Unclassified Summary of Report No. DODIG-2023-109, "Evaluation of the DoD's Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena," August 15, 2023

“Over the past decades, the DoD has initiated infrequent and inconclusive efforts to identify and understand the origin, capabilities, and intent of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).”

“Military pilots have historically reported many of the reported UAP sightings.”

“the Air Force and Navy have been at the forefront of developing policies, procedures, and mechanisms for reporting UAP.”

“The DoD's first official UAP-focused activities occurred in December 1947, when the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff established PROJECT SIGN to investigate the first recorded observations of unidentified flying objects.”

“From 1947 to 1949, Air Force personnel investigated 243 reported UAP sightings.”

“In 1952, the U.S. Air Force Director of Intelligence initiated PROJECT BLUE BOOK to investigate unidentified flying objects.”

“Between 1952 and 1969, Air Force personnel investigated over 12,000 reported sightings.”

“The DoD did not officially look at UAP again until mid-2000, when select members of Congress initiated and funded a program to study UAP, called the Advanced Aerospace Weapon Systems Applications program, under the direction of the Defense Intelligence Agency.”

“Since then, the DoD has attempted to establish several programs for coordinating DoD-wide UAP reporting; however, none of the programs were ever fully implemented.”

“In 2020, as a result of increased concerns of flight crew safety, national security, and adversary technology advances, Congress directed the DoD, through the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, to develop, fund, and staff a formal interagency entity to study, collect data, and report on UAP.”

“On July 20, 2022, the DoD established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to be that entity.”

“The FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) defined UAP as "unidentified anomalous phenomena," which include: (a) airborne objects that are not immediately identifiable, (b) transmedium objects or devices, and (c) submerged objects or devices that are not immediately identifiable.”

“According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's Preliminary Assessment on UAP, UAP are objects that are not immediately identifiable, lack a single explanation, and fall into one of five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, U.S. Government or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a catchall "other" category.”

“DoD efforts to identify and understand UAP have been irregular because of competing priorities, lack of substantive progress, and inconclusive findings.”

“Congressional committees included language about their UAP concerns in the FYs 2019 through 2023 NDAAs and a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Report on the FY 2021 Intelligence Authorization Act.”

“In the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Report on the FY 2021 Intelligence Authorization Act, the Senate Select Committee identified concerns that the U.S. Government did not have a unified, comprehensive process in place for collecting and analyzing intelligence on UAP.”

“in August 2020 the DoD established a UAP Task Force (UAPTF) to develop standardized reporting requirements for UAP encounters.”

“In June 2021, the UAPTF and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued the congressionally mandated Preliminary Assessment on UAP”

“the congressionally mandated Preliminary Assessment on UAP, which stated that UAP reporting data are largely inconclusive, as well as a consolidation of reports across the U.S. Government is inconsistent.”

“In a November 2021 memorandum, the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the OUSD(I&S) to establish the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) as the successor to the UAPTF to synchronize efforts across the DoD and with other Federal departments and agencies to detect, identify, and characterize objects of interest in special use airspace.”

“The AOIMSG did not reach operational capability and the Deputy Secretary disestablished it on July 15, 2022.”

“In July 2022, the DoD established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to implement the duties previously assigned to the AOIMSG.”

“the DoD has not used a coordinated approach to detect, report, collect, analyze, and identify UAP;”

“DoD Components have largely excluded geographic combatant commands, which are responsible for detecting, deterring, and preventing threats and attacks against the United States and its territories, possessions, and bases in their respective areas of responsibility, in developing UAP policies and procedures;”

“DoD Components developed varying processes to collect, analyze, and identify UAP incidents.”

“The DoD has not issued a comprehensive UAP response plan that identifies roles, responsibilities, requirements, and coordination procedures for detecting, reporting, collecting, analyzing, and identifying UAP incidents.”

“the Air Force designated UAP as a "Special Interest Item," which requires aircrews to document and report UAP observations within 24 hours of engine shutdown and mission completion using the Marauder system.”

“An Army Senior Advisor for Science and Technology and Innovation stated that Army personnel also use the Air Force's Marauder system to document and report UAP observations because the Army has not developed its own UAP-specific processes.”

“We determined that the DoD has no overarching UAP policy and, as a result, it lacks assurance that national security and flight safety threats to the United States from UAP have been identified and mitigated.”

“We recommend that the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, in coordination with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office Director, issue a Department of Defense policy to integrate unidentified anomalous phenomena roles, responsibilities, requirements, and coordination procedures into existing intelligence, counterintelligence, and force protection policies and procedures.”

“The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, responding for the OUSD(I&S) and the AARO Director, agreed with the recommendation.”

“The Under Secretary also stated that AARO's progress in detecting, identifying, and resolving UAP includes the development of an analytic framework, science plan, operational framework, a strategic communications plan, and implementing guidance on the UAP-related roles and responsibilities of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, AARO, combatant commands, Military Services, and Combat Support Agencies.”

“The Secretary of the Navy did not provide official comments for inclusion in our final report, as requested.”

“The Secretary of the Air Force did not provide official comments for inclusion in this report, as we requested in our draft report.”

“the Joint Staff issued guidance to the geographic combatant commanders on unidentified anomalous phenomena detection, reporting, collection, analysis, and identification within their area of responsibility.”

“We conducted the work on this evaluation from May 2021 through June 2023 in accordance with the "Quality Standards for Inspection and Evaluation," published in January 2012 by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency.”