{"type":"organizations","slug":"all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office","title":"All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)","url":"https://disclosdex.com/organizations/all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office","description":"AARO is the DoD office created in July 2022 to manage anomalous phenomenon reporting, investigation, analysis, mitigation, and interagency coordination.","date":"2022-07-20T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["Government"],"updated":"2026-02-19T00:00:00.000Z","connectionCount":16,"content":{"markdown":"AARO traces directly to the 2021 DoD policy shift that moved UAP work from the existing UAP Task Force structure into a formalized, broader office model after the DNI preliminary assessment identified reporting and analytic gaps.[^1][^2]\n\nIn November 2021, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to establish AOIMSG as the successor to the Navy’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, with DNI coordination and a mandate to synchronize detection, identification, reporting, and mitigation actions for incursions.[^3][^4]\n\nOn July 15, 2022, the DoD formally renamed AOIMSG as AARO under the fiscal-year 2022 NDAA expansion and appointed Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick as director, with mission language including anomalous, unidentified space, airborne, submerged, and transmedium objects.[^5][^6][^7]\n\nThe AARO establishment memo also listed six initial AARO Executive Council lines of effort spanning surveillance, reporting, system design, intelligence operations, mitigation, governance, and science and technology.[^6]\n\nCongressional and statutory structure now defines AARO’s duties in 50 U.S.C. 3373: standardized DoD-IC incident reporting, cross-domain coordination with FAA and NASA, annual reporting, line-organization assignments, and reporting directly to senior DoD and IC leadership for operational and security matters.[^8]\n\nStatutorily, 50 U.S.C. 3373b requires a secure reporting mechanism for authorized disclosures of unidentified anomalous events and related programs, with protections against reprisal for authorized reporters and mandatory committee briefings through December 31, 2026.[^9][^10]\n\nBy November 2024, the DoD and ODNI reported AARO’s annual findings to Congress, covering May 2023–June 2024 data and more than 1,600 total reviews in process, while AARO’s current leadership continued operational reporting expansion.[^11][^12]\n\nIn 2024 the DoD launched AARO’s secure reporting phase for authorized federal personnel, and AARO’s website added 2026-period public records products, including a February 13, 2026 workshop white paper and ongoing release-focused documentation efforts.[^13][^14]\n\n## References\n\n[^1]: [John Kirby statement on UAP assessment and formalization of the UAPTF mission transfer](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2672732/statement-by-pentagon-press-secretary-john-kirby-on-unidentified-aerial-phenome/)\n[^2]: [ODNI Preliminary Assessment on UAP reporting and analytic gaps](https://www.odni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf)\n[^3]: [AOIMSG release: successor to Navy UAP Task Force](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2853121/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-airborne-object-identification-and-manag/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-airborne-object-identification-and-manag/)\n[^4]: [DoD statement on formalizing UAP program oversight and future follow-on activity](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2672732/statement-by-pentagon-press-secretary-john-kirby-on-unidentified-aerial-phenome/)\n[^5]: [DoD announces AARO establishment and renamed scope after NDAA FY22](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3100053/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office/)\n[^6]: [Deputy Secretary of Defense memo establishing AARO and lines of effort](https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/20/2003039074/-1/-1/1/ESTABLISHMENT-OF-THE-ALL-DOMAIN-ANOMALY-RESOLUTION-OFFICE.PDF)\n[^7]: [DoD biography for Dr. Sean M. Kirkpatrick, AARO director](https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jul/20/2003039076/-1/-1/1/DR-SEAN-M-KIRKPATRICK-BIOGRAPHY.PDF)\n[^8]: [50 U.S.C. § 3373, Establishment of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title:50+section:3373%29)\n[^9]: [50 U.S.C. § 3373b, Unidentified anomalous phenomena reporting procedures](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title:50+section:3373b+edition:prelim%29)\n[^10]: [50 U.S.C. § 3373b, non-retaliation and congressional reporting requirements (current text)](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title:50+section:3373b%29)\n[^11]: [DOD releases the Annual Report on UAP, FY2024 case volume and period coverage](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3964824/department-of-defense-releases-the-annual-report-on-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena/)\n[^12]: [ODNI and DoD annual UAP reporting collaboration and legal requirement citation](https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/reports-publications/reports-publications-2024/4020-uap-2024)\n[^13]: [DoD launches secure reporting mechanism phase on AARO for authorized disclosures](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3575027/department-of-defense-launches-secure-reporting-mechanism-on-the-all-domain-ano/)\n[^14]: [AARO UAP Records and 2025/2026-era publications](https://www.aaro.mil/UAP-Records/)","readingTime":"3 min read"},"relatedRecords":[{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"mick-west","title":"Mick West","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/mick-west"},"direction":"inbound","weight":2},{"ref":{"type":"updates","slug":"2026-historical-corpus-expansion","title":"Historical corpus expansion and dossier deepening","url":"https://disclosdex.com/updates/2026-historical-corpus-expansion"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"jon-kosloski","title":"Jon Kosloski","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/jon-kosloski"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"eric-burlison","title":"Eric Burlison","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/eric-burlison"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"jay-stratton","title":"Jay Stratton","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/jay-stratton"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"john-blitch","title":"John Blitch","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/john-blitch"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"john-greenewald-jr","title":"John Greenewald Jr.","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/john-greenewald-jr"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"mike-masters","title":"Mike Masters","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/mike-masters"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"marco-rubio","title":"Marco Rubio","url":"https://disclosdex.com/people/marco-rubio"},"direction":"inbound","weight":1},{"ref":{"type":"people","slug":"travis-taylor","title":"Travis S. 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