Latest News

MoD Releases More UFO Files   New! Added 5^th August 2010

The latest batch of Ministry of Defence UFO files has today been made available at the National Archives. There are 18 files, containing a total of over 5000 pages of documents. The files cover the period 1995 to 2003 and include policy papers, UFO sighting reports and letters from the public. This is the sixth batch of files to be released and is part of a three year programme that began in 2008. I'm undertaking a series of TV, radio and newspaper interviews to publicise this story.

Whatever you believe about UFOs, there's some fascinating material in these real life X-Files. Most of these sightings turned out to be misidentifications of things like aircraft lights or meteors, but a small proportion could not be explained.

More detailed information on the file release programme can be found in the MoD UFO Files section of this website.

MoD Blocks Release of UFO Files   New! Added 1^st August 2010

Some time ago a ufologist made a Freedom of Information Act request to the Ministry of Defence about my non-MoD work as an author, journalist and TV pundit. MoD concluded that these were private papers, which fell outside the scope of the ongoing release of the MoD’s UFO files. The decision was appealed, but the Information Commissioner recently agreed that the documents should not be released.

I have no objection to ufologists asking about my official MoD research and investigation into the UFO phenomenon. Indeed, that’s their right, under the Freedom of Information Act. But two or three ufologists in the UK have developed an unhealthy obsession with me. MoD and the Information Commissioner do not believe that such individuals should be given details about my private life and I agree with this decision.

A media article about this story can be found here.

New UFO Magazine Launched

A new UFO magazine will be launched on 30th July. UFO Matrix will be published on a bi-monthly basis and is the only magazine in the UK solely devoted to UFOs. Issue 1 has a print run of 25,000 and the magazine will be available from W H Smith and all other major news outlets. It will also be available in the US and in a number of other countries.

I'm one of the writers for this exciting new magazine. I've written two articles for Issue 1. One is a feature on recent footage on YouTube, which supposedly shows two military jets chasing a UFO. I discuss whether this is real or fake. However, my main contribution is a 2000 word article on the release of the Ministry of Defence's UFO files. Having worked on these files for the MoD and - more recently - having worked with The National Archives on their release, I hope that this in-depth article will be regarded as the definitive, inside story of the declassification and release of these real-life X-Files.

Check out www.ufomatrix.com and www.healingsofatlantis.com for details of the magazine, including details of how to subscribe online.

Nick Pope Conference Appearances

Nick Pope will be speaking at the following conferences in the next few weeks:

New MoD Documents Released

The Ministry of Defence has released the documents setting out the reasons behind the termination of their UFO project. They have separately released the documents concerning the release of their UFO files to the National Archives. These papers have been placed in the Documents section of this website.

MoD to Destroy UFO Reports

The Ministry of Defence forwarded me the documents (including the Ministerial submission and defensive Q & A material for the press office to use with the media) telling the inside story of the decisions that lay behind the termination of the government's UFO project. Perhaps the most interesting revelation is that MoD is destroying any new letters or emails it receives about UFOs after 30 days, to avoid having to deal with Freedom of Information Act requests on the subject. The Times, the Daily Telegraph and numerous other media outlets ran this story, together with my comments on these latest revelations. Now MoD has terminated its UFO project and has no role in the subject, destroying UFO reports to avoid dealing with FOI requests isn't illegal. However, it's a great shame in terms of the interesting accounts that will never come to light unless witnesses report their sighting elsewhere, e.g. to the media or to a civilian UFO research group. This policy does not apply to reports received up until the point when MoD stopped investigating UFOs. This material will be sent to the National Archives as part of the ongoing programme to declassify and release the MoD's UFO files.

More Secrets from the Newly-Released UFO Files

Last week's release of 6000 pages of UFO-related MoD documents was a massive news story. I was quoted in most of the national daily newspapers and did a wide range of TV news and chat shows, together with numerous radio interviews. A feature I was commissioned to write for The Guardian was the most viewed article in their popular Comment is Free section. In a related development, it has emerged that prior to the release, MoD had to delete rude comments that officials had written on some of the hundreds of letters the department received from the public on this subject. Typically, this might be something along the lines of "this person is clearly a nutjob". MoD's lawyers were probably worried a UFO witness would sue the Department for libel. This was a tricky problem, because under the Freedom of Information Act, you're not supposed to black out a comment just because it's embarrassing. It's not clear how MoD got around this. I hasten to add that I never wrote any such comments and always treated witnesses politely and with respect, even when dealing with decidedly eccentric correspondence.

