The Department of Defense has announced the establishment of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office within the office of the undersecretary for intelligence and security and appointment of Sean Kirkpatrick, most recently chief scientist at the Defense Intelligence Agency’s missile and space intelligence center, as director of AARO.
The AARO will synchronize efforts across DOD and with other federal agencies to detect and identify airborne, anomalous, unidentified space, transmedium and submerged objects in and near military bases, training areas, special use airspace and other areas of interest, DOD said Wednesday.
Kirkpatrick brings to the role over 20 years of experience in scientific and technical intelligence, acquisitions, research and development and space policy.
He previously served as deputy director of intelligence for U.S. Strategic Command, director of the National Security Strategy at the National Security Council and deputy director of intelligence and DNI Representative for U.S. Space Command.
Ronald Moultrie, undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, will lead the AARO Executive Council to provide direction to the newly created office along six lines of effort: surveillance, collection and reporting; system capabilities and design; intelligence operations and analysis; mitigation and defeat; governance; and science and technology.
Moultrie established the AARO in accordance with a July 15 memo that Kathleen Hicks, deputy defense secretary and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, issued to meet the provision of the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.