File / belgian-wave-1990
The Belgian Wave
Triangles reported over Belgium and two F-16s scrambled on 30–31 March 1990, known only from two later accounts
According to a summary by The National Archives (UK), on 30–31 March 1990 ‘large, unknown triangular-shaped objects were reported’ over Belgium after months of sightings; radar ‘reportedly tracked an unknown object over central Belgium’, the Belgian Air Force scrambled two F-16s, and ‘The pilots reported no sightings, and the object was not identified.’ A newspaper article of 2000, filed in the release, says the F-16s were ‘armed with missiles’.
Official position
The only official account found is British. The National Archives: “The pilots reported no sightings, and the object was not identified.” It adds that the UK “was not informed at the time as there was no evidence of any threat” and that “There were no investigations by the Ministry”. No Belgian document is in the releases or on any official page we could find.
What the sources hold
Two later accounts, and neither is Belgian. The National Archives in London summarises the night beside a Ministry of Defence file on UFO policy, DEFE 24/1958/1:
“A major event occurred in 1990 over Belgium. On 30–31 March, large, unknown triangular-shaped objects were reported. This followed months of strange sightings. Radar reportedly tracked an unknown object over central Belgium, and the Belgian Air Force scrambled two F-16s. The pilots reported no sightings, and the object was not identified.”
It goes on: “The UK was not informed at the time as there was no evidence of any threat, but the MOD received numerous questions on the reported sighting. There were no investigations by the Ministry, although enquiries continued, including a Parliamentary Question in September 1996.”
An article in The Boston Sunday Globe of 21 May 2000, filed in the release with the English translation of the COMETA report, has one sentence on the night: “Belgium F-16s armed with missiles pursued a UFO in 1990.” (p. 91 of the file) It names no source.
What is not in them
No Belgian document: not the air force’s account of the night, and not its radar data. Neither account says who reported the triangles, how many people did, or where. Neither gives a time, a track or a position for the radar contact, and the “reportedly” is the summary’s own word. We searched the text of all six US releases for Belgium, allowing for scanning errors; the article above is the only page that bears on 1990.
Why this scores where it does
Witnesses: 1. Objects “were reported”, by people the summary neither names nor counts; the two pilots “reported no sightings”.
Radar and optics: 1 and 0. A radar track that the summary itself calls reported, with no data behind it; neither source has a photograph or a film.
Physical trace: 0. None is mentioned.
Multi-channel: 1. The reports and the radar both reach us through one British summary.
Documentation: 1. Two later accounts, an archive’s paragraph and a newspaper’s sentence; no Belgian document.
Anomaly: 1. The object “was not identified”; nothing about it was measured.
Data today: 0. Nothing beyond the two accounts can be read today.
The overall is 0.6: class D, testimony only.
What would settle it
- The Belgian Air Force’s documentation of the night of 30–31 March 1990.
- The F-16 radar recordings.
- A full reading of the Ministry of Defence file DEFE 24/1958/1 at The National Archives.
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