Compilation of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) Sighting Reports, 1996

This document is a compilation of various reports and internal Ministry of Defence (MOD) correspondence regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) or UFO sightings in the United Kingdom, primarily during the year 1996. The file includes numerous individual 'Report of an Unidentified Flying Object' forms submitted by members of the public, police departments, and air traffic control units. These reports describe a wide variety of sightings, ranging from bright lights and star-like objects to more complex shapes such as triangles, discs, and 'cigar-shaped' craft. Many reports include details on the time, location, duration, and observed movements of the objects, as well as the meteorological conditions at the time of the sighting. A recurring theme in the correspondence is the MOD's official stance on these reports. The documents clarify that the MOD's interest in UFO sightings is strictly limited to determining whether any reported phenomena pose a threat to UK air defences or are of defence significance. The Secretariat (Air Staff) 2a, often referred to as the 'UFO office' by the media, is identified as the focal point for these reports. The file also contains several Parliamentary Questions (PQs) tabled by Mr. Martin Redmond, MP for Don Valley, who sought information on various historical and contemporary UFO incidents, including the well-known Rendlesham Forest incident from December 1980 and a reported sighting at Calvine in 1990. The MOD's responses to these PQs consistently maintain that all available evidence was examined at the time and that no evidence of defence concern was found. Furthermore, the document includes internal memoranda discussing the media attention surrounding UFOs, partly attributed to the publication of a book by a former MOD employee, Nick Pope, and the release of the movie 'Independence Day'. The MOD officials express a desire to maintain their established policy and avoid providing an aerial identification service for the public, noting that there is no requirement for the Department to contact or reply to witnesses unless a sighting is deemed to have defence relevance. The collection serves as a record of the administrative process for handling public UFO reports in the mid-1990s, demonstrating the routine nature of the assessment process and the consistent application of the MOD's policy regarding these phenomena.