Britain Opens X-Files Vault

Ex-Air Force captain giving press conference today

(NEWSER) - Extraterrestrials do exist … and they apparently are not fans of our missiles, according to a few former US Air Force officers. Capt. Robert Salas and some of his colleagues will give a press conference in Washington, DC, today to testify that UFOs have appeared at numerous nuclear weapons sites—and that the government has been keeping these appearances a secret, AOL News reports . More»

Data bares UK officers' foibles

(NEWSER) - Top British military officials are at risk of blackmail after three Royal Air Force hard drives containing revealing vetting details were stolen, the Daily Mail reports. Files on the drives told of “criminal investigations, drug abuse, use of prostitutes, and extra-marital affairs,” said a Ministry of Defense memo. “This data provides an excellent target list for foreign intelligence services, investigative journalists and blackmailers.” More»

Impromptu silence as soldier's hearse passed grew into tradition

(NEWSER) - A lone man's silent salute to a military hearse grew into a tradition that now involves thousands who line the streets of a small British town, the New York Times reports. The bodies of UK troops killed in Afghanistan pass through Wootton Bassett on the way from the nearby air base to a military morgue, and the entire town falls silent to pay tribute as the hearses pass. More»

(NEWSER) - The British Defense Ministry is under fire for backing a new line of all-male toy soldiers, reports the Guardian.The promotional campaign for the new toys is also all-white. The figures were created with the help of senior officials from Britain's army, navy, and the Royal Air Force. They carry the nation's Ministry of Defense logo and are intended to represent the modern face of the British military. More»

Technology hopes to protect soldiers in urban operations

(NEWSER) - The British military is developing a small, ball-shaped camera that soldiers can throw like a grenade to get visual information about dangerous surroundings, the BBC reports. The “I-Ball,” which will also be able to be fired from a grenade launcher, transmits a 360-degree image as soon as it’s released, so troops can see around corners without putting themselves in harm’s way. More»