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The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) became one of the most important institutional compromises in the politics of UAP transparency because it allowed Congress to pursue oversight without endorsing extraordinary conclusions.
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Why lawmakers wanted a formal investigative body
The political logic behind AARO was rooted in congressional frustration with fragmented UAP investigations. For years, responsibility for investigating unusual sightings moved between temporary programmes and task forces, creating recurring complaints that data collection was inconsistent, reporting channels were unclear, and Congress lacked a reliable institution to oversee. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 directed the Department of Defense and the intelligence community to establish a more durable structure with specific reporting obligations to Congress. In July 2022, the Pentagon formally established AARO to carry out those duties. [U.S. Department of War]war.govdod announces the establishment of the all domain anomaly resolution officeDepartment of WarDoD Announces the Establishment of the All-domain…20 Jul 2022 — Today, USD(I&S) Hon. Ronald S. Moultrie informed the…
Importantly, lawmakers supporting the office did not necessarily share the same beliefs about UAPs. Some viewed the issue primarily through a national-security lens after incidents involving unidentified objects near military facilities. Others were concerned about aviation safety, sensor performance, intelligence gaps, or classification practices. A third group focused on allegations that Congress itself might not be receiving complete information about highly restricted programmes. AARO allowed these different concerns to converge around a common institutional solution. [U.S. Department of War]media.defense.govESTABLISHMENT OF THE ALL DOMAIN ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICEDepartment of WarEstablishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office20 Jul 2022 — section 1683 ofthe NDAA for FY 2022: • The All-do…
The office’s mandate reflected this compromise. Rather than focusing solely on traditional “flying saucer” reports, AARO was tasked with investigating anomalous objects across multiple domains: air, space, maritime environments, and so-called “transmedium” cases involving movement between domains. Its responsibilities included surveillance, intelligence analysis, scientific evaluation, threat assessment, and policy recommendations. This framing positioned UAPs as an oversight and security issue rather than a question about extraterrestrial visitation. [AARO]aaro.milAARO HomeWelcome to the website for the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). Our team of experts leads the U.S. government's… [U.S. Department of War]war.govdepartment of defense releases the annual report on unidentified anomalous phenDepartment of WarDepartment of Defense Releases the Annual Report on…14 Nov 2024 —… All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office's Annual R…
How funding became a test of congressional seriousness
The creation of AARO did not automatically guarantee credibility. Almost immediately, funding became a central political battle.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who played a major role in writing the office into legislation, repeatedly argued that Congress had created a significant oversight mechanism but failed to provide the resources necessary for it to succeed. In early 2023, Gillibrand and Senator Marco Rubio led a bipartisan group of sixteen senators urging the administration to fully fund the office. They argued that inadequate funding would undermine Congress’s own effort to improve UAP reporting, analysis, and oversight. [Kirsten Gillibrand]gillibrand.senate.govgillibrand secures full funding for uap office in senate defense bill markupKirsten GillibrandGillibrand Secures Full Funding For UAP Office In Senate…23 Jun 2023 — US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that…
The issue became public during Senate hearings, where Gillibrand criticised what she viewed as insufficient executive-branch support for the office. By June 2023 she announced that full funding for AARO had been secured in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s NDAA markup after a sustained bipartisan push. [Roll Call]rollcall.comKirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., panned the Biden administrationRoll CallGillibrand looks to bolster UFO office budgetApril 19, 2023 — 19 Apr 2023 — In a rare open hearing Wednesday on the Pentagon's s…
This funding dispute mattered politically because it exposed a deeper question: was Congress creating a genuine oversight institution or merely a symbolic office? Transparency advocates argued that without dedicated analysts, scientists, investigators, reporting systems, and historical research capabilities, AARO would become another under-resourced bureaucracy incapable of resolving major questions. Supporters therefore treated funding levels as a measure of whether the government was genuinely committed to investigating the issue. [Kirsten Gillibrand]gillibrand.senate.govgillibrand secures full funding for uap office in senate defense bill markupKirsten GillibrandGillibrand Secures Full Funding For UAP Office In Senate…23 Jun 2023 — US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that…
At the same time, many defence officials preferred a cautious, mission-focused office centred on threat assessment and data collection. Funding decisions therefore became a way of defining AARO’s identity. Every budget debate effectively answered a governance question: should AARO operate primarily as a national-security investigative office, a scientific research body, a historical review project, or a disclosure mechanism? Congress never fully resolved those competing expectations, which helped make the office a compromise rather than a consensus solution. [Kirsten Gillibrand]gillibrand.senate.govgillibrand secures full funding for uap office in senate defense bill markupKirsten GillibrandGillibrand Secures Full Funding For UAP Office In Senate…23 Jun 2023 — US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that…
The oversight bargain at the centre of AARO
The core political bargain behind AARO can be summarised simply: Congress would provide resources and authority, while the office would provide measurable oversight outputs.
