For years, reports of unidentified objects around military aircraft and sensitive locations were handled through different parts of the United States government. Today, one office sits at the centre of the Pentagon's effort to understand them: the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, better known as AARO.
Its existence has inevitably attracted attention from people interested in UFOs, government secrecy and possible extraterrestrial technology.
But AARO is not an “alien investigation office”.
Its official mission is much more practical. It investigates unidentified anomalous phenomena that could affect military operations, flight safety, intelligence or national security.
Some reports are eventually identified as balloons, satellites, aircraft, drones or other ordinary objects. Others remain unresolved because investigators do not have enough reliable information to reach a confident conclusion.
Understanding that difference is essential.
AARO exists not to prove that UFOs are extraterrestrial, but to determine what unusual observations actually represent whenever the available evidence makes that possible.

What Does AARO Stand For?

AARO stands for All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office.
The word “all-domain” is particularly important.
Earlier UFO discussions tended to focus on objects observed in the sky. The modern UAP framework is broader and can include anomalous observations in space, in the atmosphere, at sea or beneath the surface, as well as objects apparently moving between different environments.
These are sometimes described as transmedium objects.
That does not mean the Pentagon has confirmed vehicles capable of extraordinary movement between space, air and water.
It means AARO's investigative remit is designed to cover reports across multiple domains rather than restricting them to traditional airborne sightings.
For readers unfamiliar with the terminology, BriefGlo's guide to what a UAP is and how it differs from a UFO explains why government agencies increasingly use UAP rather than UFO.

Why Was AARO Created?

AARO was formally established by the US Department of Defense in July 2022.
It replaced and expanded earlier government efforts dealing with unidentified aerial phenomena.
Its creation followed congressional requirements for a more centralised system capable of collecting, standardising and analysing UAP information across the Department of Defense and other parts of the federal government.
This addressed a practical problem.
If unusual observations were being reported by different military services, intelligence organisations and government agencies using different systems, identifying patterns or comparing cases could become difficult.
A central office could bring those reports together.
The Pentagon therefore gave AARO responsibilities involving surveillance, collection and reporting, intelligence analysis, science and technology, governance and the assessment of potential threats.
The objective was not simply to collect UFO stories.
It was to create a structured process for investigating observations relevant to military operations and national security.

What Does AARO Actually Investigate?

AARO investigates reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena associated particularly with national-security environments.
That can include observations around military installations, training areas, operating areas and other locations considered relevant to US national security.
An investigation may begin with something relatively simple: a pilot, sensor operator or military platform observes an object that cannot immediately be identified.
Investigators then attempt to reconstruct what happened.
They may examine imagery, sensor information, location, altitude, direction of travel, environmental conditions and other available data.
The crucial word is available.
Not every UAP report contains enough information for a definitive identification.
A short video of a distant object may provide far less useful information than observations recorded simultaneously by several calibrated sensors.
That is one of the strongest connections between AARO's work and how NASA studies UAP.
Both demonstrate that the quality of the data often matters more than how unusual an observation initially appears.

How Does AARO Receive UAP Reports?

AARO is not simply a public website where anyone can upload a photograph of a strange light in the sky.
Current military and US government civilian personnel follow official reporting procedures through their commands or services.
Civilian pilots are encouraged to report relevant sightings promptly to air traffic control, and AARO receives UAP-related pilot reports from the Federal Aviation Administration.
AARO also maintains a secure reporting mechanism for eligible current or former US government employees, military personnel and contractors with first-hand knowledge of US government programmes or activities relating to UAP.
As of September 2026, AARO's public reporting page states that it will announce when a reporting mechanism becomes available to the general public.
This distinction matters because the reports reaching AARO can come through different channels and can contain very different levels of information.

What Happens After a UAP Is Reported?

The objective is attribution.
Investigators want to determine what produced the observation.
That can involve comparing a report with known aircraft activity, satellites, balloons, unmanned aircraft systems, astronomical objects and environmental phenomena.
Sensor behaviour also has to be considered.
Cameras, infrared systems and radar do not reproduce reality perfectly. Viewing geometry, image processing, sensor limitations and the movement of the observing platform can sometimes make an ordinary object appear unusual.
This is why the Pentagon UFO videos should not be interpreted solely from what an object appears to do on a screen.
Investigators need context.
When sufficient evidence exists, AARO can close a case with an assessment of what the object most likely was.
When sufficient evidence does not exist, the case may remain unresolved.
That status is important, but it is frequently misunderstood.

What Does “Unresolved” Actually Mean?

An unresolved UAP case is not automatically an extraordinary case.
It means investigators have not obtained enough information to attribute the observation confidently.
Imagine a distant light recorded for several seconds without reliable information about its distance.
Without distance, determining its true size and speed becomes difficult.
If no additional sensor data exist, investigators may never be able to reconstruct the event accurately enough to identify it.
The case could remain unresolved indefinitely.
That would not prove the light was extraterrestrial technology.
It would prove that the available evidence was insufficient.
This distinction is also central to the broader question of whether UFOs are real and what the evidence actually says.
Unidentified observations unquestionably exist.
What remains uncertain in some cases is what produced them.

