Program · 15 July 2022
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
Also known as AARO
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office is the Pentagon office responsible for UAP reports across air, sea, space and transmedium domains. Required by the Fiscal Year 2022 NDAA, it was approved in a Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum of 15 July 2022, published on 20 July, and replaced the short-lived AOIMSG. Its directors have been the physicist Sean Kirkpatrick (2022–2023), Tim Phillips as acting director, and Jon T. Kosloski, named in August 2024.
AARO publishes case resolutions and annual reports. Its Historical Record Report, Volume 1 (2024) reviewed U.S. government UAP efforts since 1945 and "found no evidence that any USG investigation, academic-sponsored research, or official review panel has confirmed that any sighting of a UAP represented extraterrestrial technology", and no empirical evidence of reverse-engineering programmes. Whistleblowers such as David Grusch dispute those findings; both sides are filed in the linked records.
Sources: DoD establishment memo (2022) · AARO Historical Record Report, Vol. 1 (2024)
Facts and claims
- documented Approved by the Deputy Secretary of Defense's memorandum of 15 July 2022 (published 20 July), which directed the USD(I&S) to establish AARO in place of the AOIMSG and to wind down the UAP Task Force. Source: Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum: Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (15 July 2022)
- documented Directors: Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (2022–2023), then Dr. Jon T. Kosloski (named August 26, 2024). Source: meritalk.com (archived)
Connected files
Claims
- The objects a pilot met over the Eglin range in January 2023 were craft no human could have built (disputes claim)
- The objects Navy F/A-18 crews tracked off the U.S. East Coast in 2014–15 were not conventional aircraft, drones or balloons (disputes claim)
- The U.S. government's official UAP investigations have found no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial or non-human technology (subject of)
- Programs dealing with UAP have been hidden from congressional oversight (disputes claim)
- The U.S. has recovered the bodies of non-human beings from crashed craft (disputes claim)
- The U.S. holds recovered craft of non-human origin and runs a secret program to reverse-engineer them (disputes claim)
- The 2004 Nimitz “Tic Tac” flew in ways no known aircraft can (comments on claim)
Concepts
- Bismuth–magnesium “Roswell” sample (Art's Parts) (analysed)
- Government UFO disinformation (investigated) — AARO sees disinformation and secrecy around weapons programs as the source of much UFO lore
Documents
- Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Annual Report on UAP (ODNI and DoD, October 2023) (published)
- Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Annual Report on UAP (DoD / AARO, November 2024) (published)
- Fiscal Year 2025 Consolidated Annual Report on UAP (Department of War / AARO, July 2026) (published)
- AARO case slides for the Senate Armed Services subcommittee (19 November 2024) (published)
- AARO case resolution: Eglin AFB UAP (published)
- Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandum: Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (15 July 2022) (established by) — It directs the USD(I&S) to establish AARO, which replaces the AOIMSG
- AARO case resolution: "Go Fast" (2025) (published)
- AARO Historical Record Report, Volume 1 (produced)
- AARO briefing slides to the Senate Armed Services subcommittee (19 April 2023) (published)
- NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team report (2023) (discussed in) — It notes Congress has made AARO the lead federal organisation for resolving UAP
Events
- Jon Kosloski named AARO director (subject of)
Incidents
- Aguadilla “Puerto Rico object” (investigated)
- U.S. military UAP reports across CENTCOM (2013–2025) (investigated)
- Eglin AFB "orb" and diamond formation (Florida, 2023) (investigated)
- Mount Etna object (2018 drone video) (investigated)
- U.S. military UAP reports off Greece (2023–2024) (reviewed)
- Karaganda Airport video (investigated)
- MQ-9 “Middle East Object” (investigated)
- Western U.S. national security site triangle sighting (investigated)
News
- WSJ: Pentagon disinformation fueled UFO myths, from doctored Area 51 photos to a fake “Yankee Blue” briefing (subject of)
Organizations
- Japanese Diet parliamentary league for UAP clarification (model for) — Its founding statement urges Japan to create an office like AARO and share data with the U.S.
- UAP Science Advisory Council (works with) — Formed at the White House's request in coordination with AARO, the ODNI and the FBI
People
- Anna Paulina Luna (disputed by) — She dismisses AARO's briefings and has called its former director a liar
- Robert Salas (disputed by) — He says AARO disregarded him, and rejects the WSJ's EMP-test explanation
- Chris Mellon (criticised by) — He called AARO's 2024 historical report the most error-ridden government report he could recall
- David Grusch (disputes) — AARO's 2024 report calls the reverse-engineering narrative inaccurate and the product of circular reporting
- Dylan Borland (received filing from) — He filed with the ICIG and AARO in 2023, and counts a disputed AARO memorandum among the reprisals he describes
- Jeffrey Nuccetelli (asked for records by) — He says AARO told him the Vandenberg records had been destroyed under a three-year retention schedule
- Jon T. Kosloski (led by) — Director from August 2024 (named August 26, 2024)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (legislated by) — Her amendment in the FY2022 NDAA set up the office that became AARO
- Mario Woods (received testimony from)
- Sean Kirkpatrick (led by) — AARO's first director. He set up the office before stepping down in December 2023
- Tim Gallaudet (accused by) — He accused AARO of an influence operation
- Tim Phillips (led by) — Deputy director from October 2023, and acting director after Kirkpatrick retired in December 2023
Programs
Official records (PURSUE)
Videos
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Public Hearing - In Full - April 19, 2023 (discussed in)
- House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video (discussed in)
- Inside the DIA's Secretive UFO Investigation: Lacatski and Kelleher on WEAPONIZED #38 (October 2023) (discussed in)
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth (discussed in)
