Ministry of Defence File D/Sec(AS) 64/1: UFO Policy

This file, D/Sec(AS) 64/1, contains correspondence, internal minutes, and policy documents from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding the handling of public inquiries about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs. The documents span from 1994 to 1998 and reflect the MoD's efforts to manage persistent inquiries from researchers and the public, particularly in the context of the government's developing Freedom of Information (FoI) policy. The file highlights the MoD's consistent public line: that it has no interest in UFOs as a scientific or extraterrestrial phenomenon, but only monitors reports to determine if they pose a threat to the UK's air defence. The file includes extensive correspondence with UFO researchers such as Nicholas Redfern and Matthew Williams, who sought information about alleged secret investigations, underground facilities at RAF Rudloe Manor, and historical radar incidents like the 1957 West Freugh case. The MoD consistently denied the existence of secret UFO research programmes, maintaining that reports are only reviewed to ensure no breach of air defence. The file also contains internal discussions about the release of historical records to the Public Record Office (PRO) under the 30-year rule, and the challenges faced by the MoD in processing these records while maintaining national security and protecting the confidentiality of witnesses. The file includes several annexes and enclosures detailing lists of UFO-related files held by the MoD and the PRO, as well as copies of press releases and parliamentary questions. The documents reveal the administrative burden of managing these inquiries and the MoD's desire to maintain a consistent, limited public stance on the subject.