Keith Jessop

Keith Jessop is a former Petty Officer in the Royal Australian Navy radar operator, best known for his involvement in the 1954 Sea Fury radar incident, one of the most compelling UFO cases on record. During a night training flight on August 31, 1954, near Nowra, Australia, Lt. Peter O'Farrell piloted a Sea Fury aircraft when Jessop detected two unidentified radar echoes rapidly closing in on it at speeds exceeding 220 knots. Jessop confirmed the 'paints' to O'Farrell and Nowra control, noting three objects including the aircraft. The objects maneuvered in formation, performing coordinated turns as O'Farrell executed a 180- and 360-degree turn for identification. Jessop expressed concern for safety, emphasizing that radar returns required solid, reflective substances, ruling out atmospheric anomalies. No conventional aircraft were expected in the area. His testimony, featured in Project 1947 analyses and reenactments, underscores the incident's evidential strength in UAP research.