On the night of February 26, 2016, an event unfolded in one south Wales town that, according to some, defied the ordinary.
Numerous individuals claimed to have observed a massive unidentified flying object, accompanied by an array of other mysterious lights. This peculiar sighting was coupled with the unexpected presence of military aircraft, helicopters engaged in pursuit, unsettling explosions, buildings quaking, trees suffering damage, and scattered wreckage near the small Welsh town of Pentyrch, just north-west of Cardiff.
Others claimed to have seen an Apache helicopter making an emergency landing with its cockpit ablaze, peculiar snowfall, and the presence of enigmatic individuals clad in white overalls.
The authorities provided an explanation for the unusual activity, attributing it to an Armed Forces exercise codenamed ‘Chameleon,’ as reported during that period.
However, a significant number of individuals continue to hold the belief that the events transcended earthly origins, asserting that they witnessed lights of an unidentified nature that did not align with the conventional characteristics of military aircraft.
Reflecting on the events of that day, which transpired in 2016, one witness by the name of Caz Clarke firmly asserted that she could unequivocally declare it was not a military exercise.
“What is more, the military knew they were coming and had a spotter plane in the air for two days waiting for ‘the event’.
“When it came, four planes chased the “green” object whilst the spotter plane circled approximately six red oval objects, which formed a pyramid shape. Several red spheres hovered silently above the fields until the helicopters came.”
According to some, military aircraft were allegedly observed circling the area for a continuous 72-hour period leading up to the incident, and their presence was confirmed and tracked on radar.
Another eyewitness, Mike Henbury, reported observing a red pulsating light, followed by two additional lights that converged to form a triangular shape descending from the cloud cover.
Mr. Henbury recounted, “It looked very large indeed. I don’t think it touched down totally but about 10 to 12 feet from the ground it lit up fully, showing the full outline of it, then it dimmed down.”
He went on to describe how black, red, and green orbs seemed to emanate from it, almost as if they were engaged in a mesmerising dance, gradually merging into a pulsating pattern that shifted between red and green hues.
According to some, witnesses first noticed a red light in the western sky, positioned beyond a line of trees that marked the western boundary of the field. This initial red light was succeeded by others, which formed the outer boundaries of an immense, upright triangular formation, tilted slightly to the right, with a curved lower edge instead of a straight one.
Witnesses reported that they didn’t observe the object’s arrival; it simply materialized in front of them, suggesting a possible inter-dimensional journey.
From the top of the colossal structure, a small green-glowing object emerged, although its brightness made it challenging to discern its specific shape.
Witnesses further explained that as the green object emerged, four military planes made their appearance, with two approaching from the direction of RAF St Athan and two from the direction of Cardiff. The green object emitted three bright flashes or strobes before veering off toward the northwest, heading in the direction of Llantrisant. Allegedly, the pursuing aircraft chased after it.
In addition, recollections included the approach of Apache helicopters from the south, flying at low altitudes over the fields in a pyramid formation, with their presence so close that witnesses could see the grass being disturbed beneath them.
Witness accounts detailed that the substantial object took a sudden dip to the right, rotating on its axis. As it descended below the tree line, an interesting aspect emerged: the trees, being devoid of leaves, allowed witnesses to see through them. During this axis-turning descent, the object appeared to be moving into the field situated to the north of its initial location.
There was even observable damage to trees in the adjacent Smilog Woods, where 40-foot trees exhibited clear signs of being severed mid-trunk, presumably by an object that had collided with them.
As the object drew closer to the ground, the intensely bright red lights positioned toward its lower section began to intensify, shifting to a hue resembling that of streetlights. The radiance emitted was so substantial that it illuminated the craft’s sides, revealing a pyramid-like structure.
According to the accounts given to members of the UFO Network, the lowermost lights grew exceptionally bright, bordering on white or orange in color, and emitted several luminous tendrils arcing down toward the ground, akin to colored lightning.
Subsequently, the red lights extinguished, and the massive object vanished from view.
In support of these events, there were documented complaints from residents regarding the disruptive noise generated by helicopters and other aircraft, along with reports of two exceptionally loud explosions. One of these explosions was even recorded on a seismograph located 40 miles away.
The incident in Pentyrch led to the closure of significant roadways, including the M4, this was memorable to many as it was causing disruptions in people’s daily lives.
Immediately after the “training exercise”, a succession of helicopters was observed shuttling between the woods and RAF St Athan. It is purported that these movements were tracked on radar.
Eyewitnesses also reported the presence of a military cleanup team stationed on the field where the craft had originally appeared. These personnel were said to have concealed their identities. Concurrently, a previously long-abandoned collection of scrap metal on Llantrisant Common was subjected to a military search, during which the metal was organised into orderly piles and removed.
Caz Clarke remains adamant about what the lights she saw in the sky that night, saying: “’We believe the military aircraft shot them down.
‘’As it neared the ground it ejected a hand of lightning, not thin lightning, but thick like fingers, fire coloured fingers. I wish I had pictures and videos, but phones did not work.”
‘’The next morning, I saw a WalesOnline article saying this was part of a military drill. This was no drill, that was the exercise the week before.’’
‘’When I contacted the MOD, they just told me this was under Section 26 – not in the public interest,’’
It’s clear that something out of the norm took place on that cold February night, but was it something otherworldly or something as simple as a training exercise? We may never know for certain, but Caz Clarke, who has written a book about it with Gary Jones, claims that the events are best described as the ‘greatest UFO cover-up of the modern era’.
