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62-676: The report was supposed to give "detailed analysis of unidentified aerial phenomena data and intelligence" that had been compiled by the Office of Naval Intelligence , the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) and the FBI . The report identified national security and pilot safety concerns related with UAPs. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio , Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee , stated that he had asked

124-621: A Chief Staff Officer, who directs the activities of staff directors and officers, and serves as the point of contact for other commands; and the Command Master Chief, who leads the enlisted personnel and advises the COMONI, Deputy Commander, and Chief of Staff on command policy. ONI employs over 3,000 military and civilian personnel worldwide, including contractors. Its staff includes intelligence analysts, scientists, engineers, and other qualified specialists. In addition to its permanent staff, ONI

186-475: A catch-all "other" category. The report was published online and delivered to the House and Senate intelligence committees with a classified annex. One person who attended the classified briefing, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that lawmakers were given "little information beyond what's publicly available" and that the only videos shown had already been made public. The report observed that "UAP probably lack

248-588: A flying object to cameras and sensors on aircraft or aboard ships at sea". The third category includes aircraft designed by the U.S. government or an American corporation, however officials have stated that they were "unable to confirm" that the UAPs are not American technology. The fourth category describes aircraft designed by a foreign adversary, such as China and Russia, which the Post noted "are making strides in hypersonic technology and directed energy, areas of increasing focus at

310-628: A full-fledged military intelligence office. In 1890, one year after Rodgers' departure from ONI, the office was transferred from the Bureau of Navigation to the Secretary of the Navy , solidifying its key role in the Navy's growth and development. ONI's emergence as a proper naval intelligence arm began in earnest with the Spanish–American War of 1898. Naval operations were critical in the conflict, and ONI

372-534: A memo following the report's release, saying that it highlights the problem of flight hazards near military training ranges. She ordered the Pentagon 's top intelligence and security official to establish a more formal means of coordinating the collection, reporting and analysis of UAP information, adding that "It is equally critical that all U.S. military aircrews or government personnel report whenever aircraft or other devices interfere with military training. This includes

434-568: A scientific consensus on the nature of some of the unexplained events. Otherwise, there will always be conspiracy theories shrouding, and inhibiting, a proper scientific investigation of UAPs". University of Pennsylvania historian Kathryn Dorsch sees parallels with Cold War era interest in UFOs and says that alien-piloted UFOs are not a likely explanation. According to Dorsch, "God love the US Air Force, but answering fundamental epistemological questions

496-410: A single explanation" and named five categories of potential explanations for the objects observed between 2004 and 2021: According to The Washington Post , the first category includes "junk — man-made objects cluttering the air, such as balloons or even plastic bags, that are mistaken for craft". The second category includes such things as "ice crystals, moisture or heat fluctuations could register as

558-488: A stipulation that mandated the Director of National Intelligence work with the Secretary of Defense on a report detailing what the government knows about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs , to be released to Congress in 180 days, meaning no further than June 25, 2021. The provision demanded that the report include "detailed analysis of unidentified aerial phenomena data and intelligence" gathered by

620-592: A subsequent increase in its budget and staff. The office established two intelligence schools that trained hundreds of Intel officers for the Navy. Its Special Activities Branch offered critical intelligence on German U-boat technology, operations, and tactics, which proved decisive in the Battle of the Atlantic . ONI supplied U.S. forces with ship and aircraft recognition manuals, provided photographic specialists for identifying enemy vessels, assisted in naval mission planning, and

682-499: A variety of things like airborne clutter or natural atmospheric phenomenon. A lack of data does not mean aliens are the likely answer." Research scientist in planetary studies at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Ravi Kumar Kopparapu said "There may not be a single explanation to all such observations". According to Kopparapu, "The report would be immensely helpful if the data that informed it are made publicly available so that more experts and scientists can look at it and hopefully reach

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744-602: A wider range of expertise. The Navy Scientific and Technical Intelligence Center (NAVSTIC) was established in 1968 and shortly thereafter was folded into the Navy Reconnaissance and Technical Support Center (NRTSC). In response to the threat posed by nuclear-armed Soviet submarines, ONI developed the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) and the Ocean Surveillance Information system (OSIS), allowing

806-464: Is an important first step in cataloging these incidents, but it is just a first step", adding that "The Defense Department and Intelligence Community have a lot of work to do before we can actually understand whether these aerial threats present a serious national security concern." The report mentioned that the agencies would update Congress on their progress within the next 90 days. According to Wired writer Adam Mann, "the current craze over UFOs