Rather than demanding immediate answers to disputed claims, lawmakers required regular reporting, classified briefings, interagency coordination, and public accountability mechanisms. The office became something Congress could monitor through hearings, appropriations, and statutory reporting requirements. [U.S. Department of War]media.defense.govDOPSR 2024 0263 AARO HISTORICAL RECORD REPORT VOLUME 1 2024Department of WarAARO Historical Record Report Volume 1Mar 8, 2024 — SECTION I: Introduction. This report represents Volume I of the All…
This arrangement was attractive because it transformed a debate about belief into a debate about performance. Questions that had long been difficult to evaluate could now be approached through ordinary oversight metrics:
- How many cases were reported?
- How many were resolved?
- Which agencies were cooperating?
- Were reporting channels functioning?
- Were historical records being reviewed?
- Was Congress receiving the information it requested?
These are the kinds of questions congressional committees routinely ask about government programmes. By placing UAP investigations inside a formal bureaucracy, lawmakers created a framework that could survive even if public arguments about UFOs remained unresolved. [U.S. Department of War]war.govstatement by pentagon press secretary maj gen pat ryder on the historical recorDepartment of WarStatement by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat…Mar 8, 2024 — AARO assesses that all of the named and described a…
This institutionalisation also reduced political risk. A legislator could support AARO without publicly endorsing claims about recovered alien craft or hidden non-human technology. Likewise, a sceptical official could support the office because investigating unusual reports is consistent with intelligence and security responsibilities. The compromise therefore expanded the coalition supporting UAP oversight. [Kirsten Gillibrand]gillibrand.senate.govgillibrand secures full funding for uap office in senate defense bill markupKirsten GillibrandGillibrand Secures Full Funding For UAP Office In Senate…23 Jun 2023 — US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that…
Historical review and the limits of disclosure
One reason AARO became controversial within the disclosure movement is that Congress gave it responsibilities extending beyond current sightings. Legislative mandates required the office to review the historical record relating to UAP investigations and allegations that information may have been withheld from Congress or the public. The office’s authority extended to examining records reaching back decades. [Wikipedia]WikipediaAll-domain Anomaly Resolution OfficeAll-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
This historical mission raised expectations among disclosure advocates. Many hoped AARO would either validate or definitively refute long-standing claims involving crash retrieval programmes, reverse-engineering projects, and alleged concealment efforts.
In March 2024, AARO released the first volume of its historical review. The report concluded that investigators found no evidence that U.S. government investigations had confirmed extraterrestrial technology and no evidence supporting allegations of secret reverse-engineering programmes involving non-human craft. The Pentagon stated that the specific programmes identified by interviewees either did not exist, were misidentified national-security activities, or involved discontinued projects unrelated to extraterrestrial technology. [U.S. Department of War+2U.S. Department of War]
Politically, this outcome highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of the oversight compromise.
Supporters argued that AARO had fulfilled its mandate by conducting reviews, interviewing witnesses, examining archives, and reporting conclusions publicly. From this perspective, the office demonstrated exactly why Congress created it: to replace speculation with documented investigation. [U.S. Department of War]war.govstatement by pentagon press secretary maj gen pat ryder on the historical recorDepartment of WarStatement by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat…Mar 8, 2024 — AARO assesses that all of the named and described a…
Critics, however, argued that the office was too closely tied to the institutions it was investigating. Some researchers and whistleblower advocates contended that AARO’s historical review did not fully address key allegations or relied excessively on existing government records. These criticisms appeared both in congressional discussions and among independent researchers reviewing the report. [The Debrief]thedebrief.orgbut there are a few problemsThe DebriefAARO's Historical Report: A Tale of Factual Errors and Old…Mar 14, 2024 — The long-awaited historical report on UAP by the… Reddit The dispute revealed a central limitation of the compromise: an office created to improve transparency still operates within the national-sec [reddit.com]reddit.comtigate past USG-sponsored UAP investigation efforts and the claims… urity system. As a result, some observers view AARO as an instrument of accountability, while others see it as part of the bureaucracy whose actions are under scrutiny.