- Oversight Hearing on AARO and UAPs/UFOs Nov 19th 2024 (UnEdited) (discussed in)
- UFOs and the Military: A Combat Pilot's Experience with the Unknown — Alex Dietrich (American Veterans Center, 2025) (discussed in) — Dietrich says AARO is a good idea, though she doesn't know they've “gotten it exactly right”
- Christopher Mellon on UFOs, secrecy and what the public still doesn't know (The Chris Cuomo Project, 2025) (discussed in)
- Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation (House Oversight and Government Reform) (discussed in)
- Christopher Mellon, “We Are Not Alone”: a reflection on UAP (Disclosure Foundation, 2025) (discussed in)
- Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection (discussed in)
- “He ran the Pentagon's secret UFO program, and says we've been played”: James Lacatski, part 1 (WEAPONIZED, November 2025) (discussed in)
- David Grusch on the Dr. Phil Podcast: craft, cadavers and the retrieval program (August 2026) (discussed in) — Grusch says AARO never contacted him again after he offered to help cross-examine former program officials
- UAP & National Security: Mellon, Gallaudet, von Rennenkampff & McConnell at Disclosure Forum 2026 (discussed in)
- Former DISA contractor Kevin Campbell: UAP seen live on MQ-9 feeds over East Asian seas (Americans for Safe Aerospace, 2026) (discussed in)
- Jay Stratton on Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier (13 October 2026) (discussed in)
- “A Top Government Official Told Me Aliens Run Everything!” -Dylan Borland UNLEASHED (discussed in)
- US fighter pilots witness UFO: Ryan Graves (American Alchemy, 2024) (discussed in)
- Top Navy Admiral: “The Ocean is FULL OF UFOs!” (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2365 - Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2065 - David Grusch (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2314: Hal Puthoff (discussed in)
Mentioned in videos
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Public Hearing - In Full - April 19, 2023
- House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video
- Inside the DIA's Secretive UFO Investigation: Lacatski and Kelleher on WEAPONIZED #38 (October 2023)
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth
- Oversight Hearing on AARO and UAPs/UFOs Nov 19th 2024 (UnEdited)
- Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation (House Oversight and Government Reform)
- Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection
- “He ran the Pentagon's secret UFO program, and says we've been played”: James Lacatski, part 1 (WEAPONIZED, November 2025)
- “The Government UFO Boss”: James Lacatski, part 2, on New Insights (WEAPONIZED, November 2025)
- Former DISA contractor Kevin Campbell: UAP seen live on MQ-9 feeds over East Asian seas (Americans for Safe Aerospace, 2026)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on UAP disclosure, government secrecy and David Grusch (Rebelliously Curious, October 2026)
- “A Top Government Official Told Me Aliens Run Everything!” -Dylan Borland UNLEASHED
- "I Retrieved a UFO With My Helicopter!" -Jake Barber
- “This UFO Shut Down 10 Nukes!” - Air Force Officer Robert Salas
- US fighter pilots witness UFO: Ryan Graves (American Alchemy, 2024)
- Top Navy Admiral: “The Ocean is FULL OF UFOs!”
- Joe Rogan Experience #2314: Hal Puthoff
Mentioned in documents and records
- Inside the U.S. Government Covert UFO Program: Future Visions
- Inside the U.S. Government Covert UFO Program: New Insights
- Eyes Only: The Story of Clifford Stone and UFO Crash Retrievals
- Faded Giant: The 1967 Missile/UFO Incidents
- Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs
- Inside the US Government Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations
- Unidentified: The UFO Phenomenon — How World Governments Have Conspired to Conceal Humanity's Biggest Secret
- Skinwalkers at the Pentagon: An Insiders' Account of the Secret Government UFO Program
- UAPs and the Nuclear Puzzle: Visitations, National Security, and the Need for Transparency
- UFO Crash/Retrievals: Status Reports I–VII
- UFO Secrets Inside Wright-Patterson: Eyewitness Accounts from the Real Area 51
- The U.S. government has deliberately spread false or misleading information about UFOs
- A UFO shut down nuclear missiles at Malmstrom Air Force Base in March 1967
- Crash retrieval & reverse engineering
- Non-human intelligence
- Warp Drive, Dark Energy, and the Manipulation of Extra Dimensions
- Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs)
- David Grusch — written opening statement, House Oversight hearing (July 26, 2023)
- House Oversight Task Force letter requesting UAP videos from the Department of War (31 March 2026)
- Hearing transcript: AARO mission, activities, oversight and budget (Senate Armed Services, April 19, 2023)
- Hearing transcript: UAP — Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency (House Oversight, July 26, 2023)
- David Grusch files his whistleblower complaint with the ICIG
- PURSUE Release 07: federal agents' triangle sighting and AAWSAP's working files
- Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing on AARO
- Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing with AARO Director
- U.S. military UAP reports in the AFRICOM area (2020–2025)
- U.S. military UAP reports over East Asian seas (2021–2025)
- Magenta crash (alleged, 1933)
- Tremonton film (Utah, 1952)
- USS Jackson “tic-tac” formation
- Yemen MQ-9 “Hellfire” orb video
- Avi Loeb wants sensors at the PURSUE sites where the triangle and the orbs were reported
- Kirkpatrick answers Stratton: "There is no legacy program"
- Loeb's council: more than 8% of PURSUE sensor videos may show birds
- Bigelow Aerospace
- Boeing
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of War (Department of Defense)
- Defense Intelligence Agency
- Lockheed Martin
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center
- Northrop Grumman
- RTX (formerly Raytheon)
- Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science
- Skinwalker Ranch
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program
- Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program
- KONA BLUE
- Legacy program
- Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force
More programs
- PURSUE — Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters
- Project Blue Book
- Setka ("Net"): Soviet state programme on anomalous phenomena, 1978–1990
- Immaculate Constellation
- Stargate Project
- Project Grudge