Report highlights Swiss military’s interest in alleged UFO sightings

Since the 1950s, many countries have been tracking potential unidentified flying object (UFO) cases, even establishing secretive research programmes. Switzerland is no exception; its army has also gathered information on alleged UFOs sightings. Swiss public television, RTS, gained access to the Swiss Air Force’s “flying saucer” files. The Federal Archives building in the Swiss capital, Bern, stores millions of documents, including official files, administrative reports and federal secrets. Among these are archives relating to alleged UFOs, produced by the army, cantonal police and Swiss embassies worldwide. Most of these records have been digitised and are available online. Several files from the Swiss Air Force, organised in faded green folders titled “Fliegende Teller” (flying saucer), can be found in the federal archives. One file, with the code name E5465B from 1954, contains Air Force Intelligence Service directives for pilots and officials on how to report UFO sightings in ...