r/UFOs
/u/Reddit_is_poopie
[Historical] 1983 - Operation Close Encounter - RAAF Response to UAS (Unusual Aerial Sightings)
Witnesses
Unknown
Duration
Unknown
Source material
3
Timeline
3
Source context
Limited context
Interesting, but still missing stronger corroboration or harder source material.
Source provenance
r/UFOs
Live sighting record cbce4def-38d3-4da2-9116-13356348c59f.
Using the selected case's real source, media, and context throughout the workspace.
Correlations
Field Intelligence
Sunlight window
Daytime — sun above horizon
Sighting occurred during daylight hours
Solar window
Weather
Open-MeteoArea activity
Context notes
Heavy cloud cover (97%) — limited visibility
Extracted details
Observed facts
Occurred
Jun 30, 2026, 12:00 AM
Timezone
Australian Eastern Time
Location
Sydney
Witness account
Narrative
Found this declassified RAAF file (NAA: A9755, 8) on “Operation Close Encounter” from 1983. Good little UFO debunk story. Background: Late June 1983, Mascot Area Approach Control started reporting unidentified radar contacts moving like aircraft. RAAF Base Williamtown got tasked to investigate on 30 June. By the next morning two Mirage interceptors were on Alert 2 and 3 Control and Reporting Unit (3CRU) started round the clock radar surveillance. Contacts sat 70 to 150nm north of Sydney, spee...
Case progression
Timeline
Witnesses place the encounter near Sydney.
r/UFOs carried the report into the source network.
Grouped into the Operation Close Encounter incident dossier.
Ledger
Source material
media
Cover image
Visual reference carried with the original report.
source
Original report
Direct source material from r/UFOs.
telemetry
Environmental pass
Historical atmosphere, astronomy, and nearby infrastructure were resolved for this case.