029_2023_UAP_Mission_Slides.pdf

ALL-DOMAIN  ANOMALY  RESOLUTION  OFFICE
US Department of Defense
The US Defense Department &
the UAP Mission
Seán Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.
Director, AARO
FOR DISPLAY ONLY
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FOR DISPLAY ONLY
All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office
Chief of Staff, AARO
Authority: FY24 NDAA, now codified at 44 U.S.C. 2107 
Date: 3/20/2025
Released in Full: X
Case Number: 330UAP000029
Page determined to be Unclassified
Reviewed by Chief of Staff, AARO
IAW FY24 NDAA, Section 1841(a)(1)(C)
Date: 3/20/2025
029
                        CLEARED 
For Open Publication 
 
 
Department of Defense 
OFFICE OF P…

US Department of Defense
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UAP ≠unattributed balloon activity;
key emphases on “anomalous” factors
Existence of UAP is direct consequence 
of domain-awareness gaps
UAP potentially represent advanced 
capabilities operating in our 
domain-awareness gaps
UNIDENTIFIED
ANOMALOUS
PHENOMENA
UAP are sources of anomalous detections in one or 
more domain (i.e., airborne, seaborne, 
spaceborne, and/or transmedium) that are 
not yet attributable to known actors and 
that demonstrate behaviors that are not 
readily understood by sensors or observers. 
“Anomalous detections” include but are not 
limite…

US Department of Defense
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The FY23 NDAA modified and expanded on the previous year’s UAP provisions, 
affecting authorities, organization, and reporting-requirements. 
Established AARO as US Government lead for UAP efforts
Amends structure, distribution of responsibilities 
Requires annual report to be a joint, DoD & ODNI submission
Adds Historical Record Report
Adds UAP reporting procedures/protections 
Increases number of congressional committees overseeing 
AARO activities
Revises UAP acronym to stand for unidentified anomalous
phenomena
FOR DISPLAY ONLY
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FO…

ALL-DOMAIN ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICE
ANALYSES
OPERATIONS
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
driving shared awareness 
across mission partners, 
oversight authorities, and 
stakeholders—normalizing 
cross-sector partnerships and 
building trust with 
transparency
delivering peer-reviewed 
conclusions through deliberate 
syntheses of scientific and 
intelligence method, 
tradecraft, tools, and expertise
synchronizing and sequencing 
Theater, IC, and other 
capabilities for optimized, 
cross-functional UAP 
detection, tracking, mitigation, 
and recovery
Mission, Vision, & Functions
AAR…

US Department of Defense
5
US Territory & Operating Areas
DoD observations and reporting of 
UAP most often in the vicinity of US 
military facilities and operating areas
Threats to the immediate safety of US 
citizens and Government facilities, 
across domains, is priority
Safety and security risks of UAP 
heighten US Government awareness 
and drives research and mitigation 
efforts
Key partners and stakeholders include
DoD, IC, DoJ, NASA, FAA
US Strategic Capabilities
Reporting on UAP proximity to 
strategic capabilities and critical 
infrastructure primarily historical; 
analysis limit…

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Organically garners primary 
research data for scientific and 
intelligence analyst consumption-
through voluntary interviews with 
those who claim placement and 
access to UAP and UAP-related 
information; through collection of 
historical government and open-
source data; and through other 
activities.
HISTORICAL UAP-DATA ACQUISITION
Leads UAP recovery planning and 
execution, in close collaboration 
with AARO S& T Group.
Advises Commands on the secure 
and safe handling, storage, 
transport, and transfer of UAP 
Objects and Material, for AARO 
S&T exploitation.
UAP OBJECT RECOVERY
Partner…

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3
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Publishes and distributes 
final, peer-reviewed AARO 
Analytic Assessment in a 
manner discoverable by 
DoD, IC, policymakers, and 
other stakeholders
Provides conclusions and 
feedback to UAP reporting 
sources (i.e., UAP observers)
Publication and Feedback 
Compare location, characteristics, 
performance and signature data to 
open source and classified 
catalogues of known foreign 
capabilities and R&D programs; 
deconflict with sensitive US 
programs and activities; triage, 
categorize, and store for further 
analysis
PRELIMINARY ANALYSES
Leads an integrated DoD, IC, and S&T commun…

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Directs exploitation of recovered 
enigmatic technologies, leveraging 
cross-sector partnerships and the 
latest developments in theoretical 
and applied physics, engineering
Leads structured recording, 
synthesis, and sharing of signature 
and material analyses for data 
consistency across operational, 
analytic, and research partnerships
UAP EXPLOITATION
In close collaboration with AARO 
Operations and with research 
partners (e.g., DoE laboratories), 
integrates emergent technical 
capabilities into “real-world" 
operations and guides their 
application against UAP 
Comparatively analyzes…