Person
Jon Kosloski
Director of AARO since August 2024
2024– · AARO and the Pentagon · Official
A veteran of NSA research, he was appointed director of AARO on August 26, 2024, after Timothy Phillips's interim leadership. Under his leadership AARO has reiterated that it has found no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial activity or technologies and has contributed to the 2026 PURSUE releases, including a report of his own dated June 5, 2026 on an orange “mother orb.”
- Key claims
- Stated that AARO has found no verifiable evidence that any case it investigated is of extraterrestrial origin.
- Maintains that there should be no stigma in reporting a UAP.
- Controversies
- The second volume of AARO's historical report, announced for late 2024 and then for late 2025, does not appear to have been published as of October 31, 2026.
- Today
- As of October 31, 2026, the AARO website still lists him as director.
Documented authority
It measures how documented and verifiable what the person claims is, not their honesty. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 2.
- Credentials 2/2
- The appointment was announced by the Department of Defense.
- Direct access 2/2
- He directs the office whose results he reports.
- Evidence provided 1/2
- The annual reports are public, but the underlying data and volume 2 of the historical report are not.
- Claims track record 1/2
- The deadlines announced for volume 2 were not met.
- Conflicts of interest not applicable
- The sources consulted do not document financial interests tied to the topic.
Sources
- Department of Defense: appointment of Jon Kosloski as director of AARO (August 26, 2024) (primary source)
- Transcript of Kosloski's press conference on the FY2024 annual report (primary source)
- Naval Postgraduate School, Combating Threats Exchange 2026: interview with Kosloski (PDF) (primary source)
- AARO: leadership page (primary source)
- DefenseScoop, August 26, 2024: Kosloski to lead AARO (press)
- AP, June 12, 2026: the third tranche of the UFO files (press)
On this site
Documents 2
- Kosloski's press conference on the FY2024 annual report (transcript) Original available
- AARO's Consolidated Annual Report on UAP for Fiscal Year 2025 Original available
Cases 4
- Aguadilla: the object that seemed to enter the sea, two lanterns according to AARO Disputed explanation
- GOFAST video: according to AARO the object was at 13,000 feet and slow, not skimming the water Explained
- Etna: the object that seemed to cross the plume, a balloon according to AARO Explained
- Western United States: spheres launching spheres seen by federal agents Unexplained
Timeline 5
- Aug 26, 2024: Jon Kosloski, an NSA veteran, becomes director of AARO
- Nov 14, 2024: FY2024 annual report: hundreds of cases resolved, no verifiable evidence
- Nov 19, 2024: Kosloski in the Senate: no verifiable evidence, but “very anomalous” objects
- Jun 12, 2026: Third PURSUE release: files from the CIA, FBI, NASA and Pentagon
- Jul 21, 2026: AARO FY2025 report: all resolved cases have ordinary causes
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