MoD Release More UFO Files

The Ministry of Defence has today released a further batch of UFO files and made them available at the National Archives. There are 24 files, containing a total of over 6000 pages of documents. The files cover the period 1994 to 2000 and include policy papers, UFO sighting reports and numerous letters from the public, seeking information about UFOs. Some of these files are entitled "persistent correspondent", which is MoD code for "this person is becoming a nuisance". In relation to the UFO sightings, some were explained, some unexplained, some funny and some just plain weird. This is the fifth batch of files to be released and is the biggest release yet, in an ongoing 3-year programme to declassify and release the entire archive of UFO files. I worked on these real-life X-Files and I'm pleased the public now have the opportunity to see them. It highlights one of the most fascinating subjects ever studied by the British government. There's some intriguing material in the newly-released files and I'm undertaking a series of TV, radio and newspaper interviews to discuss this. More detailed information on the file release programme can be found in the MoD UFO Files section of this website.

Royal Society Meeting on Extraterrestrial Life

On 25th and 26th January the Royal Society in London held a conference discussing the search for alien life and the implications for the world if we find it. I attended on both days, heard a series of fascinating presentations and had the chance to have some private discussions with many of the key figures. The full title of the event was “The detection of extraterrestrial life and the consequences for science and society” and the event included representatives from NASA, the European Space Agency and the UN Office for Outer Space affairs. Physicists, chemists, biologists, astronomers, anthropologists and even theologians came together to discuss a subject which, a few years ago, would have been regarded at best as fringe science. I was subsequently commissioned by The Sun to write a major feature on the conference, which was published in today's paper under the headline "If the cosmic phone rings ... don't answer".

MoD Announces 2009 UFO Sighting Figures

The MoD published new figures yesterday, revealing that the Department received 643 UFO reports in 2009. This compares to 285 in 2008, 135 in 2007 and 97 in 2006. Indeed, the only year in which last year's total was exceeded was 1978, when 750 reports were received. It's ironic that the announcement that UFO sightings are at near-record level comes just weeks after MoD formally terminated its UFO project. Details of the sightings, including a brief description of what was seen, can be found in the FOI section of the MoD website. Many sightings are attributable to Chinese lanterns, but there are some more interesting cases, including instances where UFOs were seen by military personnel, police officers and air traffic controllers.

MoD Terminate UFO Project - Update

I have given numerous TV, radio and newspaper interviews about this story in the last 24 hours. I was also commissioned to write an article for The Guardian. This was published on 5th December. It is a useful summary of my views on the termination of the MoD UFO project and I have therefore posted it in the Articles section of this website.

MoD Terminate UFO Project

With effect from 1st December 2009, the Ministry of Defence terminated their UFO project, ending over 50 years of research and investigation. The news was slipped out in a way designed not to attract attention, by making an amendment to an existing document in the Freedom of Information section of the MoD website, entitled "How to report a UFO sighting". The announcement states that "in over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom" and goes on to say that "MOD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them". Having worked on the UFO project from 1991 to 1994 I am sorry to see MoD disengage in this way. I believe that where evidence suggests that UK airspace has been penetrated by an unidentified object, this must automatically be of defence interest and should be investigated properly. Indeed, I am sure that sightings from pilots and uncorrelated targets tracked on radar will continue to be looked at, albeit outside of a formally constituted UFO project. From the Fifties to the present day, MoD received around 12,000 UFO reports. While most were misidentifications of ordinary objects and phenomena, around 5% remained unexplained.

Defence Intelligence Staff UFO Revelations

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act this week show the Ministry of Defence received 394 sightings so far this year. In 2008 they received 285 sightings. UFO sightings are at a 10-year high and we're on course to smash the record - 750 reports in 1978. In a separate development the MoD has released documents from my opposite number in the Defence Intelligence Staff, showing that our primary aim in relation to UFO investigations was to secure the propulsion system of these craft - wherever they came from. In view of the sensitivities/classification, there's little more I can say about this.

More UFO Files Released

The latest batch of MoD UFO files has been released today at the National Archives. There are 14 files, covering the period 1981 - 1996 and collectively, there are several thousand pages of documentation. I welcome the release of these real-life X-Files. This is a real blast from the past for me as I led the investigations into many of these cases that have now been declassified. Most sightings had conventional explanations but some were a complete mystery. There are cases where UFOs flew over RAF bases and instances where jets were scrambled to try and intercept a UFO being tracked on radar. There were also some near-misses with commercial aircraft. Whatever you think about UFOs, these sorts of cases show that there are serious defence, national security and air safety issues involved. The files also contain reports of crop circles and alien abductions.

