Editing All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office

{{Wikipedia fork
| article_name = All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
}}{{Short description|Task force of the US Department of Defense}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name            = All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
| image           = File:All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office Logo.webp
| image_caption   = Logo for the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office of the U.S. Defense Department
| type            = office
| preceding1      = [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP)
| preceding2      = Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF)
| preceding3      = Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG)
| formed          = {{Start date|2022|07|20}}
| chief1_name     = Jon T. Kosloski
| chief1_position = Director
| parent_agency   = [[United States Deputy Secretary of Defense]]
| keydocument1    = {{UnitedStatesCode|50|3373}}
| website         = {{URL|https://www.aaro.mil/}}
}}The '''All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office''' ('''AARO''') is an office within the United States [[Office of the Secretary of Defense]] that investigates [[unidentified flying object]]s (UFOs) and other phenomena in the air, sea, and/or space and/or on land: sometimes referred to as "unidentified aerial phenomena" or "unidentified anomalous phenomena" (UAP). Its first director was physicist [[Sean M. Kirkpatrick|Sean Kirkpatrick]], and its current director is Jon T. Kosloski<ref name=":3" /> who reports to Deputy Defense Secretary [[Kathleen Hicks]].

Established in 2022, AARO was preceded by the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), a 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Establishment of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2314065/establishment-of-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-task-force/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.defense.gov%2FNews%2FReleases%2FRelease%2FArticle%2F2314065%2Festablishment-of-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-task-force%2F |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=U.S. Department of Defense |language=en-US}}</ref> to 2021 program within the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] used to "standardize collection and reporting" of sightings of UFOs. UAPTF was detailed in a June 2020 hearing of the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Cooper|first1=Helene|last2=Blumenthal|first2=Ralph|last3=Kean|first3=Leslie|date=December 16, 2017|title=Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html|access-date=July 23, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Rogoway|first=Joseph Trevithick and Tyler|title=Here Are The Air Force's Reports On Aircrew Encounters With Unidentified Flying Craft|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/34377/here-are-the-air-forces-reports-on-aircrew-encounters-with-unidentified-flying-craft|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=The Drive|date=June 26, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Science|first=To the Stars Academy of Arts &|title=TTSA Announces Support for UAP Task Force Inclusion in Intelligence Authorization Act for 2021|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ttsa-announces-support-for-uap-task-force-inclusion-in-intelligence-authorization-act-for-2021-301083085.html|access-date=July 24, 2020|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en}}</ref> The UAPTF [[UFO Report (U.S. Intelligence)|issued a preliminary report]] in June 2021. [[NASA]]'s [[NASA's UAP independent study team|UAP independent study team]] held a public meeting in June 2023 showing further UAP footage released by AARO.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sundaravelu |first=Anugraha |date=2023-05-30 |title=Nasa UFO task force: How to watch the first public livestream |url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/30/nasa-ufo-task-force-how-to-watch-the-first-public-livestream-18866809/ |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=Metro |language=en}}</ref> In March 2024, AARO released a report titled "Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Volume I", which found "no empirical evidence" of alien technology.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tingley |first1=Brett |title=Pentagon UFO office finds 'no empirical evidence' for alien technology in new report |url=https://www.space.com/pentagon-ufo-office-aaro-historical-report-no-emprical-evidence-alien-technology |access-date=8 March 2024 |work=Space.com |date=March 8, 2024}}</ref>

==Findings of the UAPTF==
[[File:FLIR1 Official UAP Footage from the USG for Public Release.webm|thumb|"FLIR" video, Nov 2004]]
[[File:Gimbal The First Official UAP Footage from the USG for Public Release.webm|thumb|"GIMBAL" video, Jan 2015]]
[[File:Go Fast Official USG Footage of UAP for Public Release.webm|thumb|"GOFAST" video, Jan 2015]]

On April 12, 2021, [[the Pentagon]] confirmed the authenticity of pictures and videos gathered by the Task Force, purportedly showing "what appears to be pyramid-shaped objects" hovering above {{ship|USS|Russell|DDG-59|6}} in 2019, off the coast of [[California]], with spokeswoman Susan Gough saying "I can confirm that the referenced photos and videos were taken by [[US Navy]] personnel. The UAPTF has included these incidents in their ongoing examinations."<ref>{{cite web |title=Pentagon confirms leaked video of UFO 'buzzing' Navy warships is genuine |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/pentagon-ufo-navy-warship-video-b1830418.html |website=The Independent |language=en |date=April 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Leaked footage shows UFOs flying around navy vessels |url=https://news.yahoo.com/leaked-footage-shows-uf-os-flying-around-navy-vessels-113812155.html?guccounter=1 |work=in.news.yahoo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pentagon Confirms That Leaked Video Is Part of UFO Investigation |url=https://futurism.com/leaked-video-unidentified-objects-swarming-navy-warship |website=Futurism}}</ref>

