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Office of the Secretary of Defense: 05_AARO_Historical_Record_Report

Department of Defense. Office of the Secretary of Defense. · 2023 · 63 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is Volume I of the Historical Record Report from the Department of Defense's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), dated February 2024 and released in full in February 2025. It reviews US government UAP investigations since 1945, from Project SIGN and Blue Book through the Condon Report, AATIP and the UAP Task Force. AARO found no evidence that any sighting involved extraterrestrial technology or that anyone reverse-engineered alien craft. It says the claims come largely from circular reporting, and it names KONA BLUE as a proposed program that was never approved.

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national security.73 AOIMSG had not achieved initial operating capability before subsequent
legislation in the FY2022 NDAA resulted in it being renamed to AARO and given an expanded
mission set.
UAP Independent Study Team (UAPIST) (June 2022-September 2023)
Background: NASA established the UAPIST as a subordinate group of its Earth
Science Advisory Committee, which was established in accordance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act. The UAPIST examined UAP from a scientific perspective, focusing on how
NASA can use data and the scientific tools to achieve a better understanding of UAP. The
Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator for Research at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate
was responsible for orchestrating the study. The independent study team was chaired by the
President of the Simons Foundation and included members from the USG, academia, and the
private sector.74
Results: NASA released its report in September 2023. The report focused on
discovering the best data streams available and discoverable to resolve UAP cases. It did not
focus on whether or not UAP were of extraterrestrial origin. NASA also established a UAP
Research Director position.
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) (Established July 15, 2022)
Background: In response to the NDAA for FY22, the Deputy Secretary of Defense in
coordination with the DNI, conveyed direction to the USD(I&S) by renaming the AOIMSG as
AARO, and expanded its scope and mission.75 AARO organized itself around four functions
(analysis, operations, science & technology (S&T), and strategic communications). AARO is
developing IC and S&T analytic tradecraft practices, implementing a science testing plan,
implementing a secure interviewee debriefing program, and is working to standardize UAP
collection and reporting across the DoD and the IC.
Results: Consistent with congressional direction, AARO provides quarterly reports,
semiannual briefings, and an annual report to Congress in coordination with the ODNI. In
addition, on January 12, 2023, the ODNI submitted the 2022 Annual Report on Unidentified
Aerial Phenomena to Congress. This report was drafted in partnership with AARO and based on
AARO’s data.
• The report stated that there was a total of 510 UAP reports as of August 30, 2022.
This included the 144 UAP reports covered during the 17 years of reporting included
in the ODNI’s preliminary assessment, as well as 247 new reports and 119 reports
that subsequently were discovered or reported.
• The report also stated that UAP events continue to occur in restricted or sensitive
airspace, highlighting possible concerns for safety of flight or adversary collection
activity.7605Page determined to be Unclassified
Review by Chief of Staff, AARO
IAW FY24 NDAA, Section 1841 (a)(1)(C)
Date: 02/05/2025

Cases discussed

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Official release, from the nara collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 63 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.