Editing Unidentified flying object (section)

==== United Kingdom (1951–2009) ====
{{Update section|date=December 2020}}
The UK's [[Flying Saucer Working Party]] published its final report in June 1951, which remained secret for over fifty years. The Working Party concluded that all UFO sightings could be explained as misidentifications of ordinary objects or phenomena, optical illusions, psychological misperceptions/aberrations, or hoaxes. The report stated: "We accordingly recommend very strongly that no further investigation of reported mysterious aerial phenomena be undertaken, unless and until some material evidence becomes available."<ref name="FSWP">{{cite web |url=http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/UK/DEFE44-119.pdf |title=Unidentified Flying Objects |date=June 1951 |website=The Black Vault |publisher=John Greenewald |id=DSI/JTIC Report No. 7 |location=Northridge, CA |access-date=September 16, 2013 |archive-date=June 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601042337/http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/UK/DEFE44-119.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Eight file collections on UFO sightings, dating from 1978 to 1987, were first released on May 14, 2008, to [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD).<ref name="nationalarchivesUFO">{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos/ |title=UFO files |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |location=Kew |access-date=September 10, 2013 |archive-date=February 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224203714/http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ufos/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Although kept secret from the public for many years, most of the files have low levels of classification and none are classified Top Secret. 200 files are set to be made public by 2012. The files are correspondence from the public sent to the British government and officials, such as the MoD and [[Margaret Thatcher]]. The MoD released the files under the [[Freedom of information in the United Kingdom|Freedom of Information Act]] due to requests from researchers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Files released on UFO sightings |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7398108.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher=BBC |location=London |date=May 14, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-date=July 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720115509/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7398108.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> These files include, but are not limited to, UFOs over [[Liverpool]] and [[Waterloo Bridge]] in London.<ref>{{cite news |title=The truth is out there: Britons 'spotted' UFOs, records say |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j0OnawpQKsmDXbJAce-OI5EiUgHQ |agency=[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]] |location=London |date=May 13, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605221509/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j0OnawpQKsmDXbJAce-OI5EiUgHQ |archive-date=June 5, 2013  }}</ref>

On October 20, 2008, more UFO files were released. One case released detailed that in 1991 an Alitalia passenger aircraft was approaching [[London Heathrow Airport]] when the pilots saw what they described as a "[[cruise missile]]" fly extremely close to the cockpit. The pilots believed a collision was imminent. UFO expert David Clarke says this is one of the most convincing cases for a UFO he has come across.<ref>{{cite news |title=Airliner had near miss with UFO |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7679145.stm |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |location=London |date=October 20, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-date=October 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023152515/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7679145.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

A secret study of UFOs was undertaken for the Ministry of Defence between 1996 and 2000 and was code-named Project Condign. The resulting report, titled "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in the UK Defence Region", was publicly released in 2006, but the identity and credentials of whoever constituted Project Condign remains classified. The report confirmed earlier findings that the main causes of UFO sightings are misidentification of man-made and natural objects. The report noted: "No artefacts of unknown or unexplained origin have been reported or handed to the UK authorities, despite thousands of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena reports. There are no [[Signals intelligence|SIGINT]], [[Signals intelligence|ELINT]] or radiation measurements and little useful video or still [[Imagery intelligence|IMINT]]."<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BA0DA42F-2C56-431E-98F6-19CD45EE7D43/0/uap_vol3_executive_summary_pg2_paras4_and_7.pdf |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121026065214/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BA0DA42F-2C56-431E-98F6-19CD45EE7D43/0/uap_vol3_executive_summary_pg2_paras4_and_7.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |title=Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in the UK Air Defence Region |volume=3 |author=Defence Intelligence Staff |author-link=Defence Intelligence |date=December 2000 |publisher=The National Archives |location=Kew |page=2 |id=55/2/00 |access-date=September 10, 2013}} See also The National Archives site: [http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121026065214/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FreedomOfInformation/PublicationScheme/SearchPublicationScheme/UapInTheUkAirDefenceRegionVolume3.htm "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) in the UK Air Defence Region"] for archived documents.</ref>

It concluded: "There is no evidence that any UAP, seen in the UKADR [UK Air Defence Region], are incursions by air-objects of any intelligent (extraterrestrial or foreign) origin, or that they represent any hostile intent." A little-discussed conclusion of the report was that novel meteorological plasma phenomenon akin to [[ball lightning]] are responsible for "the majority, if not all" of otherwise inexplicable sightings, especially reports of [[Black triangle (UFO)|black triangle UFOs]].<ref name="auto1"/>

On December 1, 2009, the Ministry of Defence quietly closed down its UFO investigations unit. The unit's hotline and email address were suspended by the MoD on that date. The MoD said there was no value in continuing to receive and investigate sightings in a release, stating that "in over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom. The MoD has no specific capability for identifying the nature of such sightings. There is no Defence benefit in such investigation and it would be an inappropriate use of defence resources. Furthermore, responding to reported UFO sightings diverts MoD resources from tasks that are relevant to Defence." ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that the MoD claimed the closure would save the Ministry around £50,000 a year. The MoD said it would continue to release UFO files to the public through The National Archives.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cost-cutting causes British gov't to shut down UFO investigations |first=Stephanie |last=Dearing |url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/283265 |work=Digital Journal |location=Toronto |date=December 5, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515062510/http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/283265 |url-status=live }}</ref>

UFO reports, Parliamentary questions, and letters from members of the public were released on August 5, 2010, to the UK National Archives. "In one letter included in the files, a man alleges Churchill ordered a coverup of a WW II-era UFO encounter involving the Royal Air Force".<ref name="CBS1">{{cite web |last1=Binlot |first1=Ann |title=Winston Churchill Ordered UFO Coverup? |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/winston-churchill-ordered-ufo-coverup/ |website=cbsnews.com |date=August 5, 2010 |publisher=[[CBS news]] |access-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110142708/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/winston-churchill-ordered-ufo-coverup/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nationalarchivesUFO"/>

Reports of UFO sightings continue. According to ''[[The Independent]],'' there were 957 reported UFO sightings across the UK between January 2021 and May 2023, with [[Manchester]], [[London]], [[Liverpool]], and [[Glasgow]] being hotspots.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-24 |title=UFO hotspots revealed as ex Ministry of Defence expert calls for action |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ufo-hotspots-revealed-aliens-b2434354.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=The Independent |language=en |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104103628/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ufo-hotspots-revealed-aliens-b2434354.html |url-status=live }}</ref>