868-853: Is based in the National Maritime Intelligence Center (NMIC), located on the grounds of the Suitland Federal Center in Suitland, Maryland. It is collocated with its five specialized subcommands, known as "Centers of Excellence" – the Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center, Farragut Technical Analysis Center, Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center, the Hopper Information Services Center, and the Brooks Center for Maritime Engagement. Since 2009,

930-444: Is hard to identify — like a novel drone — then we need to figure out how to identify it. If the pilots are making mistakes, then we need to figure out why". West contends that the report has been mischaracterized in the media and by UFO enthusiasts, saying "UAPs are unidentified because of limited data; that's what makes the cases difficult to explain," adding that "The report suggests the majority of cases, if solved, would turn out to be

992-602: Is in many ways traceable back to To the Stars ". In 2017, the company made the Pentagon UFO videos available to the New York Times , and subsequent publicity eventually prompted confirmation of the videos' origin from the US military. Mainstream publications such as The New Yorker "subsequently published credulous alien articles", and members of Congress later included a provision ordering

1054-694: Is intended to mean 'aliens,' even if enthusiasts for that hypothesis will not explicitly say so. This cultivates credulous media attention, which in turn creates a feedback loop of public interest, more media and then pressure on politicians to 'do something ' ". West has analyzed the UFO videos released by the U.S. military to determine if some of the incidents could be due to flaws in newly deployed radar systems or various visual artifacts regularly seen in cameras. West noted that "there have been many reports of drones above or near restricted areas", and that pilots may misidentify such objects. According to West, "If something there

1116-694: Is not super high on their to-do list. This is why the military has always struggled with this UFO question. They want to know if this thing is a threat, and if it's not, great ." According to New York Magazine writer for the Digital Intelligencer , Jeff Wise, advanced Electronic Warfare techniques similar to early " radar spoofing " used by the US military could deceive sensors to give false velocity and position information. Wise worries that US adversaries have developed EW capabilities that exploit weaknesses in US systems that allow information to be missed or created erroneously. Wise speculates that admitting

1178-512: Is responsible for UAP and UFO reports and instead believe they are the result of "extraterrestrial, the interdimensional, and the ultra-terrestrial, meaning members of a lost human civilization here on Earth, à la Atlantis". Skeptic and science writer Mick West noted that "advocates of alien disclosure are encroaching on these real issues of UAPs...these believers take mundane videos of incidents that are simply unidentified, then reframe them as evidence of extraordinary technology — which, of course,

1240-572: Is supported by more than 800 Navy Reservists, who assist the office during weekend drills and active duty. Named after World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz , the Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center has responsibility for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Global Maritime Intelligence Integration (GMII), which allows it to maintain the U.S. Navy's warfighting superiority by delivering precise and timely information on

1302-415: The Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines for additional information in advance of the report's release, terming his request a "pre-briefing." Rubio stated, regarding the nature of the unknown objects, "There's stuff flying in our airspace and we don't know who it is and it's not ours. So we should know who it is, especially if it's an adversary that's made a technological leap." A reported 43% of

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1364-612: The Eleventh Naval District in Los Angeles, to conduct a thorough investigation of the resident Japanese population. He found little evidence of Japanese American saboteurs, and in his final report to President Roosevelt , advised against mass incarceration , a view that was shared by most ONI officials, but that was largely ignored by the Army and War Department . The Second World War would see another expansion of ONI's duties and

1426-552: The National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office (NMIIO), the national intelligence community center for maritime issues under ODNI. The COMONI's functions including fulfilling the national maritime intelligence duties required by the Navy, Department of Defense (DoD), and wider intelligence community. There is also a Deputy Commander, who serves as the Commander’s primary assistant and adviser;

1488-509: The Office of Naval Intelligence , the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and the FBI . It further called for "a detailed description of an interagency process" that it would ensure that data can be gathered and analyzed across the federal government. Lastly, the report was said to identify potential national security threats and assess whether any of the United States adversaries could be behind such activity. While required to be public,

1550-531: The U.S Armed Forces , mostly from U.S. Navy personnel, from 2004 to 2021. No details are given in the preliminary assessment. The report found that the UAPTF was unable to identify causes of the observations found in 143 reports. The one object that was able to be identified "with high confidence" was "a large, deflating balloon". It asserted 18 of these incidents featured "unusual flight characteristics", these UAP "appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against