That's Impossible

A new series called That's Impossible is currently being shown on the History Channel (US). The six-part series looks at subjects such as robotics, nanotechnology, mind control, invisibility and weather warfare. I'm one of the lead contributors on the series, in my capacity as a defence analyst, commenting on the history and military applications of these technologies.

More MoD UFO Files Released

A second batch of Ministry of Defence UFO files have been released and are now available at the National Archives. There are 19 files, many of which contain several hundred individual documents. The files date from 1986 to 1992 and therefore include cases from my tour of duty on the MoD's UFO project (1991 to 1994). It's fascinating to see these files again - it's a real blast from the past. Most of the UFO sightings in these newly released files can be explained as misidentifications of ordinary objects or phenomena, but some were more difficult to explain. The cases that concerned me most were those involving near misses between UFOs and commercial aircraft, including a case from April 1991 involving an Italian aircraft carrying 57 passengers, which was nearly blown out of the sky over Kent. Whatever one believes about UFOs, this shows that there are serious defence and air safety issues involved.

Government Releases UFO Files

The MoD has today begun a 4-year programme of releasing its entire archive of UFO files. I used to run the MoD's UFO project and because I worked on these files, I helped the National Archives on this project, selecting documents that might be of interest to the media. I commend the government for this move. These files don't prove we've been visited by aliens. Most UFOs can be explained as misidentifications of aircraft lights, satellites, meteors, stars and planets. But a small percentage are more difficult to explain and involve UFOs seen by police officers, commercial airline pilots and military personnel, or tracked on radar. Such incidents persuade me that whatever the true nature of the UFO phenomenon, it raises important defence, national security and flight safety issues.

Government to Release all UFO Files

The Ministry of Defence has made a firm commitment to release its entire archive of UFO files. I was informed of this intention earlier this year but have now been notified of the precise details. There are some 160 files dating back to the 1970s and it has been decided to place them in the National Archives over the next three years, commencing, it is hoped, in Spring 2008. The release will be undertaken on a rolling programme in chronological order, starting with the oldest files first. The files cover a wide variety of areas, ranging from policy and UFO sighting reports, through to public correspondence and the way the subject is handled when raised in parliament or covered in the media. Some material will be redacted in accordance with the exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act. This would cover material such as names of MoD officials, together with any classified information. I very much welcome the MoD's decision. Whatever one believes about UFOs, the files will offer an intriguing window on one of the most interesting and controversial aspects of the MoD's business.

Insiders Lobby US Government on UFOs

On 12 November 2007 a group of people with backgrounds in government, military and aviation held a press conference in Washington DC at the National Press Club. They called formally on the US government to reopen formal investigations of UFO sightings, which finished in 1969 when Project Blue Book was closed down. While taking no formal position on the nature of the UFO phenomenon, all those concerned had come together because of concerns over the defence, national security and flight safety issues raised. The event was moderated by former Arizona Governor Fife Symington. Other attendees included two retired generals and a number of civil or military pilots and people with government backgrounds. All of the panel had either seen a UFO while on duty, or been responsible for government/military investigations into the UFO phenomenon. I attended the event and was one of the signatories to the declaration. Further details of the event and the declaration can be found at the website of the Coalition for Freedom of Information, www.freedomofinfo.org

MoD to Open UFO Files

The MoD has announced that it is to release more UFO files. The files concerned are Defence Intelligence Staff files and had previously been contaminated with asbestos. It was originally feared they would have to be destroyed, sparking conspiracy theories among the UFO community. Now, the files have been decontaminated and will be scanned onto the MoD website over the next few months. These 24 files are the tip of the iceberg. To date, the MoD has received over 10,000 UFO reports and a case file on a significant incident can consist of over 100 separate documents. The MoD would dearly love to release all its UFO files, as the French have done, not least because of the burden of responding to requests on the subject (The MoD receives more Freedom of Information Act requests on UFOs than on any other subject). The complicating factor is the Data Protection Act. No personal information concerning witnesses can be released, so every page of every file has to be checked, and redacted to remove any such data. It's a massive job, and full disclosure is probably years away. Nonetheless, I greatly welcome this latest development, which should provoke further interest in the UFO phenomenon and which reinforces MoD's commitment to freedom of information and open government.

Roswell

On 10 April I'll be appearing on a new Channel Five documentary about the Roswell incident. On or around 2 July 1947 something crashed in the desert near Roswell in New Mexico, USA. The military said that they had recovered a "flying disc", but quickly retracted the statement and claimed that the object that crashed was just a weather balloon. As we approach the 60th anniversary of this most famous of all UFO incidents, this new investigative documentary examines the various theories about Roswell and features the testimony of believers and sceptics alike. The programme runs from 8pm to 9pm and was made by Love Productions, who also made "Bermuda Triangle - The True Story".

