AARO Historical Record Report, Volume 1

In March 2024, the Defense Department released the AARO Historical Record Report, Volume 1, a comprehensive review of nearly 80 years of U.S. government investigations into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The report examined approximately two dozen separate investigative efforts, from Project BLUE BOOK to modern programs, and concluded that no U.S. government investigation has confirmed any UAP sighting as extraterrestrial technology. AARO found no verifiable evidence that the government or private industry has ever accessed extraterrestrial technology.

What is AARO and why did it produce this report?

The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is a Defense Department office tasked with investigating UAP. Congress created AARO to centralize and coordinate government UAP research. The Historical Record Report was AARO's first major deliverable, documenting all official U.S. government investigatory efforts related to UAP since 1945 to establish a factual baseline of what the government has actually studied and concluded.

What did AARO actually examine?

AARO reviewed classified and unclassified archives, conducted approximately 30 interviews with people claiming knowledge of alleged government involvement in off-world technology or UAP incidents, and partnered with the U.S. National Archives. The office examined records from Project BLUE BOOK alone, which spanned 1947 to 1969 and contained 7,252 files holding 65,778 digital records. AARO also reviewed approximately two dozen separate investigative programs, including Projects SAUCER/SIGN, GRUDGE, BLUE BOOK, the Navy-led UAP Task Force, and short-term projects like TWINKLE and BEAR.

What were AARO's main conclusions?

AARO found no evidence that any U.S. government investigation, academic research, or official review panel has confirmed that any UAP sighting represented extraterrestrial technology. All investigative efforts, at all classification levels, concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena resulting from misidentification. AARO also examined a material sample allegedly from a crashed off-world spacecraft and concluded it was a manufactured terrestrial alloy composed primarily of magnesium, zinc, and bismuth with trace elements, not off-world technology.

What was the Kona Blue program?

The report revealed for the first time that elements within the U.S. government had proposed a Special Access Program called Kona Blue under the Department of Homeland Security to reverse engineer any extraterrestrial craft that came into government possession. DHS leaders rejected the proposal as without merit. AARO similarly rejected the claims of Kona Blue's advocates.

Why did whistleblower David Grusch criticize the report?

Whistleblower David Grusch stated that AARO does not have access to information he provided to the Intelligence Community Inspector General and Congressional Intelligence Committees under whistleblower protections, and he declined to meet with AARO due to security-related concerns. The Intelligence Community Inspector General found Grusch's claims credible and urgent. Some experts questioned whether AARO's report adequately addressed credible whistleblower allegations or incorporated classified findings that remain sequestered from congressional oversight.