Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Ministry of Defence UFO Sighting Reports File D/DAS/64/2
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This file contains official Ministry of Defence correspondence and public reports of UFO sightings from 2002-2003. It documents the MOD's policy of only investigating reports to determine if they pose a threat to UK airspace security.
This document is a collection of correspondence and reports maintained by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Directorate of Air Staff (Lower Airspace) regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP/UFO) sightings reported by members of the public between 2002 and 2003. The file serves as a record of the MOD's administrative handling of these reports. The standard procedure documented throughout the file involves the MOD receiving reports—often via an answerphone service, letters, or faxes from police and air traffic control units—and subsequently issuing a standard response letter to the informant. This response consistently clarifies the MOD's limited remit: to determine if the reported object posed a threat to the United Kingdom's airspace or had defence significance. The MOD explicitly states in these letters that it does not possess the expertise or the mandate to provide an aerial identification service for the public, nor does it hold evidence to substantiate the existence of extraterrestrial life. The file contains numerous individual reports from across the UK, including sightings in London, Wales, Scotland, and various English counties. Descriptions of the objects vary widely, ranging from 'bright lights' and 'star-like objects' to 'triangular' or 'disc-shaped' craft. Many reports include details about the observer's location, the direction of the object, and the weather conditions. In several instances, the MOD conducted internal checks with air defence experts or local police to verify if any military activity could account for the sightings. These checks almost universally concluded that there was no corroborating evidence of unauthorised military activity or breaches of UK airspace. The file also captures the frustration of some informants who sought more definitive answers or investigations, as well as the occasional involvement of other agencies like the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and local police forces. The file is marked for permanent preservation in The National Archives, reflecting its historical value as a record of government policy and public engagement regarding UAP during this period.
The Ministry of Defence examines any reports of 'unidentified flying objects' it receives solely to establish whether what was seen might have some defence significance; namely, whether there is any evidence that the United Kingdom's airspace might have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised air activity.
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Official Assessment
The Ministry of Defence examines any reports of 'unidentified flying objects' it receives solely to establish whether what was seen might have some defence significance; namely, whether there is any evidence that the United Kingdom's airspace might have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised air activity.
The Ministry of Defence consistently maintained that it does not attempt to identify the precise nature of reported sightings, as this is not its function, and that it found no evidence of breaches of UK airspace by unauthorised air activity in the reported cases.