Malmstrom AFB Missile Shutdown Incident
On March 16, 1967, all ten Minuteman nuclear missiles at Echo Flight, Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, simultaneously lost strategic alert status under unexplained circumstances. Security personnel reported observing a glowing red object near the launch facility. The incident became one of the most cited cases linking UAP activity with nuclear weapons installations.
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Background
In the predawn hours of March 16, 1967, personnel assigned to Echo Flight at Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, Montana, experienced a dramatic equipment malfunction when all ten Minuteman I intercontinental ballistic missiles under their command simultaneously dropped to a No-Go status at 8:45 AM, effectively removing them from strategic alert.
The Incident
Lieutenant Robert Salas, a 26-year-old missile launch officer stationed in the underground command capsule that morning, later provided a detailed account.
Security guards on the surface first contacted him to report unusual flying objects performing erratic maneuvers in the distance.
Shortly afterward, guards called again in a state of agitation to report a glowing reddish-orange object hovering directly above the facility's front gate.
Missile Shutdown
Minutes after this second report, the missile indicators in the capsule began sequentially dropping to No-Go status.
The missiles were brought back online within approximately 24 hours after maintenance crews were dispatched to each launch facility.
Investigation
Internal Air Force investigations examined the electronic systems but found no conventional explanation for why all ten missiles would have failed simultaneously.
Alternative Explanations
Skeptical analyses have proposed that the UFO — if observed at all — was likely the planet Mars and bore no causal relationship to the equipment malfunction.
A 2025 Pentagon report introduced a new element by attributing the shutdown to a classified electromagnetic pulse test conducted by another military branch, though this explanation has itself generated debate among researchers.
Elizondo's Account
Elizondo discusses the Malmstrom AFB incident in Imminent as part of a documented pattern of UAP activity near nuclear facilities. He connects this case to similar incidents at other nuclear sites worldwide, including the 1982 Byelokoroviche Air Force Base event in Ukraine where a UAP reportedly activated a nuclear missile launch sequence. AATIP considered these nuclear-adjacent encounters among the most concerning, as they demonstrated apparent interest in or interaction with nuclear weapons infrastructure.
Significance
The Malmstrom incident occupies a unique position among UAP cases because it directly involves nuclear weapons systems and national security infrastructure. If the connection between the reported object and the missile shutdown is genuine, it would represent one of the clearest instances of UAP interference with strategic military assets. The case is frequently cited in congressional testimonies and policy discussions about potential UAP threats to national defense. Kean provides context for both Malmstrom incidents: March 16 (Echo Flight, 10 Minuteman missiles deactivated) and March 24, 1967 (Oscar Flight, 10 more missiles deactivated). Salas was sleeping in the Launch Control Capsule when guards reported a UFO over the silo. Boeing investigation found no conventional explanation for the failures.