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In 1999, a group of senior French military officials, engineers, and scientists operating under the banner of COMETA – Committee for In-Depth Studies – published a detailed report titled UFOs and Defense: What Should We Prepare For? This document originated as a special issue of the French magazine VSD and was intended as a follow-up to an earlier 1976 report sponsored by the Institut des Hautes Études de Défense Nationale (IHEDN).
The COMETA report compiles decades of observations, scientific reviews, military encounters, and global research on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) – referred to in the report as Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena (UAPs). It systematically explores the potential implications of these phenomena across scientific, military, political, and societal domains.
Scope and Structure of the Report
The report is divided into three primary sections:
- Part 1 presents firsthand testimonies and well-documented sightings.
- Part 2 reviews the state of knowledge in France and abroad.
- Part 3 examines the potential implications of UFOs for national defense and society.
The report concludes with recommendations for French governmental and scientific institutions and includes a set of technical appendices.
Observational Evidence and Eyewitness Accounts
Testimonies from French Pilots
The report begins by highlighting three detailed accounts from French military and commercial pilots who witnessed unidentified aerial objects while flying. These cases include high-speed, maneuverable objects that demonstrated capabilities inconsistent with known aircraft. In one instance, a Mirage IV pilot described being followed and outmaneuvered by two glowing, unidentified objects that evaded radar detection.
International Aeronautical Encounters
The report documents five globally recognized incidents:
- The 1956 Lakenheath-Bentwaters encounter in the UK, where both radar and visual confirmations supported the presence of fast-moving, intelligent craft.
- A 1957 event involving a U.S. RB-47 aircraft tracked by ground radar and microwave receivers.
- A 1976 incident over Tehran, in which two Iranian F-4 fighters experienced electronic failures when approaching a bright object.
- A 1990 event in Russia near Pereslavl-Zalesski, where objects demonstrated maneuverability beyond conventional aerospace capabilities.
- The 1995 Bariloche incident in Argentina, involving an airliner and unexplained power outages during an encounter.
Each of these incidents involved trained observers and, in most cases, corroboration through radar or secondary witnesses.
Ground Sightings and Close Encounters
The report also describes ground-based sightings, including the 1954 Antananarivo sighting in Madagascar where hundreds witnessed a metallic object, and the 1979 Dijon encounter where a retired military pilot observed a hovering, saucer-shaped craft at close range.
France’s most famous close encounter – the 1981 Trans-en-Provence case – is given particular attention. A landed object left behind physical traces, including soil compression and altered plant chemistry, which were verified by GEPAN, France’s national investigative body for unidentified aerospace phenomena.
Institutional Framework and Scientific Research
GEPAN and SEPRA
In 1977, France created GEPAN under the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) to centralize the study of UAPs. It was succeeded by SEPRA in 1988, maintaining the mandate to collect, analyze, and assess data on aerial phenomena.
GEPAN established formal relationships with the Gendarmerie Nationale, enabling systematic data collection. Scientific councils comprising physicists, engineers, and sociologists guided its research priorities. SEPRA continued this work, focusing on atmospheric re-entry phenomena but retained its interest in UFOs.
Global Research Initiatives
The report reviews international efforts to study UFOs. Notable examples include:
- The United States Air Force’s Project Blue Book.
- Civilian initiatives and scientific investigations in other European countries, including the UK and Russia.
The COMETA team found a general pattern of underfunding, secrecy, and inconsistent attention by governments worldwide.
Hypotheses and Scientific Considerations
Natural and Human-Made Explanations
The report systematically considers natural explanations such as meteors, atmospheric phenomena, and optical illusions. It also reviews human-made causes like satellites, experimental aircraft, and military misidentifications.
These explanations are deemed sufficient for most sightings, but not for the small minority that exhibit anomalous characteristics – especially high-speed maneuvers without sonic booms, hovering with no visible propulsion, and radar invisibility.
The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis
The possibility of an extraterrestrial origin is presented as the most likely hypothesis for the unexplained remainder. This is supported by:
- Correlated radar and visual sightings.
- Demonstrations of flight characteristics beyond current aerospace engineering.
- Apparent intelligent responses to pursuit or observation.
The COMETA team stresses that this hypothesis should be seriously considered, not dismissed due to social stigma or lack of definitive physical evidence.
Defense and Security Implications
Airspace Security
The report raises concerns about the potential threat posed by unknown craft operating in French and international airspace. Pilots, both military and civilian, require protocols for encounters, including reporting procedures and evasive action guidelines. Enhancing situational awareness and pilot training is recommended.
Scientific and Technological Impact
The technological performance of some UAPs implies advanced propulsion systems and materials. The report speculates on the feasibility of research into non-lethal directed energy weapons and field-based propulsion systems. Even if the origin of these technologies remains unknown, their theoretical possibility encourages scientific inquiry.
