapons before immediately calling his Commander to explain the situation.

With hundreds of military members sharing similar UAP experiences at nuclear facilities, some government representatives came forward wanting more transparency on the matter - such as Senator Harry Reid. He unfortunately passed away in 2021 before he could witness the issue being resolved - but not before he made his position known.

It’s not just military nuclear bases either - UAPs have been sighted during some of the world’s most devastating nuclear power plant explosions, as well!

In 1986, there were several reports of UAP spotted around Chernobyl shortly before and after the explosion.

In 2011, a “nuclear accident” took place at the The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. Shortly after the explosion, a monk claimed that “...UFO’s came after the explosion. There were so many of them. I was shocked.” The monk added his own theory as to why: “Radioactive energy was leaking everywhere. I believe the UFOs came to readjust the flood of radioactive energy in order to save us. That’s my theory, anyway.” Even with the explosion and the earthquake that kicked it off, “miraculously, the temple was untouched.” Residents of Iino, a town near Fukushima, has a long history of UAP sightings, making many wonder again about a connection between UFOs and nuclear areas. Many others, including investigative journalist George Knapp, have also extolled this connection.

Another strange connection between UAP and nuclear capabilities is the fact that some first-hand witnesses to these objects have obtained radiation injuries. One particular instance was The Rendlesham Forest incident in the UK on Boxing Day 1980. US servicemen documented a UAP sighting just outside the Royal Air Force station based in Woodbridge. One of these servicemen reportedly touched the object and obtained injuries directly from this interaction. His name is John Burroughs, a US serviceman, and he was one of the first individuals on the scene that night.

It was a long journey for Burroughs and everyone else wanting transparency around this incident. There was even a Citizen Hearing in Washington DC 2013 with witnesses and footage in an effort to bring light to the matter. However, it wasn’t until a declassified report was entered as evidence that Burroughs secured a settlement after attempting for years to prove he had obtained injuries from his encounter with a UAP during active duty.

The declassified study, code-named Project Condign, describes the Rendlesham Incident as an event where it “might be postulated that several observers were probably exposed to UAP radiation.” This is the closest to documented proof that there is a legitimate connection, as the Condign Report “specifically mentions the incident and how radiation from UAP could cause injury” explaining “that there is a phenomenon that governments of this world are well aware of. The question is where it comes from.”

Another injury is said to have resulted from a civilian incident in 1980, referred to as The Cash-Landrum Incident. This provided the basis for a HBO documentary in 1985. It involved a couple friends - 51-year-old Betty Cash and 57-year-old Vickie Landrum, along with Vickie’s 7-year-old grandson. They witnessed a UAP on their way home from dinner in late December of 1980. Both adults left the vehicle to examine the object, which had come closer and gotten brighter, while hovering around treetop level. The object was emitting exceptional heat, to the point that upon re-entering the vehicle, a coat was needed to protect Betty’s hand from the car door. They even had video evidence, which was shown in the documentary, of an imprint that was left on the dash because the vinyl had been softened by the extreme heat.

To mark the end of their approximately 20-minute experience, the adults confirmed 23 helicopters came to surround the object, some of which seemed to be military, possibly even US Air Force. Shortly after, they drove home.

After their encounter, they all experienced similar symptoms, including G-I issues, weakness, and burning sensations - though Betty’s eventually became far worse than the others. She lost the ability to walk and lost large patches of skin and hair. She claims her doctors eventually switched from treating her for regular burns to treating her for radiation sickness.

Some experts connected to the case believe these symptoms to be similar to those caused by ionizing radiation.

Ultimately, we don’t have any clear evidence to answer the question we’re asking: “What is the connection between UAP and Nuclear Sites”. However, those with more knowledge on the topic than most seem to at least agree on one thing:

Are you aware of any UAP/Nuclear connections we may have missed? Is there any other aspect of the UAP topic that you’d like to see WatchMojo cover in the future? Let us know in the comments! Until next time, keep your eyes to the skies!