GB Programme Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence closes its UFO desk and hotline

The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk in November 2009, according to a press release from The National Archives accompanying the release of 25 files of over 6,700 pages. The files included a job description for the UFO Desk Officer post, written by the incumbent before being transferred to another post when the desk was closed. The Desk Officer wrote that the idea of secret teams of scientists was "total fiction" and that many investigations involved searching the internet. The release notes stated that from 2000 UFO reports were no longer copied to DI55. The text does not mention a hotline.

1 document·5 points

• The UFO desk was closed in November 2009 and its Desk Officer was transferred to another post.
• The released files numbered 25 and contained over 6,700 pages.
• The Desk Officer described daily duties including briefings, UFO investigations, handling hundreds of FOI requests, and managing UFOlogists and press enquiries.
• The Desk Officer wrote that the notion of "Top Secret teams of specialist scientists" was "total fiction".
• In 2000 the Air Staff Secretariat was replaced by DAS (Directorate Air Space), and from 2000 UFO reports were no longer copied to DI55.

Documents

• Document UFO files reveal behind the scenes of the UFO desk The National Archives· 3 pp.