1612-524: The territorial disputes in the South China Sea ), and monitoring the activities and developments in emerging rival navies (such as those of China, Russia, and Iran). According to its official website, ONI's organizational structure is specifically designed to "strengthen the Navy's conventional and irregular war fighting capacities, and to expand our foresight into new technologies, future platforms, weapons, sensors, C4ISR and cyber capabilities". ONI

1674-466: The " Great White Fleet " around the world between 1906 and 1907, which included sixteen newly constructed steel battleships , showcased new-found American seapower and validated ONI's efforts. By 1911, the U.S. was constructing super-dreadnoughts at a pace that would eventually become competitive with Britain's Royal Navy . American entry into the First World War in 1917 marked a turning point in

1736-483: The Defense Department to deliver a UFO report within six months as part of their December 2020 omnibus spending and coronavirus-relief legislation. Although the report found no evidence of alien origins for UAPs and offered technologies deployed by China, Russia, or other nations as a possible explanation, To the Stars executive Jim Semivan and founder Tom DeLonge reject the idea that Russian or Chinese technology

1798-592: The Department Library will be combined with the "Office of Intelligence," and placed under the direction of the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. Commanding and all other officers are directed to avail themselves of all opportunities which may arise to collect and to forward to the "Office of Intelligence" professional matters likely to serve the object in view. The new Office of Naval Intelligence would be headquartered in

1860-759: The Farragut Center conducts ONI's foreign materiel exploitation, signal intelligence analysis, modeling and simulation, and is home to the National Maritime Acoustic Intelligence Laboratory. Named for President John F. Kennedy, the Kennedy Center provides support to Navy Special Warfare and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command forces by providing intelligence on potential threats posed by asymmetrical warfare . Analysts are often called upon to perform other tasks and duties within this specialized area. Named for Rear Admiral Grace Hopper ,

1922-493: The Hopper Center provides information services that support global maritime and intelligence operations. Its staff consists of more than 850 information technology specialists based in 42 locations in 11 countries. The center also assists in the integration, testing, fielding, and maintenance of advanced technologies utilized by ONI and its centers. Named for Rear Admiral Thomas A. Brooks, a former director of Naval Intelligence,

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1984-468: The Navy and bringing it up to par to global standards. Largely in response to Mason's recommendations, on March 23, 1882, Hunt issued General Order No. 292, which read: An "Office of Intelligence" is hereby established in the Bureau of Navigation for the purpose of collecting and recording such naval information as may be useful to the Department in time of war, as well as in peace. To facilitate this work,

2046-471: The Navy's modernization efforts, it is the oldest member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and serves as the nation's premier source of maritime intelligence. Since the First World War , ONI's mission has broadened to include real-time reporting on the developments and activities of foreign navies ; protecting maritime resources and interests; monitoring and countering transnational maritime threats; providing technical, operational, and tactical support to

2108-414: The Navy's size, prestige, and technological superiority; whereas steel ships were increasingly the norm, the U.S. Navy was entirely wooden. Towards the end of the 19th century, American naval power had become vastly obsolete compared to Europe, and even lagged behind the navies of less developed nations such as Chile . In an era of rapid industrialization , globalized commerce , and colonial expansion ,

2170-624: The Operational Intelligence Section was formed to provide fleet commanders with real-time analysis of the maritime activities and positions of foreign naval forces, namely the Soviet Navy . The Navy Field Operational Intelligence Office (NFOIO) was established in 1957 to provide more advanced signals intelligence and timely information on the intent of enemy forces. ONI also made a concerted effort to enhance its technical and scientific resources, diversifying its personnel to reflect

2232-827: The Pacific, acquired information on Japanese military aircraft and weaponry, and partnered with the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to monitor potentially subversive elements within the Japanese American community; ONI's director, Rear Admiral Walter Stratton Anderson , met weekly with his counterparts in the FBI and MID to gather and share information on suspected internal threats. In 1929, Chief of Naval Operations William D. Leahy made permanent ONI's functions as an intelligence office, while in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt granted

2294-454: The Pentagon", and the report stated that the agency "lacked the data" to confirm if the objects reported were deployed by foreign adversary. The fifth category is "something of a catchall that could apply to encounters that were brief or generated too little data", and according to the Post, "one sure to entice ufologists and amateur sleuths, as well as U.S. officials". The report was largely considered to be inconclusive. The UAPTF announced it

