Office of the Secretary of Defense: 07_2024_Annual_Report

UNCLASSIFIED
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UNCLASSIFIED
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report is provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) in response to a requirement
established in 50 U.S. Code [U.S.C.] 3373(k).
This report covers unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) reports from
May 1, 2023 to June 1, 2024 and all UAP reports from any previous time periods that were not
included in an earlier report. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) received 757
UAP reports during this period; 485 of these reports featured UAP incidents that occurred during
the reporting period. The remaining 272 reports featured UAP incidents that occurred between
2021 and 2022 but were not reported to AARO until this reporting period and consequently were
not included in previous annual UAP reports.
AARO resolved 118 cases during the reporting period, all of which resolved to prosaic
objects such as various types of balloons, birds, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). As of May
31, 2024, AARO has an additional 174 cases queued for closure, pending a final review and
Director’s approval. As of the publishing date of this report, all 174 cases have been finalized as
resolved to prosaic objects including balloons, birds, UAS, satellites, and aircraft. Many other
cases remain unresolved and AARO continues collection and analysis on that body of cases. It is
important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial
beings, activity, or technology.
None of the reports AARO received during the reporting period indicated that observers
suffered any adverse health effects.
U.S. military aircrews provided two reports that identified flight safety concerns, and
three reports described pilots being trailed or shadowed by UAP. To date, AARO has no
indication or confirmation that these activities are attributable to foreign adversaries. AARO
continues to coordinate with the Intelligence Community (IC) to identify whether these activities
may be the result of foreign adversarial activities.
AARO’s ability to resolve cases remains constrained by a lack of timely and actionable
sensor data. AARO continues to address this challenge by working with military and technical
partners to optimize sensor requirements, information-sharing processes, and the content of UAP
reporting. AARO is also expanding engagement with foreign partners to share information and
collaborate on best practices for resolving UAP cases.
II. SCOPE
This consolidated annual report is provided by the DoD in response to a requirement
established in 50 U.S.C. § 3373(k)(1)(A): “Not later than 180 days after the enactment of the FY
2023 Intelligence Authorization Act and annually thereafter for four years, the Director of the
Office shall submit a report on UAP to the appropriate congressional committees.”
As detailed in 50 U.S.C. § 3373(k)(1)(B), “Each report shall include, with respect to the
year covered by the report, the following information:07Page determined to be Unclassified
Reviewed by Chief of Staff, AARO
IAW FY24 NDAA, Section 1841 (a)(1)(C)
Date: 02/05/2025