2023 UAP Mission Backgrounder Paper
AI Summary
The 2023 UAP Mission Backgrounder Paper outlines the mission and organizational structure of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) within the U.S. Department of Defense. It emphasizes the importance of a coordinated approach to address unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and their implications for national security.
Key Findings
- AARO aims to minimize technical and intelligence surprises from UAP. - UAP are defined as anomalous detections not attributable to known actors. - The significance of UAP includes operational hazards and potential strategic miscalculations by adversaries. - AARO is organized into four key functions: operations, analyses, science and technology, and strategic communications. - AARO collaborates with various defense and intelligence entities to enhance UAP reporting and analysis.
OCR Text
UNCLASSIFIED ALL‐DOMAI N ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICE BACKGROUNDER UNCLASSIFIED References: (a) James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 (b) Message: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Reporting and Material‐Disposition General Administration (Joint Staff, 191452ZMAY23) (c) Memorandum: Defense Department Response to Tiger Team Information Request re Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (AARO, March 2023) (U)The Defense Department and Intelligence Community are committed to ensuring a unified, coordinated, and integrated approach to mitigating safety and security threats from UAP. The All‐domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) mission is to minimize technical and intelligence surprise by synchronizing scientific, intelligence, and operational detection, identification, attribution, and mitigation of unidentified, anomalous objects in the vicinity of national security areas. (U) The Office’s vision is to create an environmen t in which unidentified, anomalous objects are effectively and efficiently detected, tracked, analyzed, and managed by way of normalized DoD, IC, and civil business practices; by adherence to the highest scientific and intelligence‐ tradecraft standards; and with greater transparency and shared awareness. Realization of this vision relies on cohesive management by OSD and ODNI, by which the Department and IC apply AARO strategic guidance and direction to optimize the effectiveness and efficiency of the UAP Mission within and across the Department and mission partners. (U)What are UAP? Unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) are sources of anomalous detections in one or more domain (i.e., airborne, seaborne, spaceborne, and/or transmedium) that are not yet attributable to known actors and that demonstrate behaviors not readily understood by sensors or observers. “Anomalous detections” include but are not limited to phenomena that demonstrate apparent capabilities or material that exceed known performance envelo pes. A UAP may consist of none, one, or more unidentified anomalous objects and may persist over an extended period of time. (U)What is the significance of UAP? The US Government has observed UAP in or near the territory and/or operating areas of the United States, of its allies, and of its adversaries, and observing, identifying, and potentially mitigating UAP has become a growing priority for US policymakers, lawmakers, and warfighters. The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office Chief of Staff, AARO Authority: FY24 NDAA, now codified at 44 U.S.C. 2107 Date: 3/20/2025 Released in Full: X Case Number: 330UAP000015 Page determined to be Unclassified Reviewed by Chief of Staff, AARO IAW FY24 NDAA, Section 1841(a)(1)(C) Date: 3/20/2025 015 UNCLASSIFIED 2 UNCLASSIFIED potentially ubiquitous presence of UAP defines the national security implications of those anomalies, which range from operational hazards and threats to technological and intelligence surprise to adversaries’ strategic miscalculations. (U)What are the Department’s statutory requirements, pertaining to UAP? Ref (a) directs the AARO to perform UAP‐Mission management, data and information acquisition and analyses, and report mission statuses and issues to Congress. AARO’s statutory requirements are outlined in Appendix A. (U)How is AARO organized to address the potential hazards and threats from UAP? AARO relies on organic and mission‐partner expertise, and it is task organized around four key functions for optimal performance and targeted collaboration: operations, analyses, science and technology, and strategic co mmunications. the Operations Group synchronizes and sequences Theater, IC, and other capabilities for optimized, cross‐functional UAP detection, tracking, mitigation, and recovery; the Analytic Group delivers peer‐reviewed conclusions through deliberate syntheses of scientific an d intelligence method, tradecraft, tools, and expertise; the Science and Technology Group reveals and exploits elusive and enigmatic signatures through advanced technologies and focused, cross‐sector partnerships; and the Strategic Communications Group drives shared awareness across mission partners, oversight authorities, and stakeholders— normalizing cross‐sector partnerships and building trust with transparency. (U)What are AARO’s key Defense Departm ent partnerships? UAP are most often reported by the Department’s services and commands, and they are most often analyzed by service‐managed centers and combat support agencies. AARO works closely with the Joint Staff to develop, publish, and implement UAP reporting requirements for the services and commands (e.g., ref (b)); to guide UAP operational planning; and to cultivate inter‐component operational cohesion. AARO also works directly with service‐managed centers (e.g., the National Air and Space Intelligence Center), in the development of analytic me…
Metadata
- Agency
- —
- Classification
- UNCLASSIFIED
- Department
- NARA
- Catalog source
- View NARA catalog record