Important Definitions

The Department of Defense office responsible for detecting, identifying and attributing unidentified anomalous phenomena across the air, sea, space and transmedium domains. It was established by the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act and stood up in July 2022, and has been directed by Dr. Jon Kosloski since August 2024. AARO publishes an annual UAP report to Congress, case-resolution reports and historical record reviews, and since 2026 coordinates the declassification of Department of War files for PURSUE.

Anyone who has come into close proximity to unidentified anomalous phenomena or non-human intelligence.

The official disclosure plan as proposed and described in the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023.

For more information on the specifics of said plan, check the original language of the Senate Amendment here, or the Disclosure Diaries summary post here.

In general, Disclosure is the process of making facts or information known to the public. In this context, it would refer to the disclosure of the reality as it pertains to Non-Human Intelligence. Disclosure could lead to the admission of – we are not alone.

In general, eminent domain refers to the right of governments like the United States to seize private property for public use, following fair compensation.

Independent Research & Development (IRAD, or IR&D) is research and development (R&D) activities conducted by private companies that have potential interest to the U.S. Department of Defense.

These activities cover technical research and development efforts by industry that is not directly sponsored by or explicity required in the performance of a specific contract.

All [US] Federal, State, and local government, commercial industry, academic, and private sector endeavors to collect, exploit, or reverse engineer technologies of unknown origin or examine biological evidence of living or deceased non-human intelligence that pre-dates the date of the enactment of [the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023].

Any sentient intelligent non-human lifeform regardless of nature or ultimate origin that may be presumed responsible for unidentified anomalous phenomena (or of which the [US] Federal Government has become aware).

The state of being forced to question one's worldview. 

The Overton Window is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. It is also known as the window of discourse.

To illustrate the shifting Overton Window – just a couple of years ago, seriously discussing the possibility of NHI and recovered alien spacecraft would've probably landed any politician in the loony bin, nowadays you might just be the Senate Majority Leader of the United States sponsoring a UAP amendment to the NDAA.

The term 'prosaic attribution'' means having a human origin and operating according to current, proven, and generally understood scientific and engineering principles and established laws-of-nature and not attributable to non-human intelligence. 

Author's note:
This essentially covers things like (spy) balloons, drones, satellites, advanced/top -secret military vehicles, radar reflectors etc... 

The compelling interest in the prompt public disclosure of unidentified anomalous phenomena records for historical and Governmental purposes and for the purpose of fully informing the people of the United States about the history of the Federal Government's knowledge and involvement surrounding unidentified anomalous phenomena.

Author's note:
As this definition originates from the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023, it includes US-centric language. I believe the overall meaning of the term 'Public interest' can, however, be extended to cover the global population. Any future reference to the public interest I personally make will reflect this more global definition.

The Department of War programme, launched on May 8, 2026 at war.gov/ufo, for publishing declassified and historical UAP files held by the Department of War, ODNI, NASA, the FBI, the Department of Energy, the State Department and other agencies. It followed the President's February 19, 2026 post directing agencies to begin releasing government UAP files. Files are published in tranches (six between May and September 2026) and, by the Pentagon's own caveat, many haven't been analysed or lack a substantiated chain of custody. Since 2026, "PURSUE representatives" are also the designated recipients for UAP disclosures by current and former personnel under the government's NDA waivers.

Refers to the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Review Board as established in the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023.

The President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint, without regard to political affiliation, 9 citizens of the United States to serve as members of the Review Board to ensure and facilitate the review, transmission to the Archivist, and public disclosure of government records relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena.

A sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) in United States military, national security/national defense and intelligence parlance, is an enclosed area within a building that is used to process sensitive compartmented information (SCI) types of classified information.

Access to SCIFs is normally limited to those individuals with appropriate security clearances. Non-cleared personnel in SCIFs must be under the constant oversight of cleared personnel and all classified information and material removed from view to prevent unauthorized access.

Special access programs, in the U.S. Federal Government, are security protocols that provide highly classified information with safeguards and access restrictions that exceed those for regular classified information.

SAPs can range from black projects (an informal term used to describe a highly classified, top-secret military or defense project that is not publicly acknowledged by government, military personnel or contractors) to routine but especially-sensitive operations.

A House Oversight Committee task force created on February 11, 2025 and chaired by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), with a remit covering the JFK, RFK and MLK assassination files, the Epstein files and UAP. It held the September 9, 2025 hearing "Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection", requested 46 UAP videos from the Pentagon in March 2026, and was extended indefinitely by Chairman James Comer in June 2026. Often shortened to the "Secrets Task Force".

Any materials or meta-materials, ejecta, crash debris, mechanisms, machinery, equipment, assemblies or sub-assemblies, engineering models or processes, damaged or intact aerospace vehicles, and damaged or intact ocean-surface and undersea craft associated with unidentified anomalous phenomena or incorporating science and technology that lacks prosaic attribution or known means of human manufacture.

The class of objects that temporarily resist prosaic attribution by the initial observer as a result of environmental or system limitations associated with the observation process that nevertheless ultimately have an accepted human origin or known physical cause.

This might include: (i) natural celestial, meteorological, and undersea weather phenomena; (ii) mundane human-made airborne objects, clutter, and marine debris; (iii) Federal, State, and local government, commercial industry, academic, and private sector aerospace platforms; (iv) Federal, State, and local government, commercial industry, academic, and private sector ocean-surface and undersea vehicles; and (v) known foreign systems.

Author's note:
This definition is very useful in terms of framing future discussions regarding UAP, i.e. when people like US Congressmen/Senators mention UAP – they are explicitly not talking about any of the aforementioned objects.

The class of objects or devices that are observed to transition between space and the atmosphere, or between the atmosphere and bodies of water, that are not immediately identifiable.

Any object operating or judged capable of operating in outer-space, the atmosphere, ocean surfaces, or undersea lacking prosaic attribution due to performance characteristics and properties not previously known to be achievable based upon commonly accepted physical principles. 

Unidentified anomalous phenomena are differentiated from both attributed and temporarily non-attributed objects by one or more of the following observables: 

 (i) Instantaneous acceleration absent apparent inertia. 

 (ii) Hypersonic velocity absent a thermal signature and sonic shockwave. 

 (iii) Transmedium (such as space-to-ground and air-to- undersea) travel. 

 (iv) Positive lift contrary to known aerodynamic principles. 

 (v) Multispectral signature control. 

 (vi) Physical or invasive biological effects to close observers and the environment. 

The term "unidentified anomalous phenomena'' includes what were previously described as:

 (i) flying discs; 

 (ii) flying saucers; 

 (iii) unidentified aerial phenomena; 

 (iv) unidentified flying objects (UFOs); and 

 (v) unidentified submerged objects (USOs).

An interagency body established in June 2026 by ODNI, the FBI and the Department of War, in ODNI's words "to provide guidance, recommendations and coordination at the interagency level" on UAP, including coordinating the declassification of UAP-related information under Executive Order 13526. It first met in mid-June 2026. Its charter, chair and membership haven't been published.

An outside advisory group announced on June 13, 2026 and chaired by Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, assembled at the request of the White House, AARO and ODNI to advise the government on resolving the nature of UAP using unclassified data. Members include Garry Nolan, Tim Gallaudet, Peter Skafish and Michael Shermer. It is advisory only: members hold no clearances and no legal authority, and in September 2026 Politico reported the council had received videos and documents but not the underlying sensor data.