3rd set of UK UFO documents + BBC UFO statement

[uforadio]

The 3rd set of UK UFO documents is released (first one was released in May 2008, and second one in October 2008. New set of 7 documents is available for download.

Thanks to Dave Haith for initial lead.

Source: http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Newly released UFO files - March 2009 The files contain a wide range of UFO-related documents covering the years 1987–1993. If you want to find out more about close encounters over Heathrow Airport, alien abductions, stray satellites - and what the UK Government thought of it all - then this is the place to be.

<SNIP>

Dave Clarke's Podcast about latest release:
http://filestore.nationalarchives.gov.uk/media/ufo-podcast-mar-09.mp3

Guardian article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/mar/22/ufos-aliens-di55-mod

Plus report from Dave Haith about BBC UFO stament:

--- On Sun, 22/3/09, Dave Haith wrote:
> > Subject: BBC TV, UFO statement
> > Date: Sunday, 22 March, 2009, 9:56 AM
>
> Hi Giuliano
>
>
>
> On BBC TV - the Andrew Marr Show - a few minutes ago a
> former Conservative MP was commenting on a newspaper report
> shown on screen from one of today's Sunday papers about
> UFO files being released.
>
> Jonathan Aitkin made some remark that he was very
> interested in this because it involved a time when I think
> he said he was Defence Minister.
>
> He made remarks to the effect that UFOs should be treated
> more seriously.
>
> He is not the best spokesman for the truth because he
> served a jail sentence for perjury and perverting the course
> of justice following the collapse of his libel case against
> the Guardian and News of the World newspapers.
>
> But the remark was made with some seriousness and Andrew
> Marr asked him if the subject should be taken seriously and
> he agreed - even though the item ended with a joke.

---- snip ----
<SNIP>

 

[uforadio]

Another article linked from Yahoo main page:

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090322/tuk-mod-briefed-ministers-over-ufo-6323e80.html

MoD briefed ministers over UFO
10 hours 33 mins ago

Photographs taken of a UFO hovering next to an RAF jet over Scotland were treated very seriously by military investigators, newly-released Ministry of Defence files show.

Witnesses saw the mysterious large diamond-shaped object hanging in the air for about 10 minutes before it ascended vertically at high speed.

Military experts concluded the aircraft was a Harrier, but could not identify the UFO despite apparently commissioning detailed line drawings of it.

Fearing there could be significant media interest, the MoD took the unusual step of briefing ministers about the sighting.

The incident also discloses that British military intelligence officers tasked with investigating UFO reports took a close interest in claims the US was developing a top secret spy-plane.

The sighting is included in military UFO documents made available online by the National Archives.

The seven files, produced by the DI55 branch of the Defence Intelligence Staff, relate to the period between November 1987 and April 1993 and contain details of around 1,200 separate UFO sightings.

They demonstrate that British officials were more concerned about advanced new aircraft being developed by the Russians and Americans than little green men.

The files include numerous cuttings from magazines and newspapers relating to rumours that the US military was developing a hypersonic spy-plane known as Aurora.

Attached to one article about Aurora from September 1991 was a note from an MoD official that read: "Attention is really focusing on this now, notwithstanding a recent USAF 'denial briefing'".

 

[Schuyler]

Several countries have released UFO documents including the UK, France, Denmark, Canada, and, I believe, Brazil. If you want to get technical, so has the US as all Blue Book data is available online. I haven't scrutinized all the data, though I have particpated in adding meta data to several hundred Blue Book reports until I got terribly bored and quit.

My impression is that even after these highly public releases, no one has found anything truly compelling. I'm not positive about this and wonder if any of you have found any released reports that are good enough to scrutinize further.

 

[dhatz]

WRT UK MoD UFO files, quoting from David Clarke's (who is the UK Nat.Archives consultant) blog:

The release of these papers is in itself a victory for open government. For as recently as ten years ago the British Government refused even to acknowledge the existence of DI55, let alone comment upon their role in the investigation of UFO reports. The arrival of the Freedom of Information Act in 2005 brought this ludicrous situation to an end. But even then for at time it appeared unlikely we would discover anything further. <o></o>​

It turned out that most of DI55’s historical UFO records had been destroyed long before FOIA could intervene. And, worse still, the two dozen files that had survived – dating from the late 1970s – were among a group of records stored in the Old War Office building that had been exposed to deadly asbestos dust. Initially, it appeared these files might also end up in the incinerator. But when news leaked out a campaign was launched to save the files, which eventually led to this release."
​

Source: Dr David Clarke

 

[Gareth]

I agree Schuyler, but there are still interesting tidbits in the docs that add data points to the overall view of what is going on and how the military reacts to the issue.

Even the post above about Ministers being briefed by the MoD is fascinating IMO.