Nick Pope

The media commentator who had worked at the “UFO desk” of the U.K. Ministry of Defence

Name	Nick Pope
Age	59
Born	September 19, 1965
Famous for	Working for the MoD, handling UFO cases

Nick Pope had worked for the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 21 years. One of the jobs he did was investigating various UFO cases from 1991 to 1994. He even gained the moniker “the real Fox Mulder” because of the meticulous work he did then.

Today he does guest appearances on mainstream media, consultancy work for UFO-related TV shows and movies, lectures at UFO conferences, and freelances as a journalist. 

His Entry Into UFO/UAP Studies 

Nick Pope’s entry into the UFO phenomenon was an accident. He fell into it with little knowledge and was skeptical about it. Regardless, he maintained an open mindset. 

In 1991, he was due for a move to a new position at the MoD, and by chance, there was a vacancy at the Secretariat (Air Staff) 2a, widely known as the “UFO desk.” For the MoD, it didn’t matter whether these cases meant signs of extraterrestrial life. What worried them more was that some of these UFO sightings might be Soviet spy planes doing reconnaissance or checking out how good Britain’s radar and fighter jets were at spotting and stopping intruders.

And so he investigated the reported UFO sightings and analyzed whether they posed a threat to national security and defense until 1994. 

His role at the Sec (AS) was only for three years, but it left a lasting impression on him that set him on the path to Ufology. He said that it was “too interesting to walk away from,” so he remained involved after leaving his post. 

His Beliefs and Theories

Nick Pope never had a personal UFO encounter, but he believes in this phenomenon regardless. Here are some of the beliefs he had:

On Extraterrestrial Life

Pope believes that there’s life somewhere in the universe. It’s because the laws of physics and chemistry seem to be the same in the observable universe; the same things that made life here on Earth probably made life possible there too.

This thinking is probably why he remains open-minded to the idea that extraterrestrials or non-human intelligences might be visiting Earth, even though no concrete evidence has been found to support it.

On Misconceptions About UFOs

Pope claims that the shapes, speed, and sightings of UFO crafts differ from what people generally know or grew up knowing.

• Shapes. UFO crafts aren’t only disc-shaped. They can be smaller and have spherical, oval, or triangular shapes.
• Speed. UFO crafts aren’t necessarily high-speed. They can hover or move slowly for a while before accelerating in a split second.
• Sightings. UFO sightings don’t only happen in rural areas. Big cities like London are also UFO hotspots, but people don’t notice them due to the light pollution and buildings that obstruct their view.

On the Future of UFO Research

UFOs are no longer just for enthusiasts. Scientists, academics, governments, and the military are seriously studying them. For example, fields like astrobiology, which look for life on other planets, are starting to connect with UFO research. 

Pope always said that everyone’s looking for the same thing, which is signs of life beyond Earth. They’re just using different tools and looking in different ways.

And now, for the first time, these groups are starting to work together and share ideas. This, he believes, is the direction UFO research is heading.

His Works and Contributions to Ufology

Pope might’ve ruffled some feathers in his years with the MoD, and even beyond that. But there’s no denying that he made significant contributions to investigating the Rendlesham Forest incident and to assisting with the release of the MoD UFO files.

Cold Case Review of the Rendlesham Forest Incident

The Rendlesham Forest incident is Britain’s Roswell. Pope had received many inquiries about it from the government, the media, and the public, so he did a cold case review. He thoroughly read relevant reports, such as the site’s radiation readings; met key witnesses, including retired USAF officers John Burroughs and Jim Penniston; and examined theories. 

He found that the investigation was undermined at the time because U.K. and U.S. officials were confused as to who had jurisdiction over the incident. (The incident happened near twin USAF bases in Bentwaters and Woodbridge, Suffolk.) There were also delays and poor information sharing between the two. 

Another vital information he uncovered, which affected the investigation back then, was:

• Gen. Gabriel, the then-USAF Commander in Chief in Europe, had removed some of the evidence.
• Some relevant MoD UFO files were destroyed without proper authorization.

