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This highlights guide from The National Archives describes the tenth and final release of Ministry of Defence UFO files: 25 files with 4,400 pages covering the MoD UFO desk from late 2007 to its closure in November 2009. It explains how to use the PDF bookmarks and summarises key stories. These include the briefing that recommended closing the desk, a public disclosure campaign, a sharp rise in sightings linked to Chinese lanterns, and reports sorted by location.
Meanwhile a TV broadcaster on 25 June reported that the landlord of a hotel near the soldier‟s barracks claimed to have solved the mystery of the UFOs seen by the soldiers (DEFE 24/2625/1 p 111 & 107). He revealed the lights were Chinese lanterns released from a wedding party. After the story was published the UFO desk officer told the Army „I do not intend to investigate any further as I think we have our answer‟ (DEFE 24/2625/1, p111). Rendlesham Forest A FOI request in 2008 revealed that documents on the 1980 sightings by military personnel at RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk, were held on 109 separate files (DEFE 24/2450/1, p. 79) and MoD had received numerous requests for information on the incident that had become known as „Britain‟s Roswell.‟ But, responding to an inquiry from the USA in 2008 MoD said: „The incident was over a quarter of a century ago and despite the assertions of many people who chose to believe in the existence of UFOs or extra terrestrials, the MoD had little interest in the matter at the time and even less interest now. Put simply, we consider the incident closed‟ (DEFE 24/2628/1, p144). Wind turbine incident In January 2009 MoD was asked to comment on tabloid stories suggesting that damage to a wind turbine in the Lincolnshire Wolds, had been the result of a collision with a UFO. MoD said the incident had not been reported to them „other than via the media and [we] are not aware of any substantive evidence to suggest the turbine was hit by a UFO…unless we receive clear physical evidence of an aircraft or other object flying into the turbine, we do not intend to investigate‟ (DEFE 24/2451/1, p173). Police helicopters and UFOs A sighting of a small object that flew close to a South Wales Police helicopter was reported to Cardiff airport in June 2008 (DEFE 24/2624/1, p200-210). Nothing was seen on radar and MoD said they received no formal report from the police. Another near-collision with an „unidentified aircraft displaying non-standard lights‟, reported by the crew of a police helicopter on patrol over Birmingham city centre, was the subject of a formal investigation by the UK Airprox Board but nothing seen on radar (see DEFE 24/2450/1 p42-44). The inquiry looked at several possible explanations including a radio controlled model purposefully flown towards the helicopter by someone „messing around‟ and „the possibility of a clandestine flight‟ but was unable to explain the incident. A third sighting, by the crew of an Irish Air Corps helicopter over Dublin Bay, was reported in August 2006 (DEFE 24/2628/1 p83-84). UFOs on Radar An account of a retired RAF Flight lieutenant who witnessed the tracking of a UFO on airfield radar at RAF Lyneham in 1993 (DEFE 24/2454/1, p156-59) notes the phenomena was also sighted visually by two members of a security patrol. Another
Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 12 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.