Summary
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has been the most consequential legislative figure in UAP transparency over the 2021-2024 period, establishing the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities with an explicit UAP oversight mandate and co-sponsoring the UAP Disclosure Act with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Her sustained multi-year engagement - including the first dedicated Senate hearing on UAP and repeated pressure on AARO's leadership - represents the most institutionally embedded legislative effort to compel executive branch transparency on the phenomenon.
Roles
- -U.S. Senator (D-NY)
- -Chair, Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- -Primary sponsor, UAP Disclosure Act (2022-2023)
Organizations
Education
- -J.D., UCLA School of Law, 1991
- -B.A., Dartmouth College, 1988
Early Career
- -Served as U.S. Representative for NY-20 (2007-2009), building a record on agricultural and rural issues before being appointed to the Senate
- -Appointed to Hillary Clinton's vacated Senate seat in January 2009 by Governor David Paterson; subsequently won full Senate terms in 2010, 2012, and 2018
- -Built a legislative reputation on military affairs, veterans' benefits, and national security - the committee assignments that would later position her as the primary Senate driver of UAP oversight
Related Documented Cases
DOW-UAP-D14: Iraq UAP Mission Report
Tier 2May 2022 · Iraq (specific coordinates not publicly released)
2023 Southeastern U.S. Metallic Oval
Tier 2September 2023 · Southeastern United States (precise location undisclosed)
2024 INDOPACOM Football-Shaped UAP
Tier 22024 · Pacific Theater, near Japan (USINDOPACOM area of responsibility)
2025 U.S. Supra-Velocity Orb
Tier 22025 · United States (precise location classified)
DOW-UAP-D64: Iran UAP Mission Report
Tier 2November 2020 · Iran (specific coordinates not publicly released)
DOW-UAP-D27: UAE Coast UAP Mission Report
Tier 2October 2023 · United Arab Emirates coast (specific coordinates not publicly released)
DOW-UAP-D25: Greece UAP Mission Report
Tier 2January 2024 · Greece (specific coordinates not publicly released)
1985 Papua New Guinea UAP — State Dept Diplomatic Cable
Tier 2January 1985 · Papua New Guinea
1994 Kazakhstan UAP — State Dept Diplomatic Cable
Tier 2January 1994 · Kazakhstan
DOW-UAP-D55: Syria UAP Mission Report — November 2016
Tier 2November 2016 · Syria (specific coordinates not publicly released)
DOW-UAP-D28: East China Sea UAP Mission Report — 2024
Tier 22024 · East China Sea (INDOPACOM theater)
DOW-UAP-D38: Range Fouler Debrief — Middle East, May 2020
Tier 2May 2020 · Middle East (restricted military training range)
DOW-UAP-D42: Range Fouler Debrief — Japan, 2023
Tier 22023 · Japan (INDOPACOM theater — restricted military training range)
DOW-UAP-D44: Range Fouler Debrief — Arabian Sea, October 2020
Tier 2October 2020 · Arabian Sea (restricted military training range)
DOW-UAP-D48: Historical UAP Report — September 1996
Tier 2September 1996 · USCENTCOM Theater (specific location not publicly identified)
DOW-UAP-D49: Launch Summary — February 2000
Tier 2February 2000 · USCENTCOM Theater (specific location not publicly identified)
DOW-UAP-D8: Mission Report — Djibouti, 2025
Tier 22025 · Djibouti, Horn of Africa (AFRICOM/CENTCOM theater)
DOW-UAP-PR051: Syrian UAP Instant Acceleration (2021)
Tier 12021 · Syria, USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility
DOW-UAP-PR050: 4 UAP Formation — Iran, August 26, 2022
Tier 2August 26, 2022 · Over water near Iran, USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility
DOW-UAP-PR052: UAP USO Formation (2024)
Tier 1June 2024 · Maritime environment, USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility (specific location partially redacted)
Lake Huron F-16C AIM-9X Engagement — February 12, 2023
Tier 1February 12, 2023 · Lake Huron, Michigan, United States
USCG C-144 Tic Tac UAP — Tyndall AFB — April 24, 2024
Tier 2April 24, 2024 · Near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida — U.S. NORTHCOM / Southeast AOR
Fifth-Generation Aircraft UAP — NORTHCOM — January 20, 2023
Tier 2January 20, 2023 · NORTHCOM area of operations — United States
Related Primary Documents
PURSUE Release 1 — UAP Declassified Files Corpus (May 2026)
May 8, 2026 · government report
DOW-UAP-D14: Mission Report — Iraq, May 2022
May 2022 · government report
DOW-UAP-D25: Mission Report — Aegean Sea / Greece, January 2024
January 2024 · government report
DOW-UAP-D27: Mission Report — United Arab Emirates Coast, October 2023
October 2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D64: Mission Report — Iran, November 2020
November 2020 · government report
NASA-UAP-D5: Apollo 17 Crew Debriefing for Science (1973)
