Ministry of Defence File: U.F.O. Policy (D/Sec(AS) 64/1)

This document is a Ministry of Defence file (D/Sec(AS) 64/1) covering policy and public correspondence regarding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) between 1995 and 1997. The file contains a series of internal minutes, press releases, and correspondence between various departments, including the Secretariat (Air Staff) 2a, the Defence Intelligence Staff (DI55), and the Defence Press Office. A central theme of the file is the MOD's attempt to define and limit its role in investigating UFO sightings. The official policy, as reiterated throughout the documents, is that the Ministry of Defence has no interest, expertise, or role in UFO matters, except to determine if a sighting poses a threat to the UK Air Defence Region. The file highlights the work of Nick Pope, who served as the desk officer for the UFO desk within the Secretariat (Air Staff) 2a. Pope's activities, including his book 'Open Skies, Closed Minds', generated significant media interest and public inquiries, which the MOD sought to manage through standard responses. The file also documents the MOD's interactions with various media outlets, including the BBC, the Daily Mail, and the Sunday Telegraph, regarding UFO sightings and the alleged 'cover-up' of information. Specific incidents, such as the 1990 Rendlesham Forest incident and sightings over the Wash in 1996, are discussed in the context of public and parliamentary inquiries. The file also includes administrative records regarding the release of historical UFO files to the Public Record Office, reflecting the MOD's commitment to transparency under the Open Government initiative, while maintaining that the vast majority of reports are explainable as natural phenomena or conventional aircraft. The file concludes with various drafts of standard replies to the public, emphasizing the MOD's limited remit and the lack of evidence for extraterrestrial life.