Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Ministry of Defence UFO Correspondence and Freedom of Information Requests (2002-2005)
Ever wanted to host your own late-night paranormal radio show?
Across the Airwaves
You're on the air. Callers bring Mothman, Fresno Nightcrawlers, UFO sightings, reptilian autopsies, and whispers about AATIP and Project Blue Book. Every reply shapes how the night goes.
AI-Generated Summary
This file contains Ministry of Defence correspondence and FOI responses regarding UFO sightings from 2002-2005. It details the MOD's policy of reviewing reports only for potential national security threats and provides numerous individual sighting reports from across the UK.
This document is a collection of administrative records, correspondence, and Freedom of Information (FOI) request responses managed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Directorate of Air Staff between 2002 and 2005. The file, referenced as D/DAS/10/2/8/13, documents the MOD's process for handling public inquiries regarding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). The correspondence reveals that the MOD maintained a focal point for UFO-related inquiries, which involved searching paper-based records and a database of sightings compiled from 2002 onwards. The MOD consistently maintained that it did not conduct formal investigations into UFOs, but rather reviewed reports to determine if there was any evidence of hostile or unauthorized air activity that could threaten the United Kingdom. The documents include numerous individual sighting reports from various locations across the UK, including Wales, Scotland, Essex, Suffolk, and Oxfordshire. These reports often describe lights, shapes, and movements, with many being reported to local police or air traffic control before being forwarded to the MOD. The file also contains internal notes regarding the historical context of UFO reporting, referencing the 1951 Flying Saucer Working Party and a 1952 minute from Winston Churchill to Lord Cherwell requesting the truth about 'flying saucers.' The MOD's standard response to FOI requests was to explain that while they held records, a manual search of thousands of paper files would exceed the £600 cost limit for compliance under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Consequently, they provided limited data from their electronic database (2002-2005) and directed the public to The National Archives for older records. The file underscores the transition of the MOD's UFO reporting process into the era of the Freedom of Information Act, highlighting the administrative burden of managing these requests and the department's policy of transparency regarding its limited interest in the phenomenon.
What does all this stuff about flying saucers amount to? What can it mean? What is the truth. Let me have a report at your convenience.
PDF not loading? Download the PDF directly
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 MOD does not carry out investigations into UFO reports, but examines them to determine if there is a threat to UK airspace. Rational explanations such as aircraft lights or natural phenomena are assumed if resources were diverted for identification.
Key Persons
- John ReidDefence Secretary
- Winston ChurchillFormer Prime Minister
- Lord CherwellSecretary of State for Air