How U.S. law defines it
The term "unidentified aerial phenomena" means airborne objects witnessed by a pilot or aircrew member that are not immediately identifiable.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 · Read it on Congress.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "unidentified aerial phenomena" actually mean in plain language?
It means an airborne object that a pilot or aircrew member saw and could not immediately identify. The definition is narrow: it applies to what aircrew witness in the air, not to every unexplained sighting.
airborne objects witnessed by a pilot or aircrew member that are not immediately identifiable
Who was responsible for collecting UAP data under early legislation?
The Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense were jointly required to make sure every relevant part of the intelligence community and the Department of Defense shared their UAP data.
The Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly require that each element of the intelligence community and component of the Department of Defense with data relating to unidentified aerial phenomena makes su
What replaced the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force?
Congress established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office to take over the Task Force's duties and handle a wider range of phenomena, including those in space, the atmosphere, and underwater.
Is "unidentified aerial phenomena" the same as the newer UAP term used in recent laws?
No. The newer term is "unidentified anomalous phenomena," and it is broader. The records explicitly list "unidentified aerial phenomena" as one of the older labels now folded into that newer, wider definition.
What kinds of objects does the original definition leave out?
The original definition covers only airborne objects seen by aircrew. It does not cover objects underwater or in space. Later legislation added those categories through the broader "unidentified anomalous phenomena" label, which includes unidentified submerged objects and transmedium objects.
transmedium objects or devices and unidentified aerospace-undersea phenomena
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