The following month, Gough further confirmed a second video had been recorded by Navy personnel and was under review by the Task Force. The video, recorded on July 15, 2019, in the [[combat information center]] of {{ship|USS|Omaha|LCS-12|6}}, purportedly shows a spherical object flying over the ocean as seen through an infrared (IR) camera at night, moving across the screen before stopping and easing down into the water.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leaked video appears to show UFO plunging underwater off California |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7871671/ufo-video-water-san-diego-california-2019-omaha/ |work=Global News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Leaked Navy video appears to show UFO off California |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/leaked-navy-video-appears-show-u-f-o-california-coast-n1267688 |work=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thedebrief.org/pentagon-confirms-leaked-video-showing-transmedium-ufo-is-authentic/|title=Pentagon Confirms Leaked Video Showing "Transmedium" UFO is Authentic|first=Micah|last=Hanks|date=May 14, 2021|website=The Debrief}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2021/05/19/ufo-navy-video-jeremy-corbell-orig-jm.cnn|title=Newly leaked video shows a UFO disappear into the water - CNN Video|date=May 19, 2021 |via=edition.cnn.com}}</ref>

===Assessments===

Science writer [[Mick West]] has argued that the pyramid images in the video were most likely an airplane, [[Jupiter]], and stars that were distorted when the lens was out of focus.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Lewis-Kraus |first1=Gideon |title=How the Pentagon Started Taking UFOs Seriously |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously |access-date=May 1, 2021 |magazine=The New Yorker |date=April 30, 2021}}</ref> West said the Navy video is an example of a photographic effect called [[bokeh]], and demonstrated the effect by recreating similar pyramid images on video.<ref name="Dyer">{{cite web |last1=Dyer |first1=Andrew |title=Those amazing Navy UFO videos may have down-to-earth explanations, skeptics contend |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/military/story/2021-05-29/navy-ufo-videos-skeptics |website=sandiegouniontribune.com |date=May 29, 2021 |publisher=[[San Diego Tribune]]}}</ref>