What AARO can and cannot settle politically
AARO can investigate cases, improve reporting systems, coordinate agencies, analyse sensor data, review historical records, and provide Congress with recurring assessments. It can make the government more accountable in procedural terms. It cannot force political agreement about the meaning of UAPs. [AARO]aaro.orgAssociation of Americans Resident Overseas: AAROThe Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO), founded in 1973 is a global, non-p…
The office’s annual reporting illustrates this reality. AARO has processed hundreds of reports and expanded the government’s ability to track and analyse unusual observations. Many cases have been attributed to balloons, drones, birds, clutter, sensor effects, or other conventional explanations. Others remain unresolved because the available data are incomplete or insufficient. AARO itself has repeatedly argued that unresolved status does not automatically imply extraordinary origins. U.S. Department of War [reuters]reuters.comMost sightings were identified as ordinary objects or phenomena. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) released this conclusion… For disclosure advocates, unresolved cases can be evidence that further investigation is needed. For sceptics, unresolved cases often demonstrate the limits of available data. AARO cannot eliminate this interpretive divide because its role is investigative rather than philosophical. Its findings can inform the debate, but they cannot compel acceptance of a particular worldview. [Reuters]reuters.comMost sightings were identified as ordinary objects or phenomena. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) released this conclusion… [The Guardian]theguardian.comConducted by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the investigation reviewed historical data and conducted interviews with of…
This explains why AARO remains central to the bipartisan politics of UAP transparency. The office does not require lawmakers to agree on whether UAPs represent advanced foreign technology, intelligence failures, natural phenomena, sensor artefacts, or something more unusual. Instead, it gives Congress a funded institution whose performance can be assessed through hearings, budgets, reports, and oversight. That is the essence of the compromise: transparency pursued through governance mechanisms rather than through prior agreement about the ultimate nature of the phenomenon itself. [Kirsten Gillibrand]gillibrand.senate.govgillibrand secures full funding for uap office in senate defense bill markupKirsten GillibrandGillibrand Secures Full Funding For UAP Office In Senate…23 Jun 2023 — US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that… [Kirsten Gillibrand]gillibrand.senate.govgillibrand secures full funding for uap office in senate defense bill markupKirsten GillibrandGillibrand Secures Full Funding For UAP Office In Senate…23 Jun 2023 — US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that…
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Endnotes
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Source: war.gov
Title: dod announces the establishment of the all domain anomaly resolution office
Link: https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3100053/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office/Source snippet
Department of WarDoD Announces the Establishment of the All-domain...20 Jul 2022 — Today, USD(I&S) Hon. Ronald S. Moultrie informed the...
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Source: [media]({{ ‘media/’ | relative_url }}). defense.gov
Title: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ALL DOMAIN ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICE
Link: https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/20/2003039074/-1/-1/1/ESTABLISHMENT-OF-THE-ALL-DOMAIN-ANOMALY-RESOLUTION-OFFICE.PDFSource snippet
Department of WarEstablishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office20 Jul 2022 — section 1683 ofthe NDAA for FY 2022: • The All-do...
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Source: gillibrand.senate.gov
Title: gillibrand secures full funding for uap office in senate defense bill markup
Link: https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-secures-full-funding-for-uap-office-in-senate-defense-bill-markup/Source snippet
Kirsten GillibrandGillibrand Secures Full Funding For UAP Office In Senate...23 Jun 2023 — US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that...
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Source: gillibrand.senate.gov
Link: https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-rubio-lead-16-senators-in-bipartisan-push-for-full-funding-of-their-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-office-to-address-airborne-national-security-risks/Source snippet
Kirsten GillibrandGillibrand, Rubio Lead 16 Senators In Bipartisan Push For...16 Feb 2023 — Amid heightened focus on airborne national s...
