2023 UAP Mission Backgrounder Paper

STAMP: Cleared For Open Publication Date: 07/17/2023 Office of Publication and Security Review

UNCLASSIFIED AARO ALL-DOMAIN ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICE

BACKGROUNDER

References: (a) James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 (b) Message: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Reporting and Material-Disposition General Administration (Joint Staff, 19145ZMAY23) (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) 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 envelopes. 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; observing identifying; potentially mitigating UAP has become a…

All-D…