9/11

On 5 April I'll be taking part in a three hour debate about 9/11, on James Whale's radio show on TalkSport. The other participants are former MI5 officer Annie Machon, author Ian Henshall and researcher Tim Sparke. We'll be discussing and debating the various conspiracy theories that surround 9/11 and taking calls from listeners who want to have their say. I'll be defending the US Government's official view on 9/11, so I'm expecting a rough ride from conspiracy theorists. TalkSport broadcasts on 1089/1053 AM to all of the UK, and you can listen to the show live over the internet via a link at their www.talksport.net website. The debate will start at 10pm and run through to 1am.

MOD Psychic Study 

It has been revealed that in 2001/02 the Ministry of Defence ran a secret project aimed at recruiting psychics. The official term used was remote viewing (sometimes known as psychic spying) but what this amounts to is seeing whether people can use ESP to track down people and items of interest to the government and the military. Both the Pentagon and the CIA funded remote viewing programmes aimed at searching for hostages in Beirut, arms dumps, drugs caches and terrorists, as well as attempting to identify the location of Soviet ballistic missile submarines. When I was running the MoD's UFO project in the Nineties I was approached by some people who claimed to be able to be able to remote view and I had some speculative discussions about this with colleagues in the Defence Intelligence Staff. But until now, there was no indication that a study was ever commissioned. The report was classified Secret UK Eyes Only and ran to 168 pages. Only three copies were ever made. The tests themselves took place in a commercial property, to disguise the fact that this was a government programme. The potential remote viewers were monitored by a sophisticated array of equipment and attempted to ascertain the test targets, images of which were placed in sealed envelopes.  While many remote viewers were adjudged not to have accessed the target, some assessments stated that "the subject may have accessed the target" or that the subject "had accessed some of the features associated with the target". The ultimate aim of this study was "the selection of one or more individuals who it is felt can be 'trusted' to be used for the sensitive targets". The "sensitive targets" are not detailed, but based on the CIA's project and bearing in mind the date of the MoD study, it would be surprising if the targets did not include Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and Osama Bin Laden.

The Cosford Incident

On 1 November 2006 I fronted a Channel Five documentary, The British UFO Mystery. The programme focused on a wave of UFO sightings that occurred on 30 and 31 March 1993, where many of the witnesses were police officers and military personnel. The UFO was described by some as a vast triangular-shaped craft, capable of accelerating in seconds from a virtual hover to speeds of around Mach 2. Steel Spyda, the production company that made the show, used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the MOD case file on the incident, which runs to over 100 pages. The documentary drew an audience of over one million and the subsequent public interest led the MOD to publish the case file on its website, in the Freedom of Information section. More details of this case and the documentary can be found in "The Cosford Incident", in the Selected Articles section of my website.

Nick Pope Resigns From MOD

I resigned from the Ministry of Defence in 2006 and left the Department in October, after 21 years of Government service. I greatly enjoyed my MOD career and had a series of fascinating jobs, but wanted to devote more time to my various business interests. My departure became an international news story, but much of the media coverage was exaggerated. I never claimed that an alien invasion was imminent. What I said was that the UFO phenomenon raises some flight safety, defence and national security issues and that in view of this, sightings shouldn't be dismissed without first undertaking some form of proper scientific investigation.

The Condign Report 

The Ministry of Defence has revealed details of a formerly secret UFO study. Codenamed 'Project Condign', the report is the most highly classified UFO document ever to have been released under the UK's Freedom of Information Act. Although I was involved in the discussions that led to the commissioning of this report, I had left the MOD's UFO Project by the time the study was undertaken and was not involved. I am certainly not the author, as has been suggested by various UFO researchers and journalists. The report runs to over 400 pages and delves into some fairly controversial areas, theorising about electrically-charged atmospheric plasmas, and temporal lobe disorders. The difficulty with this is that there's no scientific consensus on such matters, and as a rule of thumb, one shouldn't try to explain one unknown phenomenon by citing evidence of another! That said, the release of this report should be welcomed by all those with an interest in the UFO mystery, be they sceptics or believers. It will further the debate on this issue and demonstrates the MOD's ongoing commitment to releasing as much UFO documentation as possible, under the Freedom of Information Act. The media are having a field day with this story, and I've been doing numerous TV and radio interviews. The UFO mystery is back in the spotlight and the release of this report shows that there were those of us in the MOD who believed that the UFO phenomenon was worthy of serious, in-depth study. The full report will be released on the MOD's website on or before 15 May.

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