So it wasn’t surprising that investigations were inconclusive on the U.K. side, which added that the incident had “no defense significance.” As for the U.S. side, sadly, he wasn’t able to get his hands on their results.

Pope admitted that the Rendlesham Forest incident was a “tragic lost opportunity.” It could’ve been examined fully had it not been for the above circumstances.

When he submitted his report later, although the higher-ups at the MoD were impressed by the complete checks he had done, they decided to close the case since it still couldn’t be explained by conventional means. 

Assistance to the MoD UFO Files Release

In 2008, the MoD began to release decades of UFO files to the public. These would be stored at the National Archives. The MoD decided to do this for three reasons:

• The French government set a precedent when it released its UFO files in 2007.
• It showed that the MoD respected freedom of information and did not deliberately cover things up.
• The MoD wanted to lessen the workload for the numerous UFO-related Freedom of Information Act requests it received.

As for Pope’s role, he essentially became the public face of this project, wherein the National Archives asked for his help to:

• Select UFO cases that could be shared with the media. It’d be preferable if the cases cater to different viewpoints and occurred in different parts of the U.K.
• Record promotional materials to draw positive attention.
• Go on interviews with various media outlets.

His role here helped him become widely known to the UFO/UAP community and the public. 

Published Books

Pope had written books about his experience at the MoD and about the UFO phenomenon, which included:

• Open Skies, Closed Minds (1996). The book recounts Pope’s experiences handling UFO cases, as well as the information the government and military have about the phenomenon.
• The Uninvited (1997). The book delves into people’s claims of encountering or being abducted by extraterrestrials and Pope’s explanations of this mystery.
• Encounter in Rendlesham Forest (2014). Co-written with the witnesses Burroughs and Penniston, the book provides the full account of the events that took place during the incident.

His Research Methodologies and Results

While working with the MoD, Nick Pope followed a standard investigation method. Here were the actions he and his team took:

• Interview the witness for information such as the date, time, location, object description, speed, and other relevant details.
• Correlate the UFO sighting with known aerial activity, such as civil aircraft flights, military exercises, or weather balloon launches.
• Check with the Royal Observatory Greenwich to see if astronomical phenomena, such as meteors or fireballs, might explain what was seen.
• Check whether the UFO sighting was corroborated by radar evidence.
• If there’s a photo or film, obtain an analysis from the Air Force Imagery Analysis staff.
• Liaise with staff at the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System at RAF Fylingdales for space-tracking radar.
• Liaise with the Defence Intelligence Staff on scientific and technical issues.

With this method, they were able to thoroughly investigate the UFO cases and reach a conclusion, where:

• ~80% were misidentified objects or phenomena, were caused by secret prototype spy planes or drones, and were hoaxes, hallucinations, or psychological delusions.
• ~15% lacked sufficient data.
• ~5% were unexplained.

He stressed that just because it was unexplained didn’t mean it automatically meant it was extraterrestrial. There might be other reasons why these were categorized in this way.

UFO Cases of Interest

According to Pope, the MoD received 200 to 300 UFO reports annually. Of those, they prioritized reports from police and military officers and pilots who witnessed the incident over those from civilians. 

They also preferred that the reports come with physical evidence, such as photos, films, and radar data. This way, they could properly assess the evidence through the resources and capabilities they could get from the intelligence community.

His Influence on the UFO/UAP Community

Nick Pope certainly left his mark in the field of Ufology. His connections in government, military, scientific, academic, and media circles enabled him to facilitate communication and foster collaboration between them and the UFO/UAP community.

In addition, he lends his expertise to productions seeking credibility in their coverage of UFO-related topics and to conferences looking to educate enthusiasts and civilians about the UFO phenomenon.

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FAQ

Is he still investigating UFO cases today?

Nick Pope no longer investigates UFO cases, not since he left the MoD. 

If you’d like to report a sighting, he does encourage you to reach out to groups like the British UFO Research Association or the Mutual UFO Network.

How come he’s able to disclose his work at the MoD publicly when he swore a security oath?

Nick Pope can only freely discuss UFO files that have been declassified and are now housed in the National Archives. He can’t and won’t disclose the ones that remain classified.