January 8, 1973 · mission debriefing
NASA-UAP-D6: Apollo 17 Technical Crew Debriefing (1973)
January 4, 1973 · mission debriefing
State Dept Cable: UFOs Over Georgia - Strange Encounters of an MFA Kind (2001)
October 30, 2001 · diplomatic cable
State Dept Cable: Turkmenistan, Civil Society and UFOs (2004)
November 12, 2004 · diplomatic cable
State Dept Cable: Mexico Weekly Political Blotter - Mexican Congress Hears Testimony on Alien Life (2023)
September 16, 2023 · diplomatic cable
DOW-UAP-D55: Mission Report — Syria, November 2016
November 2016 · government report
DOW-UAP-D28: Mission Report — East China Sea, 2024
2024 · government report
DOW-UAP-D38: Range Fouler Debrief — Middle East, May 2020
May 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D42: Range Fouler Debrief — Japan, 2023
2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D44: Range Fouler Debrief — Arabian Sea, October 2020
October 2020 · government report
NARA RG255: Gemini 7 UFO Sighting by Borman - Tape T-00763 Transcript (1965)
December 1965 · mission transcript
NARA RG38: Navy UAP Incident Summaries 1-100 (1947-1948)
July 1947 - early 1948 · government investigation report
NARA RG38: Navy UAP Incident Summaries 101-172 (1946-1948)
February 1946 - late 1948 · government investigation report
NARA RG38: Navy UAP Incident Summaries 173-233 with Photographic Attachments (1947-1950)
July 1947 - early 1950 · government investigation report
NARA RG18: Army Air Forces Flying Disc Investigation - Twining Letter and Project Sign Genesis (1947)
August - December 1947 · government investigation report
NARA RG18: Army Air Forces Flying Disc Investigation - 1948 Operations (Hobson Ohio, Horten Brothers, Fighter Alert)
February - June 1948 · government investigation report
NARA RG341: USAFE TOP SECRET - Swedish Air Intelligence on Flying Saucers (1948)
November 4, 1948 · intelligence report
NARA RG59: Gen. Samford - Credible Observers Reporting the Incredible (1952)
July 28, 1952 · policy memorandum
NARA RG59: NASA - Thoughts on the Space Alien Race Question (1963)
July 18, 1963 · policy memorandum
DOW-UAP-PR20: USCENTCOM MDR Recommendation to AARO (October 2025)
October 8, 2025 · government recommendation
NARA RG331: SHAEF Foo Fighter Reports - 415th Night Fighter Squadron (1944-1945)
December 1944 - March 1945 · military incident report
DOW-UAP-D3: Mission Report — Arabian Gulf, 2020
2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D4: Mission Report — Arabian Gulf, 2020
2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D5: Mission Report — Arabian Gulf, 2020
2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D6: Mission Report — Arabian Gulf, 2020
2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D7: Mission Report — Arabian Gulf, 2020
2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D10: Mission Report — Middle East, May 2022
May 2022 · government report
DOW-UAP-D12: Mission Report — Iraq, May 2022
May 2022 · government report
DOW-UAP-D16: Mission Report — Syria, July 2022
July 2022 · government report
DOW-UAP-D18: Mission Report — Iraq, December 2022
December 2022 · government report
DOW-UAP-D19: Mission Report — Syria, February 2023
February 2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D20: Mission Report — Iraq, 2023
2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D23: Mission Report — United Arab Emirates, October 2023
October 2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D33: Mission Report — Greece, October 2023
October 2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D35: Mission Report — Greece, October 2023
October 2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D74: Mission Report — Syria, November 2023
November 2023 · government report
DOW-UAP-D32: Mission Report — Syria, October 2024
October 2024 · government report
DOW-UAP-D54: Mission Report — Mediterranean Sea
Undated · government report
DOW-UAP-D56: Range Fouler Debrief — Arabian Sea, August 2020
August 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D58: Range Fouler Debrief — October 2020
October 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D57: Mission Report — Gulf of Aden, September 2020
September 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D75: Mission Report — Gulf of Aden, July 2024
July 2024 · government report
DOW-UAP-D60: Mission Report — Persian Gulf, August 2020
August 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D61: Mission Report — Persian Gulf, August 2020
August 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D65: Mission Report — Persian Gulf, July 2020
July 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D62: Mission Report — Strait of Hormuz, September 2020
September 2020 · government report
DOW-UAP-D63: Mission Report — Strait of Hormuz, October 2020
October 2020 · government report