UAPTF (UAP Task Force)

The Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) was a Department of the Navy office established on August 4, 2020, to detect, analyze, and catalog UAPs that could pose a threat to U.S. national security. It operated under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. The task force released a preliminary assessment on June 25, 2021, examining 144 observations from U.S. Armed Forces personnel, mostly Navy, recorded between 2004 and 2021.

What was the UAPTF's main finding?

The preliminary assessment found that 143 of the 144 observations could not be identified. One object was identified "with high confidence" as "a large, deflating balloon." The report did not conclude that the unidentified observations were extraterrestrial or represented a specific threat, only that their causes remained unknown.

Who led the task force?

Brennan McKernan served as director of the UAPTF during its operation.

When was it dissolved?

The UAPTF was succeeded by the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) on November 23, 2021. AOIMSG was then replaced by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) on July 15, 2022, which took over the task force's duties.

What impact did the UAPTF have?

The task force helped standardize, destigmatize, and increase the volume of UAP reporting within the U.S. military and intelligence community.