Pilots have fired at Unidentified Flying Objects flying in British skies several times but failed to bring them down, Nick Pope claims. Mr Pope, who worked on the MoD's UFO section for three years, said the 'shoot down' directive had been in place since the 1980s.'We know of cases where the order has been given to shoot down — with little effect to the UFO,' Mr Pope told The Sun. Firing at UFOs was 'not automatic but happens when something in our airspace is deemed to be a threat' he said.
'In the case of UFOs, whether the object is causing a threat is very much a (pilot’s) judgment call,' he told the paper. Mr Pope, a 43-year-old Londoner, said the rules of engagement were drawn up after dozens of encounters with unidentified craft. He said: 'There was a faction in the MoD who said "We want to shoot down a UFO and that will resolve the issue one way or another".' (Source: Daily Mail)