On June 25, 2021, the [[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]] released a report on UAPs, commonly known as the [[Pentagon UFO Report]].<ref name="defe_Establishment">{{Cite web |title=Establishment of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Defense]] |date=August 14, 2020 |access-date=June 25, 2021 |url= https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2314065/establishment-of-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-task-force/}}</ref><ref name="dni_Preliminary_Assessment">{{Cite web |title=Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena |publisher=[[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]] |date=June 25, 2021 |access-date=June 25, 2021 |url= https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gabbatt |first1=Adam |title=It came out of the sky: US releases highly anticipated UFO report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/25/ufos-us-government-report |work=The Guardian |date=June 25, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The report found that the UAPTF was unable to identify 143 of 144 objects spotted between 2004 and 2021. The report said that 18 featured unusual movement patterns or flight characteristics, and more analysis was needed to determine if those sightings represented breakthrough technology. The report noted that some of those steps were resource-intensive and required additional investment.<ref name="dni_Preliminary_Assessment"/> The report did not link the sightings to extraterrestrial life, with officials saying, "We have no clear indications that there is any nonterrestrial explanation for them — but we will go wherever the data takes us".<ref name="APmerchant">{{cite web |last1=Merchant |first1=Nomaan |title=No ET, no answers: Intel report is inconclusive about UFOs |url=https://apnews.com/article/technology-government-and-politics-f5f24502d97072fd4bef34b6fe36c81d |website=apnews.com |date=June 25, 2021 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kube |first1=Courtney |last2=Edelman |first2=Adam |title=UFO report: Government can't explain 143 of 144 mysterious flying objects, blames limited data |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ufo-report-government-can-t-explain-143-144-mysterious-flying-n1272390 |work=NBC News |date=June 25, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In December 2022, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security [[Ronald Moultrie]] said that "[w]e have not seen anything that would lead us [...] to believe that any of the objects we have seen are of alien origin," and that many of the reported objects may be "balloons and things like UAVs that are operated for purposes other than surveillance or intelligence collection."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Liebermann |first1=Oren |title=Pentagon offers few answers in UFO investigation but has received several hundred more reports |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/16/politics/ufo-pentagon-update/index.html |access-date=2022-12-19 |work=CNN |publisher=Cable News Network |date=2022-12-16}}</ref> When asked about the 143 out of 144 military encounters with mysterious flying objects – including several which appeared to demonstrate extraordinary technology – [[Director of National Intelligence|director of national intelligence]] [[Avril Haines]] said, "There's always the question of 'is there something else that we simply do not understand, that might come extraterrestrially".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Von Rennenkampff |first1=Marik |title=In dramatic shift, national intelligence director does not rule out 'extraterrestrial' origins for UFOs |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/international/581710-in-dramatic-shift-national-intelligence-director-does-not-rule-out/ |website=The Hill |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |access-date=26 December 2022 |date=November 16, 2021}}</ref> After speaking with several of the naval aviators who observed one of the unknown crafts, [[Administrator of NASA]] [[Bill Nelson]] said he is convinced that the pilots "saw something, and their radars locked onto it." When asked to speculate about the nature of the phenomena, Nelson responded, "Who am I to say that planet Earth is the only location of a life form that is civilized and organized like ours?".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Von Rennenkampff |first1=Marik |title=NASA chief Bill Nelson latest official to suggest UFOs have otherworldly origins |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/international/579303-nasa-chief-bill-nelson-latest-official-to-suggest-ufos-have/ |website=The Hill |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |access-date=26 December 2022 |date=November 1, 2021 |quote=Asked to speculate about the nature of the phenomena, Nelson – an Army veteran, former senator and ex-astronaut – responded, 'Who am I to say that planet Earth is the only location of a life form that is civilized and organized like ours?'}}</ref>

== Reactions ==

''[[Politico]]'' reported on August 10, 2023, that "AARO is required by law to launch a public-facing website where witnesses can directly report potential UFO sightings" but that this "website is tied up in Pentagon red tape".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Seligman |first1=Lara |last2=Gould |first2=Joe |date=10 August 2023 |title=UFO reporting hotline is MIA |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/10/pentagon-ufo-reporting-00110566 |publisher=[[Politico]] |access-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810094649/https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/10/pentagon-ufo-reporting-00110566 |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> A public website was launched for AARO on August 31, 2023.<ref name="DefenseScoop August 2023">{{cite web |url=https://defensescoop.com/2023/08/30/hicks-takes-direct-oversight-of-pentagons-uap-office-new-reporting-website-to-be-launched |title=Hicks takes direct oversight of Pentagon's UAP office; new reporting website to be launched |last=Vincent |first=Brandi |date=30 August 2023 |website=defensescoop.com |publisher=DefenseScoop |access-date=1 September 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831230836/https://defensescoop.com/2023/08/30/hicks-takes-direct-oversight-of-pentagons-uap-office-new-reporting-website-to-be-launched/ |archive-date=31 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-launches-new-website-declassified-info-ufos-rcna102897 |title=Pentagon launches 'one-stop shop' for declassified info about UFOs |last=Richards |first=Zoë |date=31 August 2023 |publisher=[[NBC News]] |access-date=1 September 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901015206/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-launches-new-website-declassified-info-ufos-rcna102897 |archive-date=1 September 2023}}</ref>

Writing for [[Politico.com|''Politico'']], [[Bryan Bender]] quoted [[Christopher Mellon]], former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and an advisor to the company [[To the Stars (company)|To the Stars]], as saying "It further legitimizes the issue", adding "That in itself is extremely important. People can talk about it without fear of embarrassment." Mellon also said, "We are talking dozens of incidents in restricted military airspace over years."<ref>{{cite news |last=Bender |first=Bryan|author-link=Bryan Bender|title=Senators want the public to see the government's UFO reports|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/23/senators-ufo-government-reports-336021|date=June 23, 2020|work=[[Politico.com]] |access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref>

In July 2020, United States Senator [[Marco Rubio]] stated that he was worried that an adversary country had achieved "some technological leap" that "allows them to conduct this sort of activity", while also saying that there might be a conventional explanation that was "boring".<ref name="Blumenthal"/>