Political and Religious Consequences
A formal recognition of extraterrestrial intelligence would carry political weight, potentially altering alliances and defense postures. It could also impact global religious beliefs, prompting both reflection and resistance across cultures.
The report recommends that governments prepare public information strategies in anticipation of possible future disclosure events, avoiding panic and misinformation.
Media Responsibilities
The role of the media in shaping public perception is also discussed. While the popularity of UFOs in films and television has generated widespread interest, it has also trivialized the subject. The report encourages accurate, investigative journalism and more engagement by scientific communicators.
Recommendations
COMETA’s recommendations to the French government include:
- Increasing support for SEPRA and enabling broader scientific engagement with the phenomena.
- Establishing formal UAP protocols for civilian and military pilots.
- Creating an international working group to coordinate information exchange and research.
- Preparing communication plans to address public reactions in the event of confirmation of an extraterrestrial presence.
The authors emphasize that such steps are pragmatic responses to a credible phenomenon and not an endorsement of any particular theory.
Summary
The COMETA report presents a detailed and objective review of UFO sightings, drawing on military expertise, scientific rigor, and institutional oversight. It identifies a small but significant portion of cases that defy conventional explanations and argues for enhanced preparedness in military, scientific, and civil institutions.
While stopping short of declaring definitive proof of extraterrestrial life, the report affirms that the phenomena are real, often observable, and deserve serious study. It positions France as a country willing to consider unconventional possibilities through structured, evidence-based approaches. The call for international cooperation and responsible public discourse remains relevant in the evolving conversation about unidentified aerospace phenomena.
10 Best-Selling UFO and UAP Books
UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record
This investigative work presents case-driven reporting on unidentified aerial phenomena, focusing on military and aviation encounters, official records, and the difficulties of validating unusual sightings. It frames UAP as a topic with operational and safety implications, while also examining how institutional incentives shape what gets documented, dismissed, or left unresolved in public view.
Communion
This memoir-style narrative describes a series of alleged close encounters and the personal aftermath that follows, including memory gaps, fear, and attempts to interpret what happened. The book became a landmark in modern UFO literature by shifting attention toward the subjective experience of contact and the lasting psychological disruption that can accompany claims of abduction.
Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers
This classic argues that UFO reports can be read alongside older traditions of folklore, religious visions, and accounts of strange visitations. Rather than treating unidentified flying objects as only a modern technology story, it compares motifs across centuries and cultures, suggesting continuity in the narratives people use to describe anomalous encounters.
Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah
This book recounts an investigation of recurring reports tied to a specific location, combining witness interviews, instrumentation, and field protocols. It mixes UFO themes with broader anomaly claims – unusual lights, apparent surveillance, and events that resist repeatable measurement – while documenting the limits of organized inquiry in unpredictable conditions.
The Day After Roswell
Framed around claims connected to the Roswell narrative, this book presents a storyline about recovered materials, classified handling, and alleged downstream effects on advanced technology programs. It is written as a retrospective account that blends personal testimony, national-security framing, and long-running debates about secrecy, documentation, and how extraordinary claims persist without transparent verification.
The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry
Written by an astronomer associated with official UFO investigations, this book argues for treating UFO reports as data rather than tabloid spectacle. It discusses patterns in witness reports, classification of encounter types, and why a subset of cases remained unexplained after conventional screening. It remains a foundational text for readers interested in structured UFO investigations.
The Hynek UFO Report: The Authoritative Account of the Project Blue Book Cover-Up
This work focuses on how official investigations managed UFO case intake, filtering, and public messaging. It portrays a tension between internal curiosity and external pressure to reduce reputational risk, while highlighting cases that resisted straightforward explanations. For readers tracking UAP governance and institutional behavior, it offers a narrative about how “closed” cases can still leave unanswered questions.
In Plain Sight: An Investigation into UFOs and Impossible Science
This modern overview synthesizes well-known incidents, government acknowledgments, and evolving language from “UFO” to “UAP,” with emphasis on how public institutions communicate uncertainty. It also surveys recurring claims about performance characteristics, sensor data, and reporting pathways, while separating what is documented from what remains speculative in contemporary UAP discourse.
Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens
Built around case studies, this book presents narratives from people who report being taken and examined by non-human entities. It approaches the topic through interviews and clinical framing, emphasizing consistency across accounts, emotional impact, and the difficulty of interpreting memories that emerge through recall techniques. It is a central title in the alien abduction subset of UFO books.
Missing Time: A Documented Study of UFO Abductions
This book introduced many mainstream readers to the concept of “missing time” and the investigative methods used to reconstruct reported events. It compiles recurring elements – time loss, intrusive memories, and perceived medical procedures – while arguing that the pattern is too consistent to dismiss as isolated fantasy. It remains widely read within UFO research communities focused on abduction claims.