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Source: aaro.mil
Link: https://www.aaro.mil/Source snippet
AARO HomeWelcome to the website for the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). Our team of experts leads the U.S. government's...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-domain_Anomaly_Resolution_Office -
Source: war.gov
Title: department of defense releases the annual report on unidentified anomalous phen
Link: https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3964824/department-of-defense-releases-the-annual-report-on-unidentified-anomalous-phen/Source snippet
Department of WarDepartment of Defense Releases the Annual Report on...14 Nov 2024 —... All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office's Annual R...
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Source: armed-services.senate.gov
Title: 11 19 24 sub transcript
Link: https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/download/11-19-24_-sub—transcriptSource snippet
historical record relating. 23 to UAP. We welcome any former or current government. 24 civilian, contractor...Read more...
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Source: media.defense.gov
Title: DOPSR 2024 0263 AARO HISTORICAL RECORD REPORT VOLUME 1 2024
Link: https://media.defense.gov/2024/Mar/08/2003409233/-1/-1/0/DOPSR-2024-0263-AARO-HISTORICAL-RECORD-REPORT-VOLUME-1-2024.PDFSource snippet
Department of WarAARO Historical Record Report Volume 1Mar 8, 2024 — SECTION I: Introduction. This report represents Volume I of the All...
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Source: war.gov
Title: statement by pentagon press secretary maj gen pat ryder on the historical recor
Link: https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3700894/statement-by-pentagon-press-secretary-maj-gen-pat-ryder-on-the-historical-recor/Source snippet
Department of WarStatement by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat...Mar 8, 2024 — AARO assesses that all of the named and described a...
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Source: reuters.com
Link: https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/pentagon-ufo-report-says-most-sightings-ordinary-objects-phenomena-2024-03-08/Source snippet
Most sightings were identified as ordinary objects or phenomena. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) released this conclusion...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1batrqa/robert_powells_takedown_analysis_of_the_aaro/Source snippet
tigate past USG-sponsored UAP investigation efforts and the claims...
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Source: war.gov
Title: the department of defense launches the all domain anomaly resolution office web
Link: https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3513171/the-department-of-defense-launches-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office-web/Source snippet
The Department of Defense Launches the All-domain...Aug 31, 2023 — The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office's new website provides the p...
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Source: aaro.org
Link: https://aaro.org/Source snippet
Association of Americans Resident Overseas: AAROThe Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO), founded in 1973 is a global, non-p...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1gw6nn1/aaro_senate_hearing_a_detailed_overview_of_the/Source snippet
a detailed overview of the hearing and criticisms: r/UFOsThe point of this post is to go over observations, criticisms, and concerns tha...
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Source: space.com
Link: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/uap-witnesses-criticize-pentagon-ufo-office-in-congressional-hearing-for-using-science-and-coming-up-with-answersSource snippet
Nov. 19, 2024 the head of the Pentagon's UFO office AARO said it actually shows an infrared camera's inability to tell two objects...Rea...
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Source: aaro.com
Title: Your Partner in Group Reporting | CPM software & more
Link: https://aaro.com/en/Source snippet
Complete software, wide range of services, online support...Read more...
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Source: aaro.mil
Title: Resources MEMO S · Deputy Secretary of Defense
Link: https://www.aaro.mil/Resources/Source snippet
ResourcesMEMOS · Deputy Secretary of Defense - Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office: July 15, 2022; MEMOS · USD(I&S...
Published: July 15, 2022
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Investigation of UFO reports by the United States government
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investigation_of_UFO_reports_by_the_United_States_governmentSource snippet
Investigation of UFO reports by the United States governmentInvestigation of UFO reports by the United States government has taken pla...
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Source: rollcall.com
Title: Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., panned the Biden administration
Link: https://rollcall.com/2023/04/19/gillibrand-looks-to-bolster-ufo-office-budget/Source snippet
Roll CallGillibrand looks to bolster UFO office budgetApril 19, 2023 — 19 Apr 2023 — In a rare open hearing Wednesday on the Pentagon's s...
Published: April 19, 2023
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Source: theguardian.com
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/pentagon-ufo-report-hiding-aliensSource snippet
Conducted by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the investigation reviewed historical data and conducted interviews with of...
