UAP Task Force Preliminary Assessment (2021)

On June 25, 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a nine-page unclassified report on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) observed by U.S. military personnel. The report examined 144 incidents documented mostly by Navy pilots between November 2004 and March 2021. Of these, the task force identified only one object with high confidence: a large, deflating balloon. The remaining 143 sightings went unexplained, though 18 displayed unusual flight characteristics like moving against the wind or maneuvering abruptly without visible propulsion.

What is this report?

The Preliminary Assessment was prepared by the UAP Task Force and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence at Congress's request. It was mandated by the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. The report drew on input from the Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, National Security Agency, and military branches, among others. It was released to the Congressional Intelligence and Armed Services Committees as an unclassified document.

What did the task force actually find?

The task force examined 144 observations, mostly from Navy personnel. Eighty of these incidents had data from multiple sensors (radar, infrared, and visual observation). The task force identified five possible categories of explanation: airborne clutter like balloons or drones, natural atmospheric phenomena, U.S. government or industry programs, foreign adversary systems, and "Other." However, the report stated it could not confirm that any known U.S. classified programs accounted for the sightings.

Why does this matter?

The report concluded that UAP "clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security." It also noted that stigma had historically discouraged military personnel from reporting sightings, though this was beginning to change. The report marked one of the first times the U.S. government publicly acknowledged that unexplained aerial sightings by military pilots deserved serious investigation.

What about the unusual sightings?

Eighteen incidents featured what the report called "unusual flight characteristics." These UAP "appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernible means of propulsion." The task force noted it held a small amount of data suggesting some UAP demonstrated acceleration or signature management, but said additional rigorous analysis by multiple teams of technical experts was necessary.