The United Kingdom’s official UFO records are held at The National Archives in Kew, Surrey. They span from the early 1950s through 2002 in digitised form, and through 1995 in physical records. What exists represents the surviving fraction of a much larger body of documentation — systematically destroyed under MoD policy until 1967. Here is what remains and how to access it.
What the Records Contain
The surviving records consist of four categories:
- Official policy documents — MoD internal guidance on how to handle UAP reports and investigations
- Parliamentary business — responses to Parliamentary Questions in the House of Commons and Lords regarding UAP
- Public correspondence — letters from members of the public to the MoD reporting sightings, and the official responses
- Sighting reports — formal reports from civilian witnesses and military personnel, submitted through official channels
The Record Series
The primary series for UAP researchers are:
- DEFE 24 — Ministry of Defence registered files. The bulk of the released UFO material. Contains public sighting reports, correspondence, analysis documents, policy files. Multiple numbered sub-series (e.g. DEFE 24/1958/1, DEFE 24/2006/1 through DEFE 24/2094/1)
- DEFE 31 — MoD UFO files including duplicate sighting reports for 1993–1996. Seven files in series DEFE 31/182/1–188/1 released in August 2011
- AIR — RAF and Air Ministry records, pre-MoD era
- FCO — Foreign and Commonwealth Office records — includes UAP-related diplomatic correspondence and overseas sighting reports
- BJ — Additional classified series
- PREM 11/855 — Prime Minister’s office files, including the Churchill flying saucers memo of July 1952
The File Release Programme (2008–2013)
From 2008 to 2013, the MoD transferred UFO files to the National Archives in annual tranches. The August 2011 release alone contained dozens of DEFE 24 and DEFE 31 files covering 1985–2007, including eyewitness accounts, drawings of craft submitted by witnesses, and official analysis documents. The final tranche was released June 2013, following the closure of the MoD UFO Desk in November 2009.
How to Access the Records
- Online (free): UFO reports and correspondence 1950–2002 — via the archived TNA UFO files webpage
- At Kew (free to view): Physical documents 1950–1995 — visit The National Archives in person, TW9 4DU. Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–17:00
- Order copies: Specific records can be ordered for delivery digitally or on paper (charges apply)
- Search the catalogue: discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk — search keywords ‘UFO’, ‘unidentified flying’, ‘saucers’ within DEFE, AIR, FCO, BJ series
- Research assistance: Dr David Clarke is the TNA’s designated UFO research expert
What Is Not There
Everything from approximately 1947 to 1967 that was created under the destruction policy is gone. Estimated at multiple five-year cycles of systematic review and destruction. The records that survived do so because the destruction policy was changed — not because everything was preserved.
Source: The National Archives, UK. nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/ufos/ and archived UFO files page.