1 - The Black Vault

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From: I'I~~~--
Directorate-of-AirStaff (Lower Airspace)
Operations & Policy 1
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Room 6/73, Metropole Building, Northumberland Avenue, London,
WC2N 5BP
Telephone
(Direct dial)
(Sw"chboard)
(Fax)
(GTN)
020 721 8 2140
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Your Reference
Our Reference
D/DAS/64/3
Date
20 August 200 I
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Thank you for your letter of 30 July, addressed to Mr Hoon , regarding 'unidentified flying
objects'. This office is the focal point within the Ministry of Defence tor correspondence of this
nature and I have been asked to reply.
First, it may be helpful if I explain that the Ministry of Defence examines any reports of
'unidentified flying objects' it receives solely to establish whether what was seen might have some
defence significance; namely, whether there is any evidence that the United Kingdom's airspace
might have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised air activity. I should add that the
integrity of the UK's airspace in peacetime is maintained through continuous surveillance of the
UK Air Policing Area by the Royal Air Force, and the MOD remains vigilant for any potential
threat. Unless there is evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom from an external
military source, and to date no UFO reported to us has revealed such a threat, we do not attempt to
identify the precise nature of each sighting reported to us. We believe that rational explanations,
such as aircraft lights or natural phenomena, could be found for them if resources were diverted
for this purpose, but it is not the function of the MOD to provide this kind of aerial identification
service.
In your letter you refer to the 'extreme secrecy that prevails on this subject. .. ' , and expressed your
'shock that such things are kept from the general public'. The MOD's interest in this subject is
limited to the defence of the UK, as described above, and no secret has been made of that fact.
Our files are subject to the provisions of the Public Records Act of 1958 and 1967 which state that
official files generally remain closed from public viewing for 30 years after the last action has
been taken. It was generally the case that before 1967 all "UFO" files were destroyed after five
years, as there was insufficient public interest in the subject to merit their permanent retention.
However since 1967, following an increase in public interest in this subject "UFO" report files are
now routinely preserved and passed to the Public Record Office at the 30 year point. Any files
from the 1950s and early 1960s which did survive are already available for examination by
members of the public. In addition, the MOD operates under the Code of Practice on Access to
Government Information. This means that we are committed to providing members of the public
with intormation they require, as long as it is not exempted under the Code. With the start of the
introduction of the Freedom of Information Act next year, we will, in common with all
government departments, be looking at what further material may be released.