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Jon Kosloski

AARO director since Aug 2024. NSA physicist who says a few cases remain anomalous while his office finds no evidence of captured UAP materials.

Current role: Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), on detail from the National Security Agency, since August 2024; no change found as of 2026-10-05

Former roles:

  • Technical and leadership positions, Research Directorate, National Security Agency (subject matter expert in free space optics)
  • DoD Special Communications Enterprise Office

Background

Physicist and electrical engineer (PhD, Johns Hopkins) who spent his career in the National Security Agency's Research Directorate, where he led research in networking, computing and quantum optics and served as the agency's expert in free space optics. The Pentagon named him director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office on 26 August 2024, on detail from the NSA, succeeding acting director Tim Phillips after Sean Kirkpatrick's departure. His public posture differs in tone from his predecessor's: he says AARO has found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology or of recovered materials, but also that a small number of cases remain unexplained after analysis and that he keeps an open mind. Under his direction AARO has published two annual reports and, since May 2026, coordinated declassification of Department of War files for the PURSUE releases.

On the record

  • 2026-07-21 – AARO FY2025 Consolidated Annual Report on UAP, covering 2 Jun 2024 to 30 May 2025 – 319 new reports received, 1,870 total holdings. "None of the cases AARO resolved indicate advanced foreign adversarial capabilities or breakthrough technologies in any domain." "To date, no evidence suggests that a USG or private entity has ever captured or exploited UAP-derived materials." "A lack of timely and actionable sensor data continues to constrain AARO's ability to resolve cases." The report also notes an open maritime case off Virginia involving "approximately 100 airborne UAP and two, likely uncrewed, surface systems." Report (PDF mirror) · DefenseScoop
  • 2026-06-05 – AARO memorandum of record DOW-UAP-D077, signed by Kosloski, on a two-day October 2023 "Western United States Event" reported by federal law-enforcement agents – "Approximately 40 percent of the reported phenomena lack a plausible explanation after first stage analysis", and the incident "warrants further investigation." Released in PURSUE batch 3. Document (PDF) · Release index
  • 2025-08-05 – StarTalk and other interviews – "We've closed about 40% of the cases, about 57% are unresolved... about 2% are unresolved [and] continuing analysis". He said some unusual cases involved "triangles hovering about the size of a prius... and glowing orbs". StarTalk · Clip
  • 2025-06-05 – ABC News interview – said "several dozen" cases remain anomalous after analysis, and that non-human intelligence could "perhaps" be an explanation for some. Interview
  • 2025-05-02 – PBS NewsHour – on truly anomalous cases: "We have to keep them on the shelf, always looking for additional data to enrich them because the phenomenon are so perplexing." Asked whether we are alone: "I personally don't think we're alone in the universe." PBS NewsHour
  • 2025-03-24 – Scientific American interview – on stigma, AARO's methods and the small set of cases he can't explain prosaically. Scientific American
  • 2024-11-19 – Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, under oath – "we do have some very anomalous objects." "To be clear, AARO does not believe that every object is a bird, a balloon, or a UAV." On the Go Fast video: "We assess with high confidence that the object is not actually close to the water, but is rather closer to 13,000 ft. A trick of the eye called parallax makes it look like the object is moving much faster." The Debrief · Transcript · Clip

Reported claims (secondary / anonymous-sourced)

  • 2026-05-04 – Liberation Times, citing two unnamed sources – reported that the existence of recovered exotic vehicles "could be acknowledged". The same piece quotes Kosloski calling some cases "really peculiar" and "perplexing". AARO's official position remains that no evidence indicates capture or exploitation of UAP materials. Liberation Times
  • 2025-02-22 – Jake Barber, to Liberation Times – said Skywatcher had "positive initial interactions with AARO under Dr. Kosloski". Nothing on record from AARO about Skywatcher. Christopher Sharp on X

Responses and criticism

  • 2026-08-15 – Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, to Ask a Pol, on AARO – "Supposed to have another briefing", "I don't know when — it's on the schedule, though." Ask a Pol
  • 2026-05-15 – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, on X – "We are standing with the NEW and very QUALIFIED Director of AARO who now has my full support and has proven through action that he is working in good faith on declass efforts." The Debrief
  • 2025-06-26 – Christopher Mellon's letter to the WSJ cited Kosloski's public statements that UAP are real, unexplained and officially investigated as evidence the paper had omitted. Letter

Timeline of involvement

  • 2024-08-26 – appointed AARO director
  • 2024-11-19 – first congressional testimony, Senate Armed Services subcommittee
  • 2025-02 – Joint Staff classified UAP reporting message issued (per the FY2025 report)
  • 2025-03-24 – Scientific American interview
  • 2025-08 – hosts AARO data workshop with ~40 participants (FOIA records)
  • 2026-05-08 – PURSUE release 1, AARO coordinates declassification of Department of War files
  • 2026-06-05 – signs the Western United States Event memorandum
  • 2026-07-21 – FY2025 Consolidated Annual Report published, about eight months after the statutory cycle implied

Part of the Key People in Disclosure series. Verified 2026-10-05. Spotted an error? Reach out.