In a piece originally published in ''[[Newsweek]]'', astrophysicist [[Adam Frank]] wrote, "If it's handled well, the [UAP] commission could do more than shed much-needed light on UAPs. It could also give Americans a masterclass in the most basic, most important, and unfortunately, most boring topic in science: Standards of Evidence" and that "when it comes to UAPS/UFOs there are no such standards. It's just a free-for-all."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Frank |first1=Adam |title=NASA brings standards of evidence to the search for UFOs |url=https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/nasa-brings-standards-of-evidence-to-the-search-for-ufos-527122/ |website=NewsCenter - University of Rochester |date=July 25, 2022 |publisher=University of Rochester |access-date=2022-09-01}}</ref>

Journalist [[Keith Kloor]] criticized the involvement of reality TV personality [[Travis S. Taylor]]. Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough confirmed to Kloor for an article on ''Science''Insider, the online news section of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science|AAAS]] that Taylor had a leading role on the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and was informally referred to as its chief scientist.<ref name="Science-29June2022" /> Kloor characterized Taylor as "a researcher who believes in the supernatural". Kloor wrote, "Critics are simply astonished by what they call his antiscientific embrace of the supernatural — and the Pentagon's willingness to work with him". According to skeptic and science writer [[Robert Sheaffer]], "I'm starting to see why [the government's] task force was so unsuccessful in identifying its UAPs!".<ref name="Science-29June2022">{{cite news |last1=Kloor |first1=Keith |title=Pentagon UFO study led by researcher who believes in the supernatural |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/pentagon-ufo-study-led-researcher-who-believes-supernatural |access-date=July 19, 2022 |publisher=Science |date=June 29, 2022}}</ref>

==AARO organization==

=== Executive ===

AARO's Executive Council is AAROEXEC.<ref name= aaroExec >Deputy Secretary of Defense [https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3100053/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office/ (20 July 2022) Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]</ref> The first director of AARO was [[Sean M. Kirkpatrick]],<ref name=wallai/><ref name=tirpak>{{cite news| first=John |last=Tirpak |url=https://www.airforcemag.com/pentagon-under-mandate-creates-new-office-to-investigate-and-mitigate-ufos/ |date=21 July 2022 |title=Pentagon, Under Mandate, Creates New Office to Investigate and 'Mitigate' UFOs}}</ref> reporting to Deputy Defense Secretary [[Kathleen Hicks]]. Hicks announced on August 30, 2023 that AARO would operate under her office and that director Kirkpatrick would report directly to her.<ref name="DefenseScoop August 2023" /> Senator [[Kirsten Gillibrand]] helped found the organization.<ref name="Kelly">{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Laura |date=2023-03-08 |title=China ranks atop worldwide threats, US intelligence chiefs tell lawmakers |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/3890382-china-ranks-atop-worldwide-threats-us-intelligence-chiefs-tell-lawmakers/ |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Remit ===
AARO will focus on
#Surveillance, Collection and Recording
#System Capabilities and Design
#Intelligence Operations and Analysis
#Mitigation and Defeat
#Governance
#Science and Technology
It is to continue the collection and reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) incidents across the DoD's [[special use airspace]] (SUA), as well as the collection and reporting of anomalous, unidentified space, airborne, submerged, and transmedia objects. AARO is to identify and reduce gaps in operational, intelligence, and counterintelligence capability and to recommend policy changes, whether regulatory or statutory, to reduce those gaps.

The organization also aims to increase communication between the military and IC over unidentified marine and aerial craft that could threaten U.S. forces and military bases or spy on sensitive facilities.<ref name="Kelly"/>

The establishing legislation empowers the office to review records as far back as 1945 to determine if federal government or contractor UFO programs were in existence that may have shielded information from either the White House or the US Congress.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Reimann |first=Nicholas |date=2 January 2023 |title=UFO Sightings Just Skyrocketed, Feds Say—Here's Why |journal=Forbes}}</ref>

=== Resourcing ===
Resourcing for AARO will be visible at the Program Budget Review process (PBR); USD(I&S) is to invite the participation of Principals from the [[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]].<ref name="aiomsg" />

