UFO expert Nick Pope says massive summer
events like the Olympics would be a prime time for an alien encounter
Ministry of Defence 'has planned for the
worst outcomes - attack and invasion'
'We should be prepared for even the most
seemingly unfathomable'
One of the UK's top UFO experts has given his
views on the likelihood of aliens suddenly appearing in our skies - and how the
international community would respond.
Nick Pope, who has more than two decades under
his belt at the Ministry of Defence, said mass summer events - like the Olympic
Games in London - would be a prime time for crafts from otherworlds to present
themselves to mankind.
He warned: 'With the summer of mass events we
are all on high alert for terrorism. But we must also cast our eyes further
afield and be prepared for even the most seemingly
unfathomable.''
Pope's duties at the MoD included
investigating reports of UFOs between 1991 and 1994, and says he began his
research as a sceptic, before becoming convinced that the sightings raised
important defence for national security and air safety issues.
Eyes to the skies: Nick Pope in front of the Jodrell Bank
Observatory - home for several years to Britain's part of the SETI Project -
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
He was particularly interested in cases where
the witnesses were pilots, or where UFOs were tracked on radar, and said there
were other believers among his former colleagues.
He said: 'It has been a widely held belief in
Ministry of Defence circles that "aliens" have been able to detect us for
decades via TV and radio broadcasts.
'What once seemed like science fiction is
steadily being realised by central governing bodies as distinctly
real.
'If aliens have studied our psychology, they
may choose to appear in our skies on a significant date – the closing ceremony
of the Olympic Games is one date being widely circulated by conspiracy
groups.
'The atomic bombs detonated in the 1940s, and
the rocket technology since developed would unquestionably have alerted nearby
alien civilisations to our existence.
'On their arrival it is difficult to say what
they would do: explore, help or destroy. Our resources make us quite a special
threat.'
A Tornado F3 flies past a Rapier missile set-up: These
kind of defences could be used against an extra-terrestrial threat - although
sure the Others would have better technology than us
A Eurofighter Typhoon F2 takes off at the Farnborough
Airshow - another potential fighter in the war for intergalactic
survival
Hopefully, if aliens do come and introduce
themselves to us, they come in a spirit of warmth, friendship and shared
learning - but Pope said the government was also prepared for the worst
scenarios.
He said: 'The government must - and has
planned - for the worst-case scenario: alien attack and alien
invasion.
'Space shuttles, lasers and directed-energy
weapons are all committed via the Alien Invasion War Plan to defence against any
alien ships in orbit.
'If UFOs came into our atmosphere, RAF jets
such as the Eurofighter Typhoons, and missiles such as the Rapiers guarding the
Olympic Games would be well equipped to enter the fray.
'And if the aliens landed, in an unprecedented
move, I am in doubt that the entire Army would be join the fight.
'The TA and the Reserves would be called out
and conscription potentially introduced. '
Hopefully we may never have to report on anything like
this... A UFO takes on Los Angeles in this mock-up
Speaking about the cultural impact of aliens
since the first widely-reported cases in the 1940s, he said: 'It is interesting
to note that we are all in some ways equipped to deal with alien invasion -
games such as Resistance: Burning Skies on PlayStation Vita help acclimatise
people to the reality of extraterrestrial life - and in particular that they
might be hostile.
'It is a widely held belief that classified
information about weapons and tactics useful in combatting alien occupation are
embedded into such gameplay.
'The primary flaw is our lack of knowledge -
we are limited in the extent of what we know about the alien
species.'
Pope's role in the government was once
described as 'working on the the X-Files of the UK', and he has since published
Sunday Times top ten non-fiction bestsellers, such as Open Skies, Closed
Minds.
His final role at the MoD, held until 2006,
was Directorate of Defence Security, and since leaving he has given lectures and
TV interviews about his views on the existence of UFOs.
Resistance: Burning Skies is an example of an alien
invasion - with the invaders taking on New York in this scene
He added: 'Aliens may possess weapons or
advanced technology we’ve no idea of. Aliens may have invisibility, a death ray,
teleportation, force fields and other things we can't even guess at.
'Beyond this, unity is key, but as history
dictates, this is not so easy.
'The logical course is to unite the world
against the alien threat, combining our military strength and fighting under the
United Nations. But some countries might not fight.
'We saw this type of treachery and cowardice
in the Second World War. Though some brave people joined the Resistance, much of
France accepted Nazi occupation.
'The final and perhaps biggest flaw is
preparation. With the summer of mass events we are all on high alert for
terrorism. But we must also cast our eyes further afield and be prepared for
even the most seemingly unfathomable.'
