IG’s Evaluation of the DoD’s Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Finally Released

Document: "Inspector General's Evaluation of the DoD's Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena" Agency: Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Date: August 15, 2023 Notable: A previously classified report on the Department of Defense's actions regarding unidentified aerial phenomena. Released: January 25, 2024 The Black Vault Entry: https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/igs-evaluation-of-the-dods-actions-regarding-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena-finally-released/ Canonical PDF: https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/dodig-eval-uap.pdf The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has released an unclassified summary of a previously classified report titled "Evaluation of the DoD's Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena." This disclosure follows a full version of the classified report issued on August 15, 2023. Inspector General U.S. Department of Defense INTEGRITY  INDEPENDENCE  EXCELLENCE Unclassified Summary of Report No. DODIG-2023-109, “Evaluation of the DoD’s Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena,” August 15, 2023 Historical Background: 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. Military pilots have historically reported many of the 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 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. Background: The FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act defined UAP as “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” which include airborne objects that are not immediately identifiable, transmedium objects or devices, and 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. Senate Armed Services Committee Fiscal Year Reports: DoD efforts to identify and understand UAP have been irregular because of competing priorities, lack of substantive progress, and inconclusive findings. However, military pilots have continued to report UAP incidents despite the sporadic efforts of the DoD to identify, report, and analyze the events. In response to Congress' concerns, 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, which stated that UAP reporting data are largely inconclusive, as well as a consolidation of reports across the U.S. Government is inconsistent. Moreover, the Preliminary Assessment on UAP stated that standardized reporting, increased collection and analysis, and a streamlined process for screening reports' relevant data would result in a sophisticated analysis of UAP. 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 (AO IMSG) 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. The FY 2022 NDAA required the DoD to establish a central office for all UAP matters with sufficient scope, authorities, responsibilities, and capabilities to continue UAP efforts. In July 2022, the DoD established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to implement the duties previously assigned to the AOIMSG. The mission of AARO is to “synchronize efforts across the Department and with other Federal departments and agencies to detect, identify, and characterize objects of interest in, on, or near military installations, operating areas, training areas, special use airspace, and other areas of interest, and, as necessary, to mitigate any associated threats to safety of operations and national security.” This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. storyflo.com. https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/dodig-eval-u