Secretary Kimball and Admiral Radford's Pacific UAP Encounter
US Secretary of the Navy Dan Kimball and Admiral Arthur Radford, flying separately from Hawaii to Guam in March 1952, both reported that disc-shaped objects tracked their aircraft at speeds up to 2000 mph. Kimball's subsequent complaint to the Air Force went unanswered.
Background
The Flights
In March 1952, Secretary of the Navy Dan Kimball and Admiral Arthur Radford, Commander in Chief Pacific, were flying separately from Hawaii to Guam. According to Kimball's own account to fellow official Bill Hamilton, their two aircraft — separated by several hundred miles — were each tracked by disc-shaped objects for extended periods.
Estimated Performance
Kimball reported that the objects paced his aircraft at speeds he estimated up to 2000 miles per hour, well beyond the capability of any known aircraft of the period. After overtaking his plane, the objects reportedly flew ahead to Radford's aircraft and repeated the manoeuvre.
Official Silence
Kimball — no fringe figure, but the civilian head of the US Navy — filed a formal report with the US Air Force, which at that time held primary jurisdiction over UFO investigations through Project Blue Book. He received no response, no briefing and no follow-up. Kimball later complained privately that the Air Force was effectively sitting on the matter. Coulthart highlights the case in In Plain Sight as evidence that even the most senior US civilian and military officials were witnessing — and being ignored about — the phenomenon.