Recently unveiled government documents have disclosed that the British military once seriously considered acquiring UFO technology, driven by concerns that unidentified craft could present both a security threat and a defensive advantage.
The files, now accessible at the National Archives in London, reveal that in the 1990s, the UK’s Defence Intelligence staff was tasked with examining an increase in ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’ (UAPs), following numerous sightings reported across Belgium from November 1989 to April 1990.
At that time, intelligence officials were worried that these strange sightings could be both genuine and of significant technological interest.
A memo from March 1997 stated: “Logic would indicate that if significant numbers are reporting seeing strange objects in the sky then there may be a basis in fact. It could be argued that UAPs pose a potential threat to the defence of the realm since we have no idea what they are!”
Previous reports highlighted descriptions of ‘large, silent, low-flying black triangles’ that seemed to outperform any known aircraft. Their ability to hover, rapidly accelerate, and elude military jets prompted officials to consider the potential exploitation of such technology.
According to the Sunday Times, another report highlighted: “A supplementary issue is the possibility of technology acquisition. UAPs do not appear to use conventional reaction propulsion.”
“The Belgian deltas (confirmed by the country’s Ministry of Defence) hovered for long periods and accelerated quickly to supersonic speeds, outrunning F-16s. If this represents real technology perhaps it should be acquired.”
The documents also revisit the famous Rendlesham Forest incident of 1980, near a US Air Force base in Suffolk.
One report described this as the ‘Rendlesham Forest ‘landing’, detailing that a glowing ‘craft of unknown origin’ briefly landed before taking off again. The landing was reportedly ‘confirmed by the US unit commander and others’.
The document noted: “In both [Belgian and Rendlesham Forest] cases the UAP apparently did not use any conventional propulsion system and could hover as well as move at considerable speed. The French have always had an interest in this topic … and I am aware that there is an informal intelligence grouping in the US.”
It also referenced a ‘Moscow report’ alleging that ‘two military scientists are responsible for UFOs’.
The documents cautioned against mocking the topic, stating: “Mention of UAPs is guaranteed to generate mirth and a range of Little Green Men jokes.”
Despite these insights, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has since ceased involvement, with Minister for Defence Readiness Luke Pollard affirming that no similar initiatives are currently active.
“The MoD ceased to investigate reports of UFOs or UAP in 2009,” he stated in December 2024.
“It has been deemed more valuable to prioritise staff towards other defence-related activities. There are no current plans to create a dedicated team to investigate alleged sightings.”
“The MoD’s position remains unchanged, which is that, in over 50 years, no sighting reported to the department has indicated the existence of any military threat to the UK.”