Project Condign completed; later disclosed under freedom-of-information law

Witness account

The Defence Intelligence Staff completed its classified study, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in the UK Air Defence Region, in 2000. Commonly called Project Condign, it reviewed reports and possible explanations rather than announcing a newly observed event. The Ministry of Defence released the report in May 2006 following freedom-of-information requests. These are separate chronological milestones: the report was not written in 2006. Its original handling marking was SECRET/UK EYES ONLY; descriptions calling it a newly revealed top-secret alien investigation exaggerate what the document establishes.

Public record

The surviving government report and the National Archives' official guide establish the study's existence, completion year and later release. They document an intelligence assessment, not independently replicated experimental findings about every unexplained sighting.

Sources

• The National Archives, Briefing document on records regarding unidentified flying objects, 12 July 2012, pages 2–3
• Project Condign: full report archive
• It’s Official: UFOs Are Just UAPs