AARO
Type
Organization
Status
ActiveActive Period
2022-present
Parent Organization
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Summary
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, established in July 2022 under the National Defense Authorization Act, is the current official U.S. government body responsible for UAP detection, identification, and reporting. AARO succeeded the UAP Task Force (2020) and consolidated reporting across all military domains - air, sea, space, and subsurface. Its first director was physicist Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (2022-2023). AARO has been the subject of significant controversy following its Historical Record Reports, which multiple insiders and congressional members have disputed as incomplete.
Significance
AARO represents the institutionalization of UAP investigation within the Department of Defense - the first permanent office with a statutory mandate and confirmed funding. However, it has also become the focal point of the disclosure community's skepticism: Grusch, Nell, Mellon, and Elizondo have all publicly disputed AARO's Historical Record Reports as either incomplete or deliberately misleading about the scope of historical programs.
Key Personnel
Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick
Director (2022-2023)
Dr. Jon Kosloski
Director (2024-present)
Limitations & Caveats
- !AARO's independence from the programs it is tasked to investigate has been questioned by multiple senior officials with direct program knowledge.
- !Grusch testified under oath that AARO was denied access to programs he reported through official channels.
- !The Historical Record Reports have been disputed by multiple credentialed insiders for methodological failures and selective sourcing.
- !AARO's public reporting obligations and classified operational scope remain structurally separate, limiting independent oversight.