Document · June 2013
The National Archives: guides to the Ministry of Defence UFO files (2008–2013)
Also known as MoD UFO files, UK UFO files, National Archives UFO files, UFO files highlights guides, DEFE 24, DEFE 31
From 2008 to 2013 The National Archives in Kew opened the Ministry of Defence's UFO files in ten releases: the papers of the MoD's “UFO desk” and of the Defence Intelligence branch DI55, from sighting reports and letters from the public to policy papers, Parliamentary briefings and the decision to close the desk in 2009. The historian David Clarke, consultant to the programme, bookmarked the key stories in each release, and the Archives published a highlights guide for each with file and page references.
This entry holds those finding aids: the highlights guides of October 2008, March 2011, August 2011 and 2013, the July 2012 briefing guide, the 2013 research guide to all UFO records and the press release for the final release (the August 2009 guide is filed separately). The files themselves are filed by release, and the cases they document are linked from here. All 36,000 pages can be searched on the MoD UFO files search page.
Sources: The National Archives (UK), guides published 2008–2013
Facts and claims
- documented The final release of 2013 was “the tenth and final tranche of UFO files”: 25 files containing 4,400 pages, covering the last two years of the MoD's UFO desk, from late 2007 until November 2009. Source: ufo-highlights-guide-2013.pdf
- documented Reports to the MoD peaked at 609 in 1996–97 and averaged 130 a year between 2001 and 2006; of the reports received since 2001, just 12 had been referred to air defence experts, and “none of these had been determined as posing any risk to the integrity of UK airspace”. Source: mar-2011-highlights-guide.pdf
- documented Defence Intelligence's study of “unidentified aerial phenomena”, Project Condign, completed in 2000, is summarised in the files as finding that “sightings can be explained as mis-reporting of man-made vehicles, natural but not unusual phenomena and natural but relatively rare and not completely understood phenomena”. Source: highlights-guide-09-08-11.pdf
- documented A note from RAF Fylingdales in the files confirms that the early-warning station had never tracked a UFO in its 35-year history, after newspapers claimed in 1998 that it had tracked one “as big as a battleship”. Source: highlights-guide-09-08-11.pdf
- documented In 1997, after a Sunday Times article on Philip Corso's The Day After Roswell, the MoD was briefed that U.S. authorities had found he had “a previous track record of unreliable testimony.” Source: highlights-guide-09-08-11.pdf
- documented The files hold a 1994 FBI report on the provenance of the MJ-12 documents, which concluded “the document is completely bogus.” Source: highlights-guide-09-08-11.pdf
Connected files
Documents
- Air Ministry and MoD files on unidentified aircraft and UFOs: AIR 20/7390 (1950–54) and AIR 2/19086 (1970–75) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 14 May 2008 (8 files) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 20 October 2008 (19 files) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 17 August 2009 (14 files) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 3 March 2011 (35 files) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 11 August 2011 (34 files) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 12 July 2012 (25 files) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence UFO files: release of 21 June 2013 (25 files) (includes)
- Ministry of Defence lists of UFO reports received, 1997–2009 (includes)
Organizations
- The National Archives (UK) (published by)
- Ministry of Defence (UK) (about) — The files of the MoD's UFO desk and of Defence Intelligence branch DI55
People
- David Clarke (prepared by) — The highlights guides list the key stories he bookmarked in each release
Incidents
- Rendlesham Forest incident (about)
- Lakenheath–Bentwaters radar-visual incident (about)
- Belgian UFO wave (about)
- Alderney UFO sighting (about)
- Calvine photograph (about)
- RAF Manston F-86D ordered to fire on a radar UFO over East Anglia (about)
Mentioned in this file
- National Archives and Records Administration (Organization)
Mentioned in documents and records
- Hansard: written answer on the Calvine photograph (24 July 1996)
- Ministry of Defence UFO correspondence files DEFE 24/1931 and DEFE 24/1942
- The National Archives (UK): UFO files release, highlights guide (August 2009)
- Alitalia MD-80 encounter with an unidentified “missile” near Lydd, Kent
- Police helicopter near-collision with unidentified lights over Birmingham (Airprox 055/08)
- Lights over the Wash and radar plot over Boston, Lincolnshire
- Flashing lights over Bromley confirmed by police and a police helicopter crew
- Six “flying saucers” across southern England: the Farnborough students' hoax
- Radar “blob” and guards' sighting at RAF Lyneham
- Soldiers' video of lights over Tern Hill barracks, Shropshire
- RAF Tornado crews overtaken by a large unknown aircraft over the North Sea
- Wave of police and public sightings across southern Britain traced to space debris
More documents
- CMRI decision on the Operação Prato records (Brazil, 2012)
- MoD file DEFE 24/2086: UFO sightings of 30–31 March 1993 (Cosford incident)
- MoD file DEFE 24/1972: alleged UFO involvement in the crash of Lightning F6 XS894 (1970)
- Churchill's minute on flying saucers and the Air Ministry's reply (PREM 11/855, 1952–55)
- “Unidentified Flying Objects”: report by the Flying Saucer Working Party (UK, June 1951)
- Brazilian Air Defence Command report on the events of 19–20 May 1986 ("Official UFO Night")
Links
- The National Archives — UFO reports
- UFO research guide (2013, PDF)
- Final tranche press release (2013, PDF)