== Current AARO investigations ==
AARO has opened hundreds of investigations since its founding in 2022. Half of these have been resolved with mundane explanations, for instance, weather balloons. The other half remain unexplained, with insufficient data to reach any conclusion.<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena |url=https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/reports-publications/reports-publications-2023/item/2354-2022-annual-report-on-unidentified-aerial-phenomena |publisher=Office of the Director of National Intelligence|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112173157/https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Unclassified-2022-Annual-Report-UAP.pdf|archive-date=2023-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Hannah Osborne |date=2023-03-22 |title=Alien mothership lurking in our solar system could be watching us with tiny probes, Pentagon official suggests |url=https://www.livescience.com/alien-mothership-lurking-in-our-solar-system-could-be-watching-us-with-tiny-probes-pentagon-official-suggests |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandon Specktor published |date=2023-01-13 |title=Pentagon is struggling to explain more than 170 fresh UFO reports, new document reveals |url=https://www.livescience.com/pentagon-ufo-report-unsolved-2022 |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bergen |first=Peter |date=17 February 2023 |title=SPY BALLOONS AREN'T CHINA'S REAL THREAT |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}</ref>

The Office received a large number of reports since its founding,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-19 |title=No evidence of alien life despite Pentagon receiving hundreds of new UFO reports |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-19/pentagon-ufo-tracking-office-receiving-hundreds-of-reports/101789660 |access-date=2023-03-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=2022-12-16 |title='Several hundred' UFO reports received by Pentagon's new tracking office |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/16/several-hundred-ufo-reports-received-by-pentagon-new-tracking-office |access-date=2023-03-23 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> many of which were from military personnel.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Copp |first1=Tara |title=Pentagon has received 'several hundreds" of new UFO reports |url=https://apnews.com/article/politics-trending-news-7227512231fa206da624f813455c2f0b |website=AP News |publisher=The Associated Press |date=December 16, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Specktor |first=Brandon |date=February 2023 |title=THE US MILITARY REPORTS 'SEVERAL HUNDRED' UFO SIGHTINGS |journal=How It Works Magazine |volume=173 |pages=18 |via=Gale}}</ref>

The office and ODNI released an 11-page unclassified report on January 12, 2022, prompted by a law that says ODNI must submit a report to Congress yearly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hundreds of new UFO-type sightings reported in 18 months, intel report says |url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2023-01-12/ufos-sightings-pentagon-8743761.html |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chappel |first=Bill |date=January 13, 2023 |title=The Pentagon got hundreds of new reports of UFOs in 2022, a government report says |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/13/1149019140/ufo-report |access-date=24 March 2023 |website=NPR.org (National Public Radio)}}</ref> The report covered 247 new UAP sightings going back to March 2021, as well as 119 events before that date that had not been previously examined.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ryan |first=Finnerty |date=15 February 2023 |title=US lawmakers describe unknown objects as nothing new after classified brief |journal=Flight International |via=Factiva}}</ref> The report indicated that there had been "510 UAP reports as of 30 August. 2022", which was an increase on the previous number of encounters referred to the office.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dunn |first=Thom |date=2023-01-17 |title=New official US government UFO report released, and sightings are way up |url=https://boingboing.net/2023/01/17/new-official-us-government-ufo-report-released-and-sightings-are-way-up.html |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Boing Boing |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="cbsnews.com">{{Cite web |title=Hundreds more UFO sightings included in latest report |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-more-ufo-sightings-included-latest-report/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The report indicated there had been no evidence of aliens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pentagon received hundreds of UFO reports in 2022 – DW – 12/17/2022 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/pentagon-received-hundreds-of-ufo-reports-in-2022/a-64130981 |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Shane |date=January 12, 2023 |title=Most UFO reports 'unremarkable,' Pentagon says, but analysis goes on |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/12/ufo-sightings-pentagon-review/}}</ref><ref name="Stewart">{{Cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Phil |last2=Ali |first2=Idrees |last3=Stewart |first3=Phil |last4=Ali |first4=Idrees |date=2023-02-13 |title=Ruling out aliens? Senior U.S. general says not ruling out anything yet |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ruling-out-aliens-senior-us-general-says-not-ruling-out-anything-yet-2023-02-13/ |access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

