London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Mar 04, 2026

Government UFO hunters may reopen 'Britain's X-Files' and track down alien life

Government UFO hunters may reopen 'Britain's X-Files' and track down alien life

Britain could revive its UFO desk depending on the findings of a report into extra terrestrials due out next month from the US Pentagon's UAP Task Force, it has been claimed

A specialist team of alien hunters could be recalled by the Government after the findings of a US report into extra terrestrials are revealed, it has been claimed.

The Ministry of Defence's dedicated UFO desk has been defunct since 2009 but a Pentagon probe into unidentified flying objects - now called Unidentified Aerial Phenomena - could see it revived.

The US Congress is set to be presented with the unclassified report in June on evidence collected by a UAP Task Force, the Office of Naval Intelligence and the FBI.

It has been labelled a landmark moment by Ufologists and a senior defence source said Downing Street certainly "wouldn't rule out" reforming the UFO desk if the findings call for it.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, they said: "I think that if there was enough evidence to suggest that there was something, and that we needed to do it as well as the US, then of course we'd think about it.

Nick Pope previously investigated UFO activity for the Ministry of Defence


"We'd look at it. There's all sorts of things that we wouldn't rule out, and this would certainly be one of them."

They added that as science and technology evolve "whole new universes" can "suddenly open up" and it is important Britain remains on top of the situation, to "identify [and] track objects".

RAF Flyingdales tracks objects through space and the source said it could work alongside the US in future.

It comes after Lord Black asked the Government this month if it had any role in the US Task Force and whether there had been any information exchange.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as Mulder and Scully in TV show The X-Files


Defence Minister Baroness Goldie said the UK "does not have a role" with the Task Force and "has not contributed" to the US report, though added the MoD is aware of it but can't comment further until it is released.

Nick Pope previously investigated UFOs for the MoD's Secretariat Airstaff but told the Telegraph the job did not involve running "around darkened warehouses...guns drawn" like on TV show The X-Files.

He said it was more about checking radar tapes of possible UFO sightings and liaising with air force experts, but said halting investigations altogether was a "huge mistake".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
Trump Repeats UK Claims That Diverge from Verified Facts Amid Diplomatic Strain
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
UK Police Contracts With Israeli Surveillance Firms Spark Debate Over Ethics and Oversight
United Airlines Passenger Hears Cockpit Conversations After Accessing In-Flight Audio Channel
Spain to Conduct Border Checks on Gibraltar Arrivals Under New Post-Brexit Framework
Engie Shares Jump After $14 Billion Agreement to Acquire UK Power Grid Assets
BNP Paribas Overtakes Goldman Sachs in UK Investment Banking League Tables
Geothermal Project to Power Ten Thousand Homes Marks UK Renewable Energy Milestone
UK Visa Grants Drop Nineteen Percent in 2025 as Migration Controls Tighten
Barclays and Jefferies Among Banks Exposed to Collapse of UK Mortgage Lender MFS
UK Asylum Applications Edge Down in 2025 Despite Rise in Small Boat Crossings
Jefferies Reports Significant Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender MFS
×