Ministry of Defence File: UFOs - Persistent Correspondence (Dr. David Clarke)

This document is a compilation of administrative records, correspondence, and parliamentary briefing materials held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP/UFOs). The file centers on requests for information made by Dr. David Clarke under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The correspondence spans from the late 1970s to 2002, documenting the MOD's internal processes for handling public and parliamentary inquiries about UFOs. A significant portion of the file details the MOD's stance on the 1977-1978 United Nations initiative proposed by Grenada, which sought to establish an international agency for UFO research. The British government, as evidenced by internal telegrams and briefing notes, was firmly opposed to this proposal, fearing it would bring the UN into disrepute and represent an unjustifiable drain on resources. The MOD's consistent policy, as articulated in these documents, is that its interest in UFO reports is strictly limited to determining whether they pose a threat to the national security of the United Kingdom. The records indicate that the MOD does not dismiss the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, but maintains that reports received to date contain no evidence of an extra-terrestrial origin or a threat to the UK. The file also includes detailed reports and investigations into specific sightings, such as those occurring in the early hours of 31 March 1993 and 5 October 1996. These reports demonstrate the MOD's reliance on radar data, police reports, and consultations with other agencies, such as the Royal Greenwich Observatory, to provide rational explanations for reported phenomena, often attributing them to astronomical events like the planet Venus, satellite re-entries, or permanent radar echoes from ground features. The document also highlights the administrative challenges faced by the MOD in managing these records, including the destruction of several files in 1990 and the subsequent difficulty in locating specific historical documents for researchers. The file serves as a comprehensive record of the MOD's bureaucratic approach to UFOs, emphasizing a policy of 'playing a dead bat' to avoid encouraging dedicated enthusiasts while fulfilling statutory obligations for information disclosure.