2356-626: The State, War and Navy Building (now the Old Executive Office Building ), with Mason appointed as its first "Chief Intelligence Office". As originally conceived, ONI assisted in the Navy's advancement by dispatching naval attachés around the world to acquire data and resources related to the latest in naval warfare. These findings would be analyzed, interpreted, and disseminated to Navy leaders and government officials, helping to inform policies and programs related to naval development. Mason

2418-629: The U.S. Navy and its partners; and surveying the global maritime environment. ONI employs over 3,000 military and civilian personnel worldwide and is headquartered at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland . Despite playing an active and decisive role in the American Civil War , in the following years the U.S. Navy fell into precipitous decline. A lack of both federal funding and public interest reduced

2480-609: The U.S. Navy to monitor and deter these threats. Beginning in 1988, and following the end of the Cold War , ONI's headquarters was moved to its current location in the National Maritime Intelligence Center (NMIC) in Suitland, Maryland . It was joined by Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI) , which is responsible for domestic maritime operations, and the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity , which supports expeditionary missions in littoral areas . The housing of all three of

2542-612: The U.S. Navy's operational and technological superiority. ONI provides the IWC with critical maritime intelligence and real-time global maritime surveillance. The 21st century has also seen an extension of ONI's support beyond the Navy and U.S. government and towards relevant academic and commercial partners. In addition to operations related to the War on Terror, contemporary challenges that rely upon maritime intelligence include anti-piracy efforts , surveillance of potential maritime conflict zones (such as

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2604-659: The U.S. public are increasingly interested in the topic of UFOs in the wake of the initial release by The New York Times in December 2017 of the Pentagon UFO videos , with considerable additional serious U.S. media attention being paid to the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program . The Senate Intelligence Committee included in its Senate Report 116-233 accompanying the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021

2666-509: The US has "gaps in its electronic warfare capabilities" would allow it to be looked at objectively. As Navy Spokesman Joseph Gradisher puts it, "The more data you have, the better you are to analyze it and turn that data into information into knowledge." Office of Naval Intelligence The Office of Naval Intelligence ( ONI ) is the military intelligence agency of the United States Navy . Established in 1882 primarily to advance

2728-487: The capability and position of naval and other maritime assets of interest. Named for Admiral David Farragut , the Farragut Technical Analysis Center is the U.S. Navy's Center of Excellence for strategic scientific and technical intelligence (S&TI) analysis of foreign technologies, sensors, weapons, platforms, combat systems, C4ISR, and cyber capabilities. In addition to its all-source capabilities,

2790-438: The departments of State, War, Justice, Commerce, and Labor. Due to the increasingly sensitive nature of its work, ONI also began to censor radio and mail communications, which further marked its development as a major intelligence office. During the 1920s and 1930s, many of ONI's activities were dedicated to Japan , which was an increasingly advanced and belligerent naval power. The office investigated Japanese fortifications in

2852-568: The facility has been designed to facilitate 24-hour-a-day coordination, collaboration, and analysis of maritime intelligence among ONI's subcommands, as well as its counterparts in the Marine Corps and Coast Guard. This integration is intended to offer both comprehensive and rapid intelligence to a broad range of stakeholders. ONI is led by a commander, formally known as the Commander, Office of Naval Intelligence (COMONI), who also serves as Director of

2914-404: The leading reformers was Navy Lieutenant Theodorus Bailey Myers Mason , who called for the creation of a naval intelligence office dedicated to gathering information on foreign navies and the latest in naval science to help rebuild the U.S. Navy. William H. Hunt , who served briefly as Secretary of the Navy under President James Garfield , formed a Naval Advisory Board tasked with rebuilding

2976-544: The nation's central source for integrated strategic maritime intelligence. The same year, the Information Dominance Corps (IDC) was established by the Navy to train enlisted sailors and officers in a wide range of supporting intelligence capabilities. The IDC was redesignated in 2016 as the Information Warfare Community (IWC), with a greater emphasis on inter-disciplinary expertise in sustaining

3038-574: The nation's principal maritime intelligence agencies was intended to facilitate data sharing and coordination. Since the start of the Global War on Terror in 2001—and the subsequently large role played by the U.S. Navy in related conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa—ONI has experienced further expansion of its duties and functions. The year 2009 was characterized by a major reorganization of