The report noted that out of the 366 new reports submitted, after initial analysis, about half were found to have common explanations, e.g., uncrewed aircraft, balloons, and clutter.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Chappell |first=Bill |date=January 13, 2023 |title=The Pentagon got hundreds of new reports of UFOs in 2022, a government report says |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/13/1149019140/ufo-report |access-date=March 26, 2023 |website=National Public Radio}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last1=Magazine |first1=Smithsonian |last2=Germain |first2=Jacquelyne |title=More Than 350 New UFO Sightings Added to U.S. Government Records |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-350-new-ufo-sightings-added-to-us-government-records-180981466/ |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Trevithick |first=Joseph |date=2023-02-15 |title=Broken AARO? Pentagon UAP Office's Role Questioned Following Shootdowns |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/broken-aaro-pentagon-uap-offices-role-questioned-following-shootdowns |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=The Drive |language=en}}</ref> The report indicated that there should be assumptions made about multiple factors that could affect observations of UAPs, including illumination, weather and the accuracy of the interpretation of sensor data, and that a select number of reports submitted may relate to irregularities of the operator or the equipment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pentagon receives more than 350 new reports of UFO sightings |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-receives-350-new-reports-ufo-sightings-rcna65631 |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

Out of the 366 reports, 171 remained uncharacterized.<ref name="cbsnews.com"/><ref name="popsci.com">{{Cite web |date=2023-01-23 |title=Is the truth out there? Decoding the Pentagon's latest UFO report. |url=https://www.popsci.com/technology/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-report-2022/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Popular Science |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanks |first=Micah |date=2023-01-19 |title=The 2022 Annual Report on UAP: Four Significant Takeaways You Probably Missed |url=https://thedebrief.org/the-2022-annual-report-on-uap-four-significant-takeaways-you-probably-missed/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=The Debrief |language=en-US}}</ref>  The report noted that some of these uncharacterized UAPs appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities and that these reported incidents required further analysis.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-01-13 |title=UFO reports by US troops skyrocket to over 500 |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64252340 |access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref><ref name="Stewart"/>

Input for the report was sought or supplied from various bodies, including NASA, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]], the [[National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration]], and the [[Department of Energy]]. The report notes that most of the sightings were made to the office by U.S. Navy and [[U.S. Air Force]] personnel, reporting them through their official channels.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Brett Tingley |date=2023-01-12 |title=Pentagon releases its long-awaited 2022 UFO report |url=https://www.space.com/pentagon-2022-ufo-uap-report |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Space.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="popsci.com"/> The report also noted that some of the cases could be as a result of sensors not working correctly.<ref name="popsci.com"/>

==History==
{{See also|Unidentified flying object#20th century and after|Investigation of UFO reports by the United States government}}

=== AATIP (2007–2012) ===
In 2007, the [[United States Defense Intelligence Agency]] set up an unclassified but low-profile program titled the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP). This was in response to several reports of unidentified craft identified by the US military. The program was closed in 2012, following its cessation of funding, and the Navy and Intelligence Services continued its work.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=McVittie |first=Chris |date=January 2023 |title="I don't mean extradimensional in a woo-woo sense": Doing non-explanation in discussions of unidentified aerial phenomena |journal=Language & Communication |volume=88 |pages=90–98 |doi=10.1016/j.langcom.2022.11.005 |s2cid=254332899 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===UAPTF (2017–2022)===
In December 2017, the [[United States Department of Defense]] confirmed the existence of a defense program used to collect data on military [[UFO]] sightings,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Knuth |first=KH |date=September 25, 2019 |title=Estimating Flight Characteristics of Anomalous Unidentified Aerial Vehicles. |journal=Entropy |volume=21 |issue=10 |pages=939|doi=10.3390/e21100939 |pmc=7514271 |doi-access=free }}</ref> despite the disbandment of the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] in 2012. Like its predecessor program, the UAP Task Force is managed by the [[Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence]] in collaboration with the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]].

After the June 2020 Senate hearing, Senator [[Marco Rubio]] requested the release of video footage of [[Unidentified flying object|unexplained aerial vehicles]] collected by the [[United States Navy]], including the [[Pentagon UFO videos]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senators want public to see Pentagon UFO reports, citing "inconsistent" information sharing|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ufo-pentagon-reports-senators-want-regulate/|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=www.cbsnews.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Senate Intelligence Committee Confirms the US Navy Has a UFO Task Force|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jgx573/senate-intelligence-committee-confirms-the-us-navy-has-a-ufo-task-force|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=www.vice.com|language=en}}</ref>