What Is AARO Finding?

AARO's public data provide useful context for the wider UFO debate.
Its reporting trends currently cover reports from 1 January 1996 through 15 August 2026.
Among cases AARO has publicly classified as closed, the largest resolution categories are balloons and satellites. Other closed cases have been attributed to unmanned aircraft systems, birds, conventional aircraft, rockets, atmospheric phenomena and sensor artefacts, among other explanations.
This does not mean every UAP report has been solved.
AARO continues to publish unresolved cases as well.
The pattern does demonstrate why an initial UAP classification should not be confused with a final conclusion.
An object can be genuinely unidentified at the moment it is observed and later turn out to be something familiar.
That is exactly what an investigative process is supposed to establish.

Does AARO Publish Real UAP Videos?

Yes.
AARO maintains an official collection of UAP imagery containing both resolved and unresolved cases.
Some are striking precisely because they demonstrate how difficult interpretation can be.
A video may clearly show a physical object while still providing too little information to identify exactly what that object is.
Other footage can eventually be attributed to birds or other conventional causes.
AARO's public imagery therefore provides something more useful than a collection of mysterious UFO clips.
It allows people to see how investigators distinguish between the existence of an object and the much harder question of its identity.
The same principle applies to many famous Pentagon UFO videos: recording something unusual does not by itself establish the object's origin.

Has AARO Found Extraterrestrial Technology?

AARO's published findings do not establish that UAP represent extraterrestrial technology.
Its 2024 Historical Record Report examined decades of US government involvement with UAP and historical claims surrounding recovered extraterrestrial technology.
The report said AARO found no evidence that a US government investigation, academic-sponsored research effort or official review panel had confirmed a UAP sighting as extraterrestrial technology.
AARO also reported that it found no empirical evidence that the US government or private companies had been reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
Those conclusions do not demonstrate that extraterrestrial life cannot exist.
They address a narrower question: whether the evidence reviewed by AARO substantiated particular claims about extraterrestrial technology connected to historical US government UAP programmes.
According to the published report, it did not.

What About Claims of Secret UFO Programmes?

Claims involving hidden programmes, recovered spacecraft and secret technology have circulated for decades.
Government secrecy makes these stories particularly difficult to evaluate from the outside.
The United States genuinely operates classified military and intelligence programmes.
Some historically secret aircraft projects also contributed to UFO reports because members of the public observed technology they were not supposed to know existed.
The history of Area 51 and UFO mythology is one of the clearest examples.
But the existence of classified programmes cannot logically demonstrate the existence of a particular secret programme without additional evidence.
AARO's historical investigation examined allegations relating to US government involvement with extraterrestrial technology and said it did not find empirical evidence supporting claims of reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
That conclusion should be treated as exactly what it is: the published finding of the official investigation.
People may question government conclusions, but a responsible evidence-based analysis cannot replace missing evidence with suspicion alone.

Why Are Some AARO Cases Still Unresolved?

Some AARO investigations remain unresolved because the available evidence is incomplete or cannot support a reliable identification. Missing sensor data, limited observations and uncertain viewing conditions can all prevent investigators from reaching a definitive conclusion.
This does not make an unresolved case evidence of extraterrestrial technology. It means the investigation has reached the limits of the information available.

Does AARO Investigate Underwater UFOs?

Its remit can include submerged and transmedium anomalous objects.
That makes AARO relevant to reports sometimes described as unidentified submerged objects, or USOs.
Stories about unusual objects entering or leaving the ocean have existed for decades and have helped fuel theories about hidden underwater technology or unknown intelligence.
BriefGlo has previously examined the question of UFOs coming from the ocean and the evidence behind the USO mystery.
AARO's all-domain remit means such reports can fall within its investigative scope when they are relevant to its mission.
But again, investigative jurisdiction is not evidence that underwater alien vehicles exist.
It means the office is structured so that an unusual observation does not fall outside its remit simply because it occurred beneath the water rather than in the atmosphere.

How Is AARO Different From NASA?

NASA and AARO approach UAP from different institutional positions.
NASA is a civilian scientific agency concerned primarily with space exploration, Earth science, astronomy, aeronautics and related research.
AARO sits within the US defence and intelligence structure.
NASA's independent UAP study focused heavily on scientific methodology, data quality and how better observations could improve understanding of unusual phenomena.
AARO has an operational and national-security role.
It collects and analyses reports, investigates individual cases, examines historical government involvement and assesses potential implications for military operations and national security.
The two approaches can complement each other.
NASA can contribute expertise in scientific observation and data analysis.
AARO can work with information generated inside defence and intelligence environments.
Neither role should be confused with a programme whose purpose is to prove the existence of aliens.

Who Runs AARO?

