Ministry of Defence Correspondence File: UFOs - PQs/PEs

This document is a compilation of correspondence, parliamentary questions, and internal Ministry of Defence (MOD) minutes spanning from 2002 to 2008, concerning the MOD's policy on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). The file documents the MOD's consistent stance that it possesses no expertise or official role in investigating extraterrestrial life or UFO phenomena. The primary objective of the MOD, as articulated in numerous responses to Members of Parliament and members of the public, is solely to monitor UK airspace for potential threats from hostile or unauthorized foreign military activity. The correspondence reveals a recurring pattern: constituents contact their MPs with concerns about UFO sightings, 'chemtrails,' or the activities of 'The Disclosure Project,' and the MPs subsequently forward these inquiries to the MOD. The MOD's standard response emphasizes that it does not attempt to identify the nature of every reported sighting, as doing so would be an inappropriate use of defence resources. The documents also detail the MOD's transition toward transparency, specifically the programme to transfer historical UFO files to The National Archives and the publication of UFO reports on the MOD website. Internal minutes highlight the administrative burden these inquiries placed on the Directorate of Air Staff (DAS) and the MOD's efforts to manage these requests efficiently through established parliamentary procedures. The file also includes specific discussions regarding the 'Rendlesham Forest' incident, with the MOD maintaining that all substantiated evidence was reviewed at the time and that no further investigation was warranted. Furthermore, the file addresses inquiries about the 'D-Notice' system, confirming that no such notices were issued regarding UFO sightings. The document serves as a record of the MOD's bureaucratic management of public and parliamentary interest in UAP, illustrating the tension between public curiosity and the department's limited defence-focused mandate.