AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)

The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is an office within the Department of Defense headquarters, created on July 15, 2022, to coordinate efforts across federal agencies in detecting and investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). It replaced the earlier Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and has since received over 1,600 UAP reports, with roughly half resolved as mundane objects and half remaining unexplained due to insufficient data.

What is AARO's mission?

AARO synchronizes detection, identification, and attribution of anomalous objects in, on, or near military installations, training areas, and special use airspace. Its mandate covers unidentified space, airborne, submerged, and transmedium objects. The office also has statutory authority to review government and contractor records dating back to 1945 to identify any concealed UAP-related programs.

Who runs AARO and who oversees it?

Physicist Sean Kirkpatrick served as AARO's first director starting in 2022. Jon T. Kosloski is the current director. The AARO Executive Council, led by the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie, provides oversight and strategic direction.

What has AARO found in its investigations?

In March 2024, AARO released a historical record report covering all U.S. government investigatory efforts since 1945. The report found no empirical evidence of alien technology and concluded that none of the programs reviewed were UAP reverse-engineering efforts. AARO stated it found no evidence supporting claims of hidden government reverse-engineering programs and disproved the majority of claims made by interviewees. However, in November 2024, Director Kosloski acknowledged that AARO is analyzing several cases he describes as "true anomalies" that he does not understand despite his physics and engineering background.

How many cases has AARO handled?

As of November 2024, AARO has received over 1,600 UAP reports since its establishment. Between May 2023 and June 2024 alone, the office received 757 new reports. Approximately half of investigated cases have been resolved with mundane explanations such as weather balloons, while the remaining half remain unexplained due to insufficient data.

How does AARO report to Congress?

AARO provides quarterly reports, semiannual briefings, and annual reports to Congress in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, ensuring legislative oversight of its investigations and findings.