Publication of the COMETA Report

1999 July 16

The COMETA Report (Les OVNI et la Défense: À quoi doit-on se préparer? — “UFOs and Defense: What Should We Prepare For?") was made public on July 16, 1999, in a special edition of the French magazine VSD. Compiled over three years by a private committee of retired generals, defense officials, scientists, and aerospace experts (chaired by Gen. Denis Letty under the COMETA association), the 90-page document analyzed UFO cases from France and internationally.

It concluded that while most sightings have prosaic explanations, a small but significant percentage involve objects with exceptional performance (supersonic speeds without sonic booms, electromagnetic interference, etc.) that defy known technology. The report seriously considered the extraterrestrial hypothesis as the most plausible for these cases and called for better international cooperation, de-stigmatization of the topic, and preparation for potential security implications.

The document was unofficially presented to French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin earlier in 1999 by committee member Jean-Jacques Velasco. It gained international attention in ufology circles, with an English translation circulating widely. A book version was later published in 2003 by Éditions du Rocher.

Often regarded as one of the most serious pre-2000s “disclosure-style” documents from credible military/scientific figures outside government channels.