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MOD UFO Desk
government_agencyEst. 1950-01-01
Background
The MOD UFO Desk was a British government organization established at the request of Winston Churchill within the Ministry of Defence.
- Operated for over 60 years
- Primarily concerned with investigating unidentified aircraft entering UK airspace rather than verifying extraterrestrial existence
- Collated mysterious sightings and records of strange objects in the sky
- Received reports via a dedicated hotline and email address
Key Personnel
Notable staff included Nick Pope, who worked in the division from 1991 to 1994.
Closure and Files Release
The desk was eventually closed in 2009, and its files were gradually released between 2008 and 2013 to the National Archives.
- Provided public access to decades of UFO sighting reports and investigation records
- Contained approximately 11,000 sighting reports along with correspondence and policy documents
- Investigations focused on potential defense threats
- Records transferred to the National Archives for permanent preservation
Connections
📅Events(7)