Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a preliminary assessment of UAP incidents reported by military personnel between 2004 and 2021. Of 144 cases examined, only one could be identified with high confidence. The report acknowledged potential flight safety and national security concerns.
Background
This nine-page unclassified report represented the first official U.S. government acknowledgment that UAP pose potential flight safety risks. The report categorized possible explanations into five categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, USG or U.S. industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a catch-all 'other' bin. The assessment noted that some UAP appeared to demonstrate advanced technology, including unusual flight characteristics.