AARO, or the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, is a U.S. Department of Defense office formed in mid-2022 to bring all domains—air, sea, land, and space—into one unified framework for investigating Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). Reporting to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security, it absorbed earlier DoD initiatives like the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and its successor AOIMSG. AARO was created by congressional mandate under the National Defense Authorization Acts of FY 2022 and FY 2023.

Its mission includes collection, reporting, and analysis of UAP incidents, addressing intelligence gaps, ensuring interagency cooperation, and reviewing historical records, dating back to 1945, for any programs or evidence that may have been hidden from Congress. It’s led by Director Jon T. Kosloski.

AARO’s tasks cover multiple functional pillars: collecting and standardizing UAP encounter and reporting data; analyzing sensor, imagery, and witness reports; scientific and technical evaluation of anomalous observations; and recommending policy and statutory changes to close operational or counterintelligence gaps. It has issued classified and unclassified reports to Congress. Among its outputs is a volume released in March 2024, surveying historical U.S. government involvement in UAP investigations, which concluded there is no empirical evidence that any UAP cases represent extraterrestrial technology or secret unreported government programs.

Despite progressing transparency in several respects, AARO has become a subject of debate, particularly around whether its structure, priorities, and oversight are sufficient. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, Chair of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, has publicly questioned AARO’s effectiveness, even calling for it to be defunded or disbanded. Luna has argued that AARO’s output has been insufficient relative to the public’s expectations and that other agencies—such as the FBI—appear to be offering more actionable or transparent information. In congressional hearings, she has raised concerns about a “wall of silence” in response to UAP disclosure and asserted that congressional oversight must ensure honesty and accountability.

Supporters of disclosure—broadly speaking observers, researchers, and some lawmakers—have expressed relief and renewed hope given Luna’s vocal stance. They see her criticism of AARO as a potential catalyst for deeper change or even reform of how UAP disclosures are managed. Some believe that her position acknowledges the perception among parts of the public and expert communities that AARO, while mandated to address UAPs, may be underperforming or acting as a gatekeeper rather than fully transparent conduit.

At the same time, AARO continues operating under its legal mandate and asserting that in its investigations—though many cases remain unresolved—it has found no verified evidence to suggest extraterrestrial origins of reported anomalous phenomena. Its reporting includes large numbers of cases attributed to mundane causes such as balloons, drones, or birds; many others lack sufficient data for firm conclusions. AARO also works with the intelligence community and partners in other government agencies to manage the technical, scientific, and policy aspects of UAP sightings.

What to watch: congressional decisions on budget appropriations or legislative amendments could reshape, restrict, or even dissolve AARO’s authority. Shadowed too is the challenge of aligning secrecy and classification habits with demands for public transparency. Entities on all sides—AARO, Congress, whistleblowers, and disclosure advocates—will be under scrutiny to demonstrate a credible plan not just for collecting UAP-related data, but also for sharing what can be shared, and building public trust.