CLEARED 015 For Open Publication Jul 17, 2023 Department of Defense UNCLASSIFIED OFFICE OF PREPUBLICATION AND SECURITY REVIEW 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, 191452ZMAY23) (c) Memorandum: Defense Department Response to Tiger Team Information Request re Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (AARO, March 2023) (U) The Defense Department and within and across the Department and mission Intelligence Community are committed to ensuring partners. a unified, coordinated, and integrated approach to mitigating safety and security threats from UAP. (U) What are UAP? Unidentified anomalous The All‐domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) phenomena (UAP) are sources of anomalous mission is to minimize technical and intelligence detections in one or more domain (i.e., airborne, surprise by synchronizing scientific, intelligence, and seaborne, spaceborne, and/or transmedium) that operational detection, identification, attribution, are not yet attributable to known actors and that and mitigation of unidentified, anomalous objects in demonstrate behaviors not readily understood by the vicinity of national security areas. sensors or observers. “Anomalous detections” include but are not limited to phenomena that (U) The Office’s vision is to create an demonstrate apparent capabilities or material that environment in which unidentified, anomalous exceed known performance envelopes. A UAP may objects are effectively and efficiently detected, consist of none, one, or more unidentified tracked, analyzed, and managed by way of anomalous objects and may persist over an normalized DoD, IC, and civil business practices; by extended period of time. adherence to the highest scientific and intelligence‐ tradecraft standards; and with greater transparency (U) What is the significance of UAP? The US and shared awareness. Realization of this vision Government has observed UAP in or near the relies on cohesive management by OSD and ODNI, territory and/or operating areas of the United by which the Department and IC apply AARO States, of its allies, and of its adversaries, and strategic guidance and direction to optimize the observing, identifying, and potentially mitigating effectiveness and efficiency of the UAP Mission UAP has become a growing priority for US policymakers, lawmakers, and warfighters. The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office Chief of Staff, AARO Page determined to be Unclassified Authority: FY24 NDAA, now codified at 44 U.S.C. 2107 UNCLASSIFIED Reviewed by Chief of Staff, AARO Date: 3/20/2025 IAW FY24 NDAA, Section 1841(a)(1)(C) Released in Full: X Date: 3/20/2025 Case Number: 330UAP000015