WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Defense is establishing a group to streamline the collection and analysis of UFO reports across the government.
The DOD says the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) will be the successor to the U.S. Navy’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force.
The AOIMSG will synchronize efforts across the government to detect, identify and attribute objects of interest in Special Use Airspace (SUA), according to the department.
Officials say the group will also assess and mitigate any associated threats to the safety of flights and national security.
“Incursions by any airborne object into our SUA pose safety of flight and operations security concerns, and may pose national security challenges,” wrote the DOD in its announcement. “DOD takes reports of incursions – by any airborne object, identified or unidentified – very seriously, and investigates each one.”
The DOD says the decision to establish this UFO group is the result of planning efforts to address the challenges associated with assessing unidentified aerial phenomena (UAE) occurring on or near DOD training ranges and installations.
The DOD submitted a preliminary assessment report to Congress in June that highlighted UAP and identified the need to make improvements in processes, policies, technologies, and training to improve the nation’s ability to understand the unidentified objects.
