Overview

• Sean Kirkpatrick, the chief of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), resigned less than 18 months after his appointment amid scrutiny over whistleblower allegations and controversial collaborations.
• Kirkpatrick admitted that claims made by whistleblower David Grusch about widespread alien cover-ups and the government's possession of reverse-engineered alien technology, which were previously dismissed as 'insulting', might have had some merit.
• During his tenure, AARO examined over 800 cases of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), contributing to national security assessments and providing transparency with the introduction of a reporting tool for UFO sightings.
• Before stepping down, Kirkpatrick collaborated with Harvard's renowned alien hunter Avi Loeb on a controversial paper discussing the possibility of an 'alien mothership', a move that contributed to the controversies surrounding his tenure.
• Deputy Tim Phillips is serving as acting director until a permanent replacement is appointed.