A declassified document from the Defense Department reveals a sweeping, multi-agency effort to detect, analyze, and potentially recover Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) - the government’s official term for what many still call UFOs.
At the heart of the strategy is the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), a little-known Pentagon group tasked with resolving sightings that cross air, sea, and space.
“Our mission is to minimize technical and intelligence surprise and reduce operational risks,” writes AARO Director Sean Kirkpatrick in the document. “We do this by synchronizing scientific, intelligence, and operational detection… in the vicinity of national security areas.”
🛰️ A Mission with Teeth
Established under intense congressional scrutiny, AARO is not a fringe operation. The briefing outlines a detailed integration of Defense, Intelligence, and civilian agencies - from NASA to the FAA - aimed at identifying anomalous objects near U.S. military facilities and critical infrastructure.
Key goals include:
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Tracking UAP near U.S. strategic capabilities
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Identifying risks to national security and civil society
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Understanding whether these phenomena reflect foreign observation or unknown tech
🧬 What the Pentagon Is Looking For
AARO isn’t just cataloging weird lights in the sky. The document defines UAP in terms of:
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Behavioral anomalies - such as intelligent flight patterns or response to observers
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Technical signatures - propulsion, material, and motion that defy known physics
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Psychological and physiological effects - reported by witnesses
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Potential coordination among UAP objects
“Destigmatizing discussion and encouraging reporting is essential for tracking, resolving, and defending against such phenomena,” the document reads.
🧠 Intelligence Meets Science
The AARO model is broken into four integrated arms:
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Integrated Operations: Cross-agency detection and recovery
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Scientific Research & Application: Partnering across sectors for tech analysis
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Integrated Analyses: Peer-reviewed conclusions using both intelligence and scientific tradecraft
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Strategic Communications: Transparency to build trust and normalize partnerships
One goal stands out clearly: “Delivering exquisite data, advanced sensors, sound analytics, and shared mission awareness.”
🔍 Reporting Gets a Reboot
The document criticizes decades of public misinformation and hesitancy in reporting. To correct that, AARO is designing new cross-sector systems to receive and process observations - from military pilots to civilian witnesses.
Observers are now encouraged to include:
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Precise location and time data
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Descriptions of shape, material, color, and behavior
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Sensory data (visual, radar, physiological effects)
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Any signs of intelligent control or hostility
“Historically, reticence to UAP reporting has limited the Government’s ability to guard against safety and security threats.”
🌐 The Bigger Picture
The U.S. isn’t alone in the skies. AARO notes foreign governments - allies and adversaries - are also investing in UAP observation and attribution.
While most reporting remains U.S.-centric, there are signs of global interest and possible international incidents involving unexplained phenomena.
As the Pentagon strengthens detection systems and public-facing messaging, one thing is now abundantly clear: the government is watching the skies - and it’s asking you to watch with them.
