IG’s Evaluation of the DoD’s Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Finally Released

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The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG), led by Inspector General Robert P. Storch, has released an unclassified summary of a previously classified report titled “Evaluation of the DoD’s Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).” This disclosure follows a full version of the classified report issued on August 15, 2023.

Inspector General Storch remarked, “Given the significant public interest in how the DoD is addressing UAPs, we are releasing this unclassified summary to be as transparent as possible with the American people about our oversight work on this important issue.”

The unclassified summary reveals that the DoD lacks a comprehensive and coordinated strategy for addressing UAPs. It is found that different components within the DoD have developed varied processes for the collection, analysis, and identification of UAP incidents. This lack of uniformity and integration poses potential risks to national security and military forces. The summary states, “the DoD’s lack of a comprehensive, coordinated approach to address UAP may pose a threat to military forces and national security.”

One significant concern highlighted in the summary is the absence of an overarching UAP policy within the DoD. This gap means that there is no assurance of identifying and mitigating potential national security and flight safety threats posed by UAPs. The DoD OIG emphasizes the need for a unified policy, as the current state lacks “assurance that national security and flight safety threats to the United States from UAP have been identified and mitigated.”

To address these shortcomings, the DoD OIG has proposed 11 total recommendations to various defense bodies, including the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, and the Director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. These recommendations focus on establishing a coherent policy integrating roles, responsibilities, and coordination procedures relating to UAP into the existing framework of intelligence, counterintelligence, and force protection policies.

The summary serves as a call to action for the DoD to formulate a consistent approach to UAP incidents, encompassing aspects of intelligence gathering, analysis, and policy formulation. The need for a unified response is critical in ensuring the security and safety of military operations and national interests in the face of unidentified aerial phenomena.

The unclassified summary of the report, now accessible to the public, is obviously a trimmed down version of the classified report issued last August. The Black Vault, since August 2023, has had an open case for the review and release of the report. Updates on that will be posted, when available.

Document Archive

Unclassified Summary of Report No. DODIG-2023-109, “Evaluation of the DoD’s Actions Regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena,” August 15, 2023 [16 Pages, 2.5MB]

 

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