2023-04-19_SASC_AARO_brief.pdf

Stenographic Transcript 
Before the 
 
 
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities 
 
 
COMMITTEE ON  
ARMED SERVICES 
 
 
UNITED STATES SENATE 
 
HEARING TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY ON 
THE MISSION, ACTIVITIES, OVERSIGHT, AND BUDGET OF 
THE ALL-DOMAIN ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICE 
 
 
 
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 
 
 
Washington, D.C. 
 
 
 
ALDERSON COURT REPORTING 
1111 14TH STREET NW 
SUITE 1050 
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005 
(202) 289-2260 
www.aldersonreporting.com 

1
Scheduling@TP.One
800.FOR.DEPO
www.TP.One
(800.367.3376)
 1
             HEARING TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY ON THE
 2
      MISSION, ACTIVITIES, OVERSIGHT, AND BUDGET OF THE
 3
            ALL-DOMAIN ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICE
 4
 5
                  Wednesday, April 19, 2023
 6
 7
                              U.S. Senate
 8
                              Subcommittee on Emerging
 9
                                Threats and Capabilities
10
                              Committee on Armed Services
11
                              Washington, D.C.
12
13
     The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice…

2
Scheduling@TP.One
800.FOR.DEPO
www.TP.One
(800.367.3376)
 1
      OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, U.S.
 2
SENATOR FROM NEW YORK
 3
     Senator Gillibrand:  The hearing will come to order.
 4
     I would first like to thank our witness, Dr. Sean
 5
Kirkpatrick, for testifying here and in today's earlier
 6
closed session, and for his long and distinguished career
 7
both in the intelligence community and in the Department of
 8
Defense.
 9
     Dr. Kirkpatrick is the director of the All-Domain
10
Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO.  Congress established
11
this office in la…

3
Scheduling@TP.One
800.FOR.DEPO
www.TP.One
(800.367.3376)
 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 S…

4
Scheduling@TP.One
800.FOR.DEPO
www.TP.One
(800.367.3376)
 1
research and development necessary to support a serious
 2
investigation.  It took a letter to Secretary Austin from
 3
Senator Rubio and me and 14 other senators to get the office
 4
temporary relief for the current fiscal year.
 5
     In this hearing I intend to probe a series of specific
 6
issues.  In the recent incidents where multiple objects were
 7
shot down over North America it seemed that Pentagon
 8
leadership did not turn to AARO office to play a leading
 9
role in advising the combatant commander.
10
     We need to k…

5
Scheduling@TP.One
800.FOR.DEPO
www.TP.One
(800.367.3376)
 1
disclosed that filters on radar systems were adjusted to
 2
allow for detection and tracking of diverse sets of objects
 3
for the first time.  While opening the aperture can overload
 4
the real-time analytic process we cannot keep turning a
 5
blind eye to surveillance data that is critical to detecting
 6
and tracking UAP.
 7
     We need to know whether Dr. Kirkpatrick could achieve
 8
the necessary control over sensor filters and the storage
 9
and access to raw surveillance data to find UAP anomalies.
10
     Finally, one of t…

6
Scheduling@TP.One
800.FOR.DEPO
www.TP.One
(800.367.3376)
 1
      STATEMENT OF HON. JONI ERNST, U.S. SENATOR FROM IOWA
 2
     Senator Ernst:  Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you,
 3
Dr. Kirkpatrick, for your testimony today.  I will keep
 4
these remarks very brief so that we have maximum time for
 5
your briefing.
 6
     The recent downing of the Chinese surveillance balloon
 7
and three other objects underscores the need for domain
 8
awareness.  Adversaries like China and Russia are working to
 9
hold U.S. interests, including our homeland, at risk.  That
10
is why your testimony is s…

7
Scheduling@TP.One
800.FOR.DEPO
www.TP.One
(800.367.3376)
 1
surveille or attack us.
 2
     Finally, we need to ensure efficient interagency
 3
coordination.  Multiple elements of the DOD and IC own a
 4
piece of this mission.  To add value, AARO's efforts cannot
 5
be redundant with others.
 6
     Thank you again.  We look forward to your testimony.
 7
     Senator Gillibrand:  Dr. Kirkpatrick, you can give your
 8
testimony.
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25