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Source: thedebrief.org
Title: but there are a few problems
Link: https://thedebrief.org/aaros-historical-report-a-tale-of-factual-errors-and-old-mistakes-repeated/Source snippet
The DebriefAARO's Historical Report: A Tale of Factual Errors and Old...Mar 14, 2024 — The long-awaited historical report on UAP by the...
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Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian He quit heading the Pentagon’s UFO office
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/22/ufologists-sean-kirkpatrick-pentagon-report-uapsSource snippet
Now a report of his has shaken up ufologySean Kirkpatrick, who led the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) from 2022 t...
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Source: depic.ai
Link: https://depic.ai/entity/All-domain_Anomaly_Resolution_OfficeSource snippet
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office | depic.aiIts primary mission is to standardize and centralize the collection, analysis, and reporti...
Additional References
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Source: nypost.com
Link: https://nypost.com/2024/11/14/us-news/pentagon-says-nearly-two-dozen-ufo-sightings-cant-be-explained-true-anomalies/Source snippet
The "all-domain anomaly resolution office" (AARO) identified 21 reports as "true anomalies" needing further investigation. Most sightings...
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Source: fedscoop.com
Link: https://fedscoop.com/radio/the-head-of-the-dods-aaro-office-testified-on-a-handful-of-major-uap-reports-and-how-the-office-was-able-to-disprove-evidence-of-any-transmedium-objects/Source snippet
The Pentagon reviews findings on major UAP reports in...Nov 20, 2024 — The head of the DOD's AARO office testified on a handful of major...
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Source: defensescoop.com
Link: https://defensescoop.com/2023/10/18/dods-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office-is-now-investigating-more-than-800-uap-cases/Source snippet
DOD's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office confirms...18 Oct 2023 — A new Pentagon report confirms that AARO has received a total of 801...
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Source: executivegov.com
Title: 16 senators sign letter pushing for full funding of airborne sightings office
Link: https://www.executivegov.com/articles/16-senators-sign-letter-pushing-for-full-funding-of-airborne-sightings-officeSource snippet
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Marco Rubio Oversee Bipartisan...21 Feb 2023 — 16 Senators Sign Letter Pushing for Full Funding of Airborne Si...
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Source: docs.house.gov
Title: HHRG 118 GO12 Wstate ShellenbergerM 20241113
Link: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO12/20241113/117721/HHRG-118-GO12-Wstate-ShellenbergerM-20241113.pdfSource snippet
"United States Department Of Defense And The...13 Nov 2024 — “AARO's Historical Report,” The Debrief, March 14, 2024,[https://thedebrief.o..."](https://thedebrief.o...")...
Published: March 14, 2024
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Source: theelectricgf.com
Title: pentagon report finds no evidence of extraterrestrial activity
Link: https://theelectricgf.com/2024/03/13/pentagon-report-finds-no-evidence-of-extraterrestrial-activity/Source snippet
Mar 13, 2024 — “AARO has found no verifiable evidence that any UAP sighting has represented extraterrestrial activity,” AARO acting Direc...
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Source: defensescoop.com
Title: uap ufo military intercepts north america fy 2026 ndaa
Link: https://defensescoop.com/2025/12/10/uap-ufo-military-intercepts-north-america-fy-2026-ndaa/Source snippet
Congress wants to know more about the military's UAP...10 Dec 2025 — The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act includes three p...
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Source: defensescoop.com
Title: uap aaro findings go fast puerto rico mt etna objects
Link: https://defensescoop.com/2024/11/19/uap-aaro-findings-go-fast-puerto-rico-mt-etna-objects/Source snippet
Pentagon's UAP office reviews findings on Go Fast, Puerto...Nov 19, 2024 — The head of the Defense Department's All-Domain Anomaly Resol...
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Source: dvidshub.net
Title: pr 007 uap report closed not anomalous europe 2022
Link: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/977838/pr-007-uap-report-closed-not-anomalous-europe-2022Source snippet
PR-007, UAP Report Closed as Not Anomalous, Europe 2022The United States European Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous...
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Source: oversight.house.gov
Title: Written Testimony Shellenberger
Link: https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Written-Testimony-Shellenberger.pdfSource snippet
13, 2023 — 8 “Report on the Historical Record... AARO's Historical Report,” The Debrief, March...
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