Dear Mr Jones,
Thank you for your e-mail of 16 January 2024 requesting the following information:
“I am writing to you under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) matters reported by Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots.
I am specifically seeking any records, documents, or reports related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) sightings or encounters reported by RAF pilots. This request includes but is not limited to:
1. Written reports or logs submitted by RAF pilots describing Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) sightings.
2. Correspondence between RAF personnel or other relevant authorities regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) incidents.
3. Analysis or assessments conducted by the RAF or affiliated agencies regarding the reported Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) sightings.
4. Any photos or videos captured by RAF personnel related to the reported Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) sightings.”.
I am treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). A search for the information you have requested has now concluded. I can confirm that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) holds no information in scope of your request.
Section 16(1) of the Act requires the public authority to provide advice and assistance wherever possible.
The MOD are aware of the differing approaches currently being undertaken by other countries and allies in the investigation of ‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena’ however, this is a term that the MOD does not recognise. You may wish to be aware that the MOD has no opinion on the existence of either extra-terrestrials, Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). In over 50 years, no sighting reported to the Department has indicated the existence of any military threat to the United Kingdom and it is deemed more valuable to prioritise MOD staff towards other Defence-related activities. For this reason, MOD ceased to investigate reports of UFO or UAP in 2009. All MOD files relating to UFOs that were created up until 2009 have been released to The National Archives (TNA) and are available to the public. The MOD’s position on this subject was reiterated by Baroness Goldie in the House of Lords in June 2021; a full transcript of the debate can be found here.
If you are not satisfied with this response or wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of your request, then you should contact me in the first instance at the address above. If informal resolution is not possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal review by contacting the Information Rights Compliance team, Ground Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB (e-mail CIO-FOI-IR@mod.uk). Please note that any request for an internal review must be made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to reach informal resolution has come to an end.
If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not normally investigate your case until the MOD internal process has been completed. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner’s website at https://ico.org.uk/
Yours sincerely
Air Command Secretariat
submitted by /u/SkepticalBelieverr
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