3100-724: The observation and reporting of UAPs." Furthermore, the Hicks memo said that all members of the Department of Defense will utilize a set of established processes to ensure that the UAPTF "have reports of UAP observations within two weeks of an occurrence." Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the intelligence office had been ordered to develop a plan to formalize that mission. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Mark Warner said that "The United States must be able to understand and mitigate threats to our pilots, whether they're from drones or weather balloons or adversary intelligence capabilities." Senator Marco Rubio stated that "This report

3162-647: The office considerable authority on matters of domestic security. In the run up to Pearl Harbor, ONI was beset with challenges including disagreements with the Chief of Naval Operations and the FBI on who would in charge of naval counterintelligence both outside and with the borders of the United States. Partly as result of these challenges, ONI had four directors in the year 1941. Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, concerns about subversive activity by Japanese Americans grew more pressing. ONI commissioned Kenneth Ringle, assistant district intelligence officer for

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3224-433: The office's history. President Woodrow Wilson was an exponent of the importance of a strong navy to U.S. defense. Under his administration, Congress authorized ONI's first major increase in personnel and funding, and expanded its role to include domestic security operations — namely the protection of U.S. ports, harbors, and maritime facilities from enemy infiltration and sabotage. ONI's mandate often entailed partnering with

3286-488: The office. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead authorized ONI's conversion into a command with four subordinate commands, each with a specialized function: scientific and technical intelligence, operational intelligence, information services and technology, and expeditionary and special warfare support. All four commands were collocated in NMIC, which was afterward designated by the Director of National Intelligence as

3348-459: The prevailing military theory of the time held that navies were critical to the commercial and strategic interests of a nation, as well as a source of national prestige and power projection. In light of these developments, American naval officers and military strategists advocated for a larger and more technologically advanced navy that could protect the U.S.'s vast maritime borders, safeguard its commercial interests, and project power abroad. Among

3410-516: The report could contain a classified annex. The mandate came after articles published by The New York Times and Politico confirmed the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program , a Department of Defense program that began in 2007 to investigate unidentified phenomena, which officially ended in 2012. On August 14, 2020, a successor of this program, the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force,

3472-492: The sightings to extraterrestrial life, with officials saying "We have no clear indications that there is any nonterrestrial explanation for them — but we will go wherever the data takes us". There were "11 reports of documented instances in which pilots reported near misses with a UAP." The report established five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, U.S. government or American industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems and

3534-445: The wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernible means of propulsion." Some of them, the report says, released radio frequency energy that was picked up and processed by U.S. military aircraft, with further analysis needed to determine if those sightings represented "breakthrough technology". The report said that some of these steps are resource-intensive and would require additional investment. It did not link

3596-454: Was established in the Office of Naval Intelligence. The Department of Defense would eventually release three videos recorded by US Navy pilots that were part of UAPTF investigations, which became collectively known as the Pentagon UFO videos . On June 25, 2021, a nine-page preliminary assessment was issued. It states that the UAPTF focused on 144 observations of "unidentified aerial phenomena" by

3658-464: Was responsible for protecting Navy personnel, providing tactical support, and implementing counter-intelligence measures. Nevertheless, weaknesses in its intelligence gathering were revealed. ONI grew in prominence under President Theodore Roosevelt , a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy and naval enthusiast. His expansionist foreign policy — and the central role the U.S. Navy played therein — made maritime intelligence more crucial. The sailing of

3720-546: Was responsible for the translation , evaluation, and dissemination of intercepted Japanese communications. While other parts of the Navy were downsized after the war, U.S. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz ensured ONI's continued strength, which was to prove important during the Cold War . Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal broadened ONI's mandate to include investigations of major criminal and security matters. In 1946,

3782-569: Was succeeded as Chief Intelligence Officer by Lieutenant Raymond P. Rodgers in April 1885. In addition to intensifying ONI's research and surveillance of naval technology abroad, Rodger's four-year tenure saw ONI partner with the U.S. Department of State in gathering information on strategic maritime interests such as Panama , Samoa , and the Kingdom of Hawaii . ONI also began to develop capabilities in cryptography , which would foreshadow its evolution into

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3844-667: Was working to acquire additional reporting, including from the US Air Force , and had begun receiving data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It also announced that "efforts are under way to standardize incident reporting across US military services and other government agencies to ensure all relevant data is captured", noting that no standard reporting mechanism existed before the Navy created one in March 2019. Deputy Secretary of Defense , Kathleen Hicks , issued

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