Summary

PhD physicist who served as the first official director of AARO from November 2022 until his resignation in December 2023. Kirkpatrick testified before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats in April 2023, providing the first public congressional briefing by an AARO director. He co-authored a paper with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb proposing hypotheses for UAP signatures. Resigned in December 2023, subsequently stating that congressional interference and lack of institutional support undermined AARO's mission. His departure and critical public statements marked the beginning of significant public controversy over AARO's effectiveness.

Roles

• -Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), November 2022 - December 2023
• -Senior Research Physicist
• -Defense Intelligence Senior Leader (DISL)

Organizations

Education

• -Ph.D., Physics
• -Extensive background in sensors, signature analysis, and technical intelligence

Early Career

• -Career defense scientist and intelligence analyst specializing in sensors and signature physics
• -Served in the Defense Intelligence Agency in senior scientific roles
• -Served as Chief Scientist at the Army Futures Command and in related technical intelligence roles prior to AARO appointment

Related Primary Documents