Deputy Secretary of Defense - Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office: July 15, 2022

1
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
1010 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON , DC 20301 - 10 10
JUL 15 2022
MEMORANDUM FOR SENIOR PE TAGON LEADERSHIP
COMMANDERS OF THE COMBATA T COMMANDS
DEFENSE AGE CY AND DOD FIELD ACTIVITY DIRECTORS
SUBJECT: Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
On ovember 23, 2021, I directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and
Security (USD(I&S)) to establish the Airborne Object Identification and Management
Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) to synchronize efforts across the Department of Defense
(DoD) and with other Federal departments and agencies to detect. identify, and attribute objects
of interest in special use airspace. I also established the Airborne Object Identification
Management Executive Council (AOIMEXEC) to provide oversight and direction to the
AOIMSG.
Prior to the establishment of the AOIMSG the ational Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 was enacted with a provision that requires the Secretary of
Defense to establish an office, in coordination with the Director of ational Intelligence (DNI),
with responsibilities that include those that were to be assigned to the AOIMSG. Therefore,
following coordination with the DNI, I hereby approve the fo llowing amendments to my original
direction in Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, "Establishment of the Airborne Object
Identification and Management Group," ovember 23, 2021 , to meet the DoD requirements in
section 1683 of the NDAA for FY 2022:
• The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) will be established to carry out
the duties that were to be fulfi lled by the AOIMSG. The mission of the AARO will
be to "synchronize efforts across the Department and with other Federal departments
and agencies to detect, identify, and attribute objects of interest in, on, or near
military installations, operating areas, training areas, special use airspace, and other
areas of interest, and, as necessary, to mitigate any associated threats to safety of
operations and national security." This includes anomalous, unidentified space,
airborne, submerged, and transmedium objects.
• The AOIMEXEC is renamed the AARO Executive Council (AAROEXEC). The
mission of the AAROEXEC will be to provide oversight and direction to the AARO.
• I direct the USD(I&S) to establish the AARO, in coordination with the Director of
Administration and Management. Consistent with section 1683 of the NDAA for FY
2022, I also direct the Secretary of the Navy to disestablish the Unidentified Aerial
Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) no later than the date the AARO is established, and
to support the orderly transition of the UAPTF, including the transfer of any data,
analysis, or other relevant material, to the AARO.
1111 11 11111~11 1 mn0SO005853-22/CM 0007521 -22