UK: RAF Encounter Records Withheld by Defence Ministry
Defence Minister Nicholas Soames declines to release a comprehensive list of unidentified aerial contacts involving RAF pilots since 1966, citing prohibitive administrative costs.
Background
Parliamentary Inquiry
MP Martin Redmond submitted a formal request to the UK government seeking disclosure of all unidentified aerial encounters involving RAF pilots that had not been made public since 1966.
Government Response
Minister of State for the Armed Forces Nicholas Soames responded on November 5, 1996, rejecting the request. He argued that compiling such a list would require disproportionate expenditure of resources and time.
Official Position on Airspace Intrusions
Soames stated that unidentified contacts penetrating UK airspace or the air defence region are systematically identified through all available means, including military interception procedures. This response suggested the government maintained active monitoring protocols for such incidents.
Connections
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