Overview
- The National Archives release confirms the Defence Intelligence Staff was formally tasked in the 1990s to assess unidentified aerial phenomena and treated the subject as a potential defence concern.
- A 1997 memo warned UAPs could pose a threat because their nature was unknown and argued there could be a basis in fact if many credible witnesses reported similar objects.
- Analysts cited thousands of Belgian ‘black triangle’ reports, noting claims the craft outran F‑16s and, if real, that their propulsion should be acquired, with the files attributing confirmation of sightings to Belgium’s MoD.
- The papers reference the Rendlesham Forest incident as a ‘landing’ said to be confirmed by a US unit commander, while also acknowledging most UFO reports were tenuous and urging an open‑minded posture despite expected ridicule.
- Correspondence called for prioritisation and potential national or international coordination for any future concerns, as the MoD maintains it ended UAP investigations in 2009 and has no plans to restart a dedicated team.