Office of the Secretary of Defense: 022_SASC_Transcript_2023

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1 in the features and performance characteristics of many
2 objects observed by our highly-trained service members
3 operating top of the line military equipment.
4 We learned that for at least the past eight years
5 military pilots frequently encountered unknown objects in
6 controlled airspace off both the East and West Coasts,
7 across the continental United States, in test and training
8 areas and ranges.
9 We do not know where they are -- they come from, who
10 made them, or how they operate. As former Deputy Secretary
11 of Defense David Norquist observed, had any of these objects
12 had the label made in China there would be an uproar in the
13 government and media. There would be no stone unturned and
14 no effort spared to find out what we were dealing with.
15 We can look at the recent incursion of the unidentified
16 PRC high-altitude balloon as an example and because of the
17 UFO stigma the response has been irresponsibly anemic and
18 slow.
19 Congress established AARO. We made it clear that we
20 expect vigorous action. We added very substantial initial
21 funding for the office. But despite our best efforts the
22 President's budget for fiscal years '23 and '24 requested
23 only enough funding to defray the operating expenses of
24 AARO.
25 It included almost no funds to sustain the critical
Page determined to be Unclassified
Reviewed by Chief of Staff, AARO
IAW FY24 NDAA, Section 1841(a)(1)(C)
Date: 2/6/2025
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