What is a UAP?
UAP stands for "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena" (previously "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena," formerly "UFO"). The term refers to objects or events observed in the air, sea, space, or transmedium that cannot be immediately identified.
The U.S. government uses this terminology to describe sightings reported by military personnel, pilots, and sensors that remain unidentified after analysis. UAP does not imply extraterrestrial origin—it simply indicates that the phenomenon has not been identified with available information.
What is AARO?
AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) is a Department of Defense office established in 2022 to detect, identify, and attribute objects of interest in the air, sea, space, and transmedium domains.
AARO consolidates UAP-related efforts across the Department of Defense and intelligence community. The office is required to provide regular reports to Congress and maintain historical records of U.S. government UAP investigations.
What was Project Blue Book?
Project Blue Book was a systematic study of unidentified flying objects conducted by the United States Air Force from 1952 to 1969. It was the third and final official U.S. government UFO investigation program.
The project collected and analyzed over 12,000 UFO reports. It was terminated in 1969 with the conclusion that no UFO investigated posed a national security threat and that there was no evidence of extraterrestrial vehicles.
What are the Navy UAP videos?
In 2020, the Department of Defense officially released three declassified videos showing encounters between U.S. Navy aircraft and unidentified aerial phenomena. The videos—nicknamed "FLIR1," "GIMBAL," and "GOFAST"—were recorded between 2004 and 2015.
The videos show objects moving at high speeds with no visible means of propulsion. The DOD confirmed the videos were authentic and showed unexplained phenomena. They were previously leaked and circulated in the public domain before official release.
What is the UAP Disclosure Act?
The Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act (S.1663) is legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate in 2023. The bill would require the National Archives to collect and preserve UAP-related records and establish a review board for declassification.
The legislation aims to increase transparency around government UAP investigations by mandating disclosure of records while protecting legitimate national security interests and intelligence sources.