As someone with more than a passing familiarity and interest in the topic, I *know* radars generate false tracks - routinely. How many, how often, and the nature or characteristics of these false tracks depends on how well calibrated and tuned the system is, as well as some fundamental properties of the radar and computer/software controlling it.
Sounds to me like he, and potentially others in his unit had a very poorly maintained radar in his/their aircraft. If radar contact is all he has - no visual contact, contrails, etc. - then I'm going to strongly believe this was a maintenance issue rather than an encounter.
At this point I believe that the “UFO” are radar generated images.
There are Naval Aviators (more than 1) that have had Visual conformation of the “TicTac” encounter off of the leftist coast during which to CAC on the USS Princeton called 2 Super Hornets from the USS Nimitz off of Training to a “Real World Contact” verification. Both Lead and Wingman confirmed Visual at Sea Level and at 28,000’ - 30,000’ as the Contact varied between those FL’s with the Contact jumping from one to the other, at incredible speed.
Later on the CAC on The USS Princeton calculated the time for the “TicTac” from 30,000’ to Sea Level was IIRC .78 Seconds then reversed the Maneuver.
The TicTac also submerged and USS Princeton Sonar track was handed off to the USS Louisville took over Track only to find the TicTac Track doing 75 knots.
BTW- a Helo showed up Post Incident and several Unknown Officers went to the CIC and collected copies of All the DATA from that day and got back on the Helo and departed. When the CAC went back to look at the DATA and the entire Day’s DATA was gone. Go figure they had been MIBed...
Personally I don’t care if You believe any of this or not. I do. I Trust Our Aviators and Sailors. Why would they make this up ? I wont buy that it’s a hoax or joke- too many People and Assets involved. There’s no way that a Carrier Battle Group with all it’s assets including the USS Princeton, the USS Louisville, All the Crew and multiple Aircraft involved in this just fir the Halibut...
You are correct. In the 80’s I installed Navy SPS 40 (air search) and SPS 10 ( surface search)radars for the Navy. They could be tuned for a few different missions. Weather being one, aircraft being another. I moved on to FAA radars after that. Pretty much the same. While installing one on San Nicholas Island off the coast of Calif. I got to track the last flight of the Blackbird. Awesome. Two sweeps, two contacts and gone!