On June 24, 2020, the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|Intelligence Committee]] voted to require [[United States Intelligence Community]] and the [[United States Department of Defense]] to publicly track and analyze data collected on unexplained aerial vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Williams|first=Erika|date=June 24, 2020|title=Senate Panel Votes to Let Public Access UFO Records|url=http://www.courthousenews.com/senate-panel-votes-to-let-public-access-ufo-records/|access-date=July 23, 2020|language=en-US}}</ref> A report from the task force will be issued to the Intelligence Committee 180 days after the passage of the intelligence authorization act.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spocchia|first=Gino|title=Pentagon UFO unit to publicly release some findings after ex-official says 'off-world vehicle' found|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ufo-pentagon-statement-findings-vehicle-research-a9636481.html|date=June 24, 2020|work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=July 2, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Blumenthal">{{cite news |last=Blumenthal |first=Ralph |title=No longer in the shadows, Pentagon's UFO unit will make some findings public|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-nw-nyt-pentagon-ufo-unit-20200723-b3akzzy44zdgxc3bmhgko6nkgm-story.html|date=July 23, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]/[[The Baltimore Sun]] |access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref>

The program was officially approved on August 4, 2020, by the [[Deputy Secretary of Defense]] [[David Norquist]] and announced on August 14, 2020. "The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security."

Brennan McKernan was the director of the UAPTF.<ref>{{cite news |title='We've got to get an answer': UFOs catch Congress' interest |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/23/ufos-catch-congress-interest-lawmakers-495778 |work=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref>

===AARO (2022–present) ===
{{anchor|AOIMSG}}{{UnitedStatesCode|50|3373}} ([[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022|NDAA 2022]] and [[James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023|NDAA 2023]]) directs the Secretary and DNI to establish an office to carry out the duties of the UAPTF.

The successor to the UAPTF was established on November 23, 2021, as the [[Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group]] (AOIMSG).<ref name= aiomsg>[[Kathleen Hicks]] [https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/23/2002898596/-1/-1/0/ESTABLISHMENT-OF-THE-AIRBORNE-OBJECT-IDENTIFICATION-AND-MANAGEMENT-SYNCHRONIZATION-GROUP.PDF (23 November 2021) Establishment of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group]</ref> Oversight and direction of the AOIMSG was to be an Executive Council, formerly the Airborne Object Identification and Management Executive Council (AOIMEXEC). The AOIMEXEC was to be co-chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security ([[Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence|USD(I&S)]]) and the Director of Operations, [[Joint Staff]], and was to designate an acting director for the AOIMSG.<ref name= aiomsg/> In July 2022, DoD announced the successors to AOIMSG and AOIMEXEC to be AARO and AAROEXEC, respectively. AARO is the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. The UAPTF is disestablished, with its resources transferred to AARO.<ref name= aiomsg/> {{UnitedStatesCode|50|3373a}} ([[Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022|IAA 2022]]) requires quarterly [[classified information|classified]] reporting to Congress beginning no later than June 2022.<ref name= wallai >Wallai tech [https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-735664 (28 Mar 2023) Could aliens be investigating us? It's more likely than you think] Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, Avi Loeb report 7 Mar 2023 "aliens likely want to explore rocky planets with liquid water"</ref>

On August 30, 2023, the AARO's public website was launched, without an email address or phone number for military and civilian UAP reports, as previously mandated by NDAA legislation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thedebrief.org/the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office-has-finally-launched-its-official-website-heres-whats-missing|title=The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office Has Finally Launched Its Official Website. Here’s What’s Missing.|work=The Debrief.|access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-10 |title=UFO reporting hotline is MIA |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/10/pentagon-ufo-reporting-00110566 |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref>

On November 7, 2023, it was reported that [[Sean M. Kirkpatrick]] will step down as director of AARO effective December 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seligman |first=Lara |date=2023-11-07 |title=Pentagon UFO boss to step down next month |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/07/pentagon-ufo-boss-00125883 |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref> Timothy A. Phillips, on assignment from the [[Office of the Director of National Intelligence]], is the Deputy Director.<ref name= timothyPhillips >US DoD announcement [https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3583493/department-of-defense-announces-the-deputy-director-all-domain-anomaly-resoluti/ (8 Nov 2023) Department of Defense Announces the Deputy Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]</ref> Sean Kirkpatrick left the position of AARO Director on 1 December 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vincent |first=Brandi |date=2023-11-30 |title=Pentagon's UAP investigation chief to depart Dec. 1 |url=https://defensescoop.com/2023/11/30/pentagons-uap-investigation-chief-to-depart-dec-1/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=DefenseScoop |language=en-US}}</ref>

