My name's Nick Pope and I used to run the British Government's UFO project, Ask Me Anything

I worked for the British Government for 21 years at the Ministry of Defense (MoD). I had a variety of fascinating posts in the course of this career, with my final posting being to the Directorate of Defense Security, where I was an acting Deputy Director. I'm best-known for a posting I held between 1991 and 1994, where my job was to investigate UFO sightings reported to the MoD, to see whether there was evidence of any potential threat, or anything of more general defense interest.

Since leaving the MoD in 2006, I've been involved in the 5-year program to declassify and release the entire archive of MoD UFO files, which was completed in June. I've been the public face of this process and have probably given several hundred media interviews on the subject, including appearances on high-profile shows such as Good Morning America, Larry King Live and the BBC News.

In relation to the UFO phenomenon, I classify myself neither as a believer nor as a skeptic. Accordingly, I sometimes manage to upset ufologists in both camps. I certainly think that there are some compelling cases out there and clearly there's more to this than just weather balloons, swamp gas and fake videos on YouTube. However, I do not regard the case for extraterrestrial visitation to have been conclusively proven and I disagree with most of the conspiracy theories on the subject. Whatever the true nature of the UFO phenomenon, I believe it raises important defense, national security and air safety issues. It is also worthy of more general scientific study.

I now work as an author, journalist and broadcaster, covering a wide range of subjects including the unexplained, conspiracy theories, fringe science and science fiction. I also help with the launch of various sci-fi movies and alien-themed video games, the latest of which is The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

Ask Me Anything.





[size=10]admin notice:
For anyone who missed the discussion (here: www.abovetopsecret.com...) and the mass PM we sent out last week please know that this is the "real" Nick Pope and he is here as our invited guest to answer your questions. Enjoy and please be polite.








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I would like to get your personal take on how much of the sightings we see or are recorded and blamed on UFO's are actually top secret craft? Do you know if the government or military actively perpetuate the UFO meme to help cloud the top secret research?

Would you say 95% is governemnt/military or 100%?

Double Post.

Welcome Mr. Pope! I look forward to reading this thread and learning more about you and this subject.

My question for you would be-

What is the one file or story that still haunts you?

reply to post by NickPope

reply to post by NickPope


Howdy, Nick. Nice to chat with you.

IMO, one of the more intriguing UFO stories are those when they supposedly shut down nuclear facilities. What's your take on that? Seems some rather high placed people have related these stories at times, not as if that really means anything but it seems to lend it credence.

Cheers, and thanks for taking the time here. I'm sure we all appreciate it.

Hi Nick. Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions on ATS.

I know you said you're neither a skeptic or a believer. Let's say that "they" are real. Do you think we will ever have true Disclosure?

Thanks again for your time here today.

reply to post by NickPope

Why now? what made you join ATS now, when you must have been aware of the site for ages?

If this is the real nick Pope then welcome to our family. I would be happy if you could answer my question about the government and alien involvement. Has there ever been involvement with aliens ( the greys ) and our government? Why won't they tell us the truth that we are being visited? And are the powers that be controlling our government? Thank you for taking the time reading my post.

reply to post by NickPope

I certainly think that there are some compelling cases out there

Hi Nick
I would be interested to know what you consider the most compelling case or cases you have come across , either in your post within the MoD or since you've been on the UFO circuit .
Thanks .

Hi Nick welcome to ATS, Ive got 3 questions id like to ask :

1 -Was this UFO project looking for visiting aliens or was it more aimed at finding out might might be invading our airspace in case it was some unknown technology from a foreign country?

2- Don't take offense to this im sure you were good at your job but why wasn't a scientist or a group of scientist's with more of a military background running this project? Why would a civilian get the position?

3- What clearance level did you have for this job and did you ever run into anything that you were told to just ignore?

Thanks for taking time to answer questions, i get the feeling this is going to be the highest flagged and stared first post in ATS history.

If this is the real nick Pope then welcome to our family. I would be happy if you could answer my question about the government and alien involvement. Has there ever been involvement with aliens ( the greys ) and our government? Why won't they tell us the truth that we are being visited? And are the powers that be controlling our government? Thank you for taking the time reading my post.

Nick Pope if that is really you that is great as ive seen you an many programs. If this is really you could you please give all of us ats freaks out there the 2 n 1 shocker please. I cant wait and welcome to the freak show. lol jk

Welcome to Abovetopsecret and thank you for your time.

Do you have an estimate of the number of cases you personally handled and a breakdown of how many times a streetlight, a sky crane in a fogbank, a bird or flock of birds, ordinary aircraft, chinese lanterns, Harrier Jump Jets and other explanations were the final conclusion?

Thank you!

Welcome Mister Pope,

I'd actually like to ask a non-UFO related question.

What I am wondering is if your post at the mod by 2006, if you saw anything or any prelude to the current NSA wire tapping scandal in the us.

Also I am curious as to your feelings of the guardians report that the British government destroying computers with their Snowden files?

Hi Nick

I would like to ask you about the Calvine Perthshire UFO incident.
You said before that you had a large print of the photo of the craft with military planes chasing/escorting it on a wall in your office until the head of your division demanded you remove it.
In your own opinion do you believe it was part of a secret military project or something otherworldly? Also is it true that the original photo and negatives were shredded by your then department?

second question-
Do you believe that we as a people of relatively young space faring experience are even capable of comprehending what the UFO phenomenon is as of yet? I mean its a big Universe and it wasn't that long ago that we thought the world was flat, how can we claim we know anything yet for certain regarding intelligent alien life?

Thanks for dropping by to answer some questions

reply to post by NickPope


Hi Nick

In your role with the MoD did you ever have any suspicions or evidence that the military and/or government were keeping any information on UFO's/alien visitation secret or blocking any of your investigations.

Hi Nick and thanks for taking the time to come on and natter... Have you seen the new series "Alien Files Unsealed"? If so can you comment on the veracity or not of the footage they show from a Blue Streak test at Woomera with connection to the "Solway Firth Spacemen" story?

Welcome, Mr. Pope.

Are there any classified UFO accounts (unknown by the general public) that you learned about during your time at the MoD that seem to have no known "earthly" explanation (and one earthly explanation could be false/mistaken witness testimony)? Obviously, being "classified", you may not be able to tell us all details, but were there any completely baffling cases that the public is not aware of -- cases that made you scratch your head?