As of September 2026, the director of AARO is Dr Jon T. Kosloski.
His official Department of Defense biography describes a background in mathematics, physics, electrical engineering, optics, computing and research within the National Security Agency.
The identity of the director matters less than the institutional structure around the office.
AARO's conclusions are not supposed to rest on the personal opinion of one individual.
Its work involves information collected across government, scientific and intelligence analysis, formal reporting processes and oversight.
That does not make every conclusion immune from criticism.
It means criticism is most useful when it addresses the evidence, methodology and data behind a conclusion rather than focusing solely on personalities.

Is AARO Transparent?

The answer is not simply yes or no.
AARO publishes substantial material publicly.
Its website includes official imagery, case information, reporting trends, historical documents, congressional material and annual reports.
In 2026, it has continued adding public material, including UAP case documents and updated reporting information.
At the same time, AARO operates within a national-security environment where some information can be classified or otherwise restricted.
That creates an unavoidable tension.
Scientific transparency works best when data can be examined openly.
National-security organisations sometimes cannot release every sensor capability, location or intelligence source.
The existence of classified information does not establish extraordinary technology.
But restricted information can make independent public evaluation more difficult.
A responsible assessment therefore has to distinguish between what is publicly documented, what remains classified and what is merely alleged.

Why National Security Matters More Than Aliens

Suppose a military pilot encounters an unidentified object near a training area.
From a defence perspective, the first question is not:
“Is it extraterrestrial?”
The more immediate questions are practical.
Could it be another country's surveillance system?
Could it be a drone?
Could it interfere with flight operations?
Could it reveal an intelligence gap?
Could it represent a hazard to aircraft?
Could the observation be caused by a sensor problem?
Only after those possibilities are examined does the broader mystery become meaningful.
This explains why AARO's official mission emphasises reducing technological and intelligence surprise.
An unidentified object near sensitive military infrastructure matters even if it eventually turns out to be entirely human-made.

Better Data Could Change the UAP Debate

NASA and AARO approach the issue from different directions, but both repeatedly encounter the same obstacle:
data.
An extraordinary-looking video with no reliable distance information may be less scientifically useful than an ordinary-looking observation recorded simultaneously by several calibrated instruments.
Radar, optical cameras, infrared sensors and other systems can potentially provide different pieces of the same event.
When those measurements can be synchronised, investigators have a better chance of calculating real speed, altitude, trajectory and physical characteristics.
That suggests the future of serious UAP investigation may depend less on collecting more stories and more on collecting better measurements.
For a deeper examination of scientific methods, sensor technology and the importance of reliable observations, read our article on how AARO is turning to science to improve UAP investigations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does AARO stand for?

AARO stands for All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. It is the US government office responsible for investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena within its defence and national-security remit.

Is AARO part of the Pentagon?

AARO operates within the US Department of Defense structure and works across defence, intelligence and other government organisations on UAP-related matters.

When was AARO created?

The Department of Defense formally established AARO in July 2022, expanding earlier US government efforts to investigate unidentified aerial phenomena.

Does AARO investigate aliens?

Its mission is to investigate unidentified anomalous phenomena, not to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life. Its published findings have not confirmed UAP as extraterrestrial technology.

Has AARO solved every UAP case?

No. Some cases remain unresolved because available information is insufficient for confident attribution. Other cases have been resolved as balloons, satellites, unmanned aircraft systems, birds, aircraft and other conventional objects or phenomena.

Does unresolved mean extraterrestrial?

No. “Unresolved” means investigators currently lack sufficient evidence to determine what produced an observation. It does not establish an extraterrestrial explanation.

Can ordinary people report UFOs directly to AARO?

As of September 2026, AARO's public guidance says it will announce when a reporting mechanism becomes available to the general public. Military and eligible government personnel have established reporting channels, while civilian pilots are encouraged to report sightings to air traffic control.

Final Thoughts

AARO is important not because it proves the most dramatic UFO theories, but because it represents one of the most organised attempts by the US government to turn unusual observations into investigable data.
Its work shows that UAP is a broad category.
Some reports are eventually explained.
Some remain unresolved.
None should be assigned an extraordinary origin simply because investigators have not yet identified them.
That principle is unlikely to satisfy everyone interested in UFOs.
But it is the distinction that separates investigation from speculation.
NASA has already shown why scientific UAP research depends on better observations. AARO shows what happens when those observations enter a defence and national-security investigation.

Sources and Further Reading

All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office — UAP Reporting Trends
Official AARO data on reported UAP characteristics and resolution outcomes.

All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office — Official UAP Imagery
Official collection of resolved, unresolved and actively analysed UAP imagery released by AARO.

All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office — Congressional and Press Products
Official collection of AARO annual reports, congressional materials, hearings and public releases.

All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office — Historical Record Report, Volume I
Official review of the historical record of United States government involvement with UAP.

All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office — Submit a Report
Official information explaining current UAP reporting channels and eligibility.

US Department of Defense — Establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
Official Department of Defense announcement establishing AARO and describing its original mission and lines of effort.

US Department of Defense — DOD Examining Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena
Official Department of Defense overview of AARO's investigative role and UAP reporting.

US Department of Defense — Dr Jon T. Kosloski Biography
Official biography of the current AARO director.