On August 26, 2024, Jon T. Kosloski was named the director of AARO, replacing acting director Timothy Phillips.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Department of Defense Announces the New Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3884318/department-of-defense-announces-the-new-director-all-domain-anomaly-resolution/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=U.S. Department of Defense |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Dr. Jon T. Kosloski |url=https://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/3884328/dr-jon-t-kosloski/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=U.S. Department of Defense |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== 2024 AARO report ====
[[File:AARO Historical Record Report Volume 1 2024.pdf|thumb|250px|Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Volume 1]]
On March 6, 2024, the DOD cleared for publication the AARO "Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Volume 1", which according to the Washington Post, "covered all official U.S. investigatory efforts from 1945 to the present and examined classified and unclassified government archives."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Shane |last2=Lamothe |first2=Dan |title=Pentagon report finds no evidence of alien visits, hidden spacecraft |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309014004/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/08/no-ufo-aliens-pentagon-report/ |website=The Washington Post |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref>  

The report noted a “proliferation of television programmes, books, movies, and the vast amount of internet and social media content centred on UAP-related topics“ but concluded that official investigations had not found any empirical evidence that reported sightings represented “off--world technology” or any classified program that had not been reported to Congress, hidden alien technology or extraterrestrial artifacts.<ref name="Barnes">{{cite web |last1=Barnes |first1=Julian |title=Pentagon Review Finds No Evidence of Alien Cover-Up |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/08/us/politics/pentagon-ufo-alien-review.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bU0.70yG.kYdcqyjW8N6m&smid=url-share |website=nytimes.com |publisher=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref><ref name="Wendling">{{cite web |last1=Wendling |first1=Mike |title=US says UFO sightings likely secret military tests |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68515515 |website=bbc.com |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref>

The report detailed 20th-century UAP investigations, including Projects Saucer, [[Project Sign|Sign]], [[Project Grudge|Grudge]], Twinkle, and [[Project Blue Book|Blue Book]]; more recent investigations included [[AAWSAP]], [[AATIP]], UAPTF, and AARO itself.<ref>Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), pp 13-25</ref>  The report revealed for the first time that elements within the US government had proposed to create a Special Access Program under the Department of Homeland Security, to be named "Kona Blue", to reverse engineer any extraterrestrial craft that came into its possession.  Advocates of the proposal "were convinced that the U.S. government was hiding UAP technologies", but DHS leaders rejected the proposal as "without merit";  AARO's report similarly rejected the claims of Kona Blue's advocates.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Seligman |first1=Lara |last2=Hudson |first2=Lee |title=US once considered a program to reverse-engineer alien spacecraft, Pentagon report reveals |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/08/us-alien-spacecraft-program-pentagon-report-00146013 |access-date=9 March 2024 |work=Politico |date=8 March 2024}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[NASA Director of UAP Research]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* [https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf "Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" - Unclassified intelligence assessment by DoD on the progress of the UAPTF]
* [https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Unclassified-2022-Annual-Report-UAP.pdf "2022 Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" - Unclassified annual report by ODNI and AARO on the formation and work of AARO]

== External links ==
{{sister project links|auto=1}}
* {{official website}}<!-- doesn't work without the www. -->
* [https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2314065/establishment-of-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-task-force/ Department of Defence press release regarding the UAPTF]
* [https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2853121/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-airborne-object-identification-and-manag/source/GovDelivery/ Department of Defense press release regarding the AOIMSG]
* [https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3100053/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office/ Department of Defense press release regarding the AARO]
* {{YouTube|aSDweUbGBow|Video (92:50): U.S. Congressional Hearing on UFO/UAP (May 17, 2022)}}.
{{Authority control}}
* [https://media.defense.gov/2024/Mar/08/2003409233/-1/-1/0/DOPSR-CLEARED-508-COMPLIANT-HRRV1-08-MAR-2024-FINAL.PDF "Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP)"]
[[Category:United States government responses to UFOs]]
[[Category:UFO culture in the United States]]
[[Category:Office of Naval Intelligence]]
[[Category:United States intelligence operations]]
[[Category:Non-combat military operations involving the United States]]
[[Category:2020 establishments in the United States]]