Official Integration and Outreach Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

Official Integration and Outreach Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

Official Integration and Outreach Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

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The AIAA UAP Integration and Outreach Committee: UAP – an Aerospace Concern​

Ryan Graves, Michael Lembeck, and Patrick Donovan

Defining UAP

The DOD considers Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) as sources of anomalous detections in one or more domains (i.e., airborne, seaborne, spaceborne, and/or transmedium) that are not yet attributable to known actors and that demonstrate behaviors that are not readily understood by sensors or observers. 
While most of objects initially ascribed to UAP are eventually determined or assumed to be natural or prosaic in nature, the DOD All-Domain Resolution Office reports that 2-5% of reported UAP demonstrate anomalous or highly unusual flight characteristics, and which are not attributed to known actors. 
Our group understands conventional airborne threats to aviation safety such as airborne clutter (airborne debris, UAV systems, airborne debris), as well as safety of flight issues arising from natural phenomena, which account for many reports initially assessed to be UAP. These threats are relatively well characterized, and mitigation strategies are well – developed. Our group is instead focused on the emerging, unconventional, and less-well understood potential aerospace threat from anomalies which follow DoD’s technical description of UAP.

The DOD considers Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) as sources of anomalous detections in one or more domains (i.e., airborne, seaborne, spaceborne, and/or transmedium) that are not yet attributable to known actors and that demonstrate behaviors that are not readily understood by sensors or observers. 

While most of objects initially ascribed to UAP are eventually determined or assumed to be natural or prosaic in nature, the DOD All-Domain Resolution Office reports that 2-5% of reported UAP demonstrate anomalous or highly unusual flight characteristics, and which are not attributed to known actors. 

Our group understands conventional airborne threats to aviation safety such as airborne clutter (airborne debris, UAV systems, airborne debris), as well as safety of flight issues arising from natural phenomena, which account for many reports initially assessed to be UAP. These threats are relatively well characterized, and mitigation strategies are well – developed. Our group is instead focused on the emerging, unconventional, and less-well understood potential aerospace threat from anomalies which follow DoD’s technical description of UAP.

Aviator reporting indicates that UAP are an emerging threat to aerospace safety 

Well-known and well-documented UAP encounters by the U.S Navy off the West and East Coasts of the United States have demonstrated that the detection of UAP is possible, is well-supported by pilot testimony, and these detected and observed UAPs were reported as a potential aerospace safety threat. 
In 2004, The USS Princeton with an AN/SPY-1B radar, and F/A-18 Super Hornets with upgraded AN/APG- 79 radars were able to detect and track unidentified objects in the airspace of their military training areas. This incident was confirmed by multiple pilot witnesses as part of the F/A-18F squadron on the USS Nimitz, who have openly stated that these objects posed a clear safety of flight issue. 

  • Presence of unknown objects to the aviator in restricted military aerospace  

  • Erratic behavior or morphologies that might represent unusual flight characteristics and unclear attribution to known actors 

  • A safety-of-flight issue

Related pilot testimony to this incident can be found under our “media” tab, specifically with detailed testimony from: 
In addition to these well-known incidents, the AIAA UAP Integration and Outreach Committee collaborates with fellow committee members who are military and commercial UAP pilot witnesses. This reporting by credible witnesses represents another foundational data point in our understanding of UAP aerospace safety concerns. 
A sample of additional pilot testimony can be found under the “media” tab, specifically: 

  • Christiaan van Heijst, Boeing 747 Cargo Pilot 

  • Chris Van Voorhis, Airbus A-330 Pilot 

  • Mark Hulsey, Chief Pilot, FedEx, former F/A-18 pilot and T-45 Instructor Pilot 

Well-known and well-documented UAP encounters by the U.S Navy off the West and East Coasts of the United States have demonstrated that the detection of UAP is possible, is well-supported by pilot testimony, and these detected and observed UAPs were reported as a potential aerospace safety threat. 

