Belgian triangle wave

Independent summary of public records. This is not a finding and not an agency document.

1989 to 1990 · Belgium · wave, radar-visual

Status note: Radar and interception records exist; later analysis offers ordinary explanations for some tracks, and the analysis itself says it is speculative.

At a glance

A wave of reports of triangular objects over Belgium led to a night of F-16 interception attempts on March 30 to 31, 1990. The Belgian Air Force logged radar lock-ons but no visual contact.

Documented

The Belgian Air Force report for the night of March 30 to 31, 1990 says: "A total of 9 interception attempts … At 6 occasions the pilots could establish a lock-on … No visual contact could be established." [1]
The same report's chronology says in three cases the pilots managed to lock on, while its summary says six. We use the summary number and attribute it to the Air Force. [1]
A 2025 Belgian Defence technical report (Lt. Col. Salmon, released June 18, 2025) attributes anomalies to the F-16 radar's filtering and identifies some contacts as the wingman F-16; the report calls its own explanation speculative. [2]
A widely shared photograph (Petit-Rechain) was admitted to be a hoax in July 2011. The photo is not shown here. [3]

Reported

Reports of triangular objects over Belgium. [source to add]

Explained

Radar filtering and the other jet. Proposed by the 2025 Belgian Defence technical report. Covers some radar tracks; does not claim to cover every witness report. [2]

Not established

A visual identification of any radar contact.

Connected Cases note (all three triangle entries): our archive links these by recorded features, with a triage score of 0.49 for Belgium and Hudson Valley. That score is a research tool, not a finding and not evidence of a shared cause. Pattern, not proof.

Sources

Belgian Air Force report, 30-31 March 1990. primary. Full text: http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc408.htm. Summary: https://irdial.com/triangle_1.htm. Accessed 2026-10-28.
Belgian Defence technical report (Lt. Col. Salmon), released 18 June 2025. primary; read on a mirror: https://ufotransparency.com/files/intl-be-salmon-radar-report-rapport-lt-col-salmon-f16-radar-1990-03-31. Accessed 2026-10-28.
VRT NWS, July 27, 2011: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2011/07/27/belgian_ufo_picturewasreallyaforgery-1-1075881/. Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/hit-ufo-image-was-polystyrene-says-forger-idUSTRE76Q3MI/. secondary (news).

Corrections

None.