Belfort 1981, luminous phenomena and military maneuvers

Summary

On May 4, 1981, between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM, several witnesses, including military personnel, observed orange-colored luminous phenomena in the sky near Belfort, heading toward the Swiss border. Authorities received multiple reports about these objects, which initially caused some alarm. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that military exercises were taking place near the Swiss border that night. The observed phenomena were not unidentified flying objects, but rather illumination flares used during the maneuvers. This case was classified as "A" by the GEIPAN, indicating that it was satisfactorily resolved.