In 2004, The USS Princeton with an AN/SPY-1B radar, and F/A-18 Super Hornets with upgraded AN/APG- 79 radars were able to detect and track unidentified objects in the airspace of their military training areas. This incident was confirmed by multiple pilot witnesses as part of the F/A-18F squadron on the USS Nimitz, who have openly stated that these objects posed a clear safety of flight issue. 

  • Presence of unknown objects to the aviator in restricted military aerospace  

  • Erratic behavior or morphologies that might represent unusual flight characteristics and unclear attribution to known actors 

  • A safety-of-flight issue

Related pilot testimony to this incident can be found under our “media” tab, specifically with detailed testimony from: 
In addition to these well-known incidents, the AIAA UAP Integration and Outreach Committee collaborates with fellow committee members who are military and commercial UAP pilot witnesses. This reporting by credible witnesses represents another foundational data point in our understanding of UAP aerospace safety concerns. 
A sample of additional pilot testimony can be found under the “media” tab, specifically: 

  • Christiaan van Heijst, Boeing 747 Cargo Pilot 

  • Chris Van Voorhis, Airbus A-330 Pilot 

  • Mark Hulsey, Chief Pilot, FedEx, former F/A-18 pilot and T-45 Instructor Pilot 

Hear from our credible aviators

Hear from our credible aviators

Finally, issue advocacy organizations such as American for Safe Aerospace have been collecting an increasing number of concerns and testimony from both military and commercial pilots who echo similar safety of flight concerns, yet have not come out publicly, as our AIAA UAP Integration and Outreach Committee Chair Ryan Graves testified in the recent 2023 House Oversight Committee Hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.  

David Fravor, Commander (US Navy, Ret.), F/A-18F pilot and 2004 USS Nimitz UAP Observer testifies at the 2023 House Oversight Committee Hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (Source: CSPAN) 

Government reporting corroborates pilot reporting and safety of flight risk

Aspects of aviator reporting testimony are backed by DOD reports produced by both the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), and its predecessor, the UAP Task Force. A summary of these reports is provided below. DoD reporting explicitly asserts that these objects pose a potential safety-of-flight issue. There is a general trend of increasing number of incidents ascribed to UAP, of which a small subset represents anomalous behavior or unattributed origin. 

  • 2021 UAP Task Force June UAP Preliminary Assessment  

    • 144 reports were obtained from US government sources from 2004-21, largely firsthand witness information from military aviators and data sourced from “reliable” systems. 

    • The Task Force acknowledged that 18 incidents contained in 21 reports from those original appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. 

    • Concluded that UAPs “clearly post a safety of flight issue” given that aviators are contending with an “increasingly cluttered” air domain, and that U.S. military pilots reported near-misses with UAP in 11 classified events. 

    • Concluded that most of the UAPs “probably do represent physical objects”, the report adds, given that 80 reports involved observation from “multiple” sensors – among them radar, infra-red, electro-optical, and weapon seekers, as well as visual observation.
       

  • 2022 AARO Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena 

    • 366 additional reports were collected during 2021 – 2022, when combined with the 144 reports identified in the preliminary assessment, brings the total UAP reports catalogued to date to 510. 

    • Of those 510 reports, 171 remain uncharacterized and unattributed. Some of these uncharacterized UAP “appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities and require further analysis.” 

  • 2023 AARO Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena 

    • 366 additional reports were during 2022 – 2023, when combined with the 510 reports identified in the 2022 assessment, brings the total UAP reports catalogued to date to 801. 

    • “A small percentage of UAP reports display interesting signatures, such as high-speed travel and unknown morphologies.” 

Finally, NASA’s 2023 Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team Report asserts that “the threat to U.S. airspace safety posed by UAP is self-evident”. 

Aspects of aviator reporting testimony are backed by DOD reports produced by both the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), and its predecessor, the UAP Task Force. A summary of these reports is provided below. DoD reporting explicitly asserts that these objects pose a potential safety-of-flight issue. There is a general trend of increasing number of incidents ascribed to UAP, of which a small subset represents anomalous behavior or unattributed origin. 

  • 2021 UAP Task Force June UAP Preliminary Assