This is a Navy image of an unidentified aerial phenomena, commonly known as a UFO, captured during naval exercises off the East Coast of the United States in early 2022. The image was captured through night vision goggles and a single lens reflex camera. Based on additional information and data from other sightings, the UFO in this image was reclassified as unmanned aerial systems. (U.S. Navy )
WASHINGTON – Service members, veterans and civilian defense workers can now report unidentified anomalous phenomena, better known as UFOs, on the Defense Department website, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
“Any current or former [defense] employees, military or civilian, or contractors, who believe that they have first-hand knowledge of … UAP activity, please come forward using this new secure reporting mechanism. We want to hear from you,” said Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO.
Amid a rise in military-related UFO sightings, the website was launched in August to serve as a “one-stop shop” for all things related to sightings. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said at the time that the website was still being built but said the next phase would include military service members and civilian workers to report sightings.
“This website will provide information including videos and photos on resolved [unidentified anomalous phenomena] cases as they are declassified and approved for public release,” he said.
The site is run by the AARO, which was established at the Pentagon a year ago to investigate UFOs. AARO will investigate sightings dating to 1945 reported to the site by current and former federal government employees and contractors.
The Pentagon, in collaboration with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, released a report in October bringing the number of accounts of UFOs to 801. The AARO received 291 UFO reports during the reporting period from Aug. 31, 2022, to April 31, 2023. Between 2019 and 2022, 17 sightings occurred that had not been previously reported.
“Most reports still reflect a bias towards restricted military airspace, a result of reporting from military personnel and sensors present in such areas,” the report states. “This bias has been lessened by reporting from commercial pilots showing a more diverse geographic distribution of UAP sightings across the United States.”
Most sightings are over U.S. airspace and littoral waters, however, because of “U.S.-centric collection bias,” the report states.
In July, three military veterans who claim to have seen UFOs appeared at a hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and cautioned lawmakers that such mysterious objects are a threat to national security. One of the veterans — former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch — claimed the government is hiding proof of extraterrestrial life from past UFO crashes.
Kirkpatrick said since the AARO was created and he became the director, he has not spoken with Grusch.
“We have extended an invitation at least four or five times now for him to come in, over the last eight months or so, and [have] been declined,” he told reporters Tuesday.
Kirkpatrick said his office understands the public is interested in reporting UFO sightings and the AARO is exploring methods in its upcoming third phase announcement.
“The website is a living thing. It’s going to evolve as we do more and more here,” he said. “We’ve got a package of a lot of new material that we’ve got ready for release. You should expect to see things evolve every one to two months, I would say.”
To submit a report: https://www.aaro.mil/AARO-Reporting-Information/
