Luminous sphere and military exercises near Riez

Summary

On 22 June 1994, a motorist near Riez, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, saw a luminous sphere descend to the ground, split into three parts, and take off again. The next day, gendarmes found military personnel operating a cannon at the same location. Although testimony details are sparse, the military exercises in the area offer a plausible explanation. GEIPAN classified the case as B, suggesting the military activity may have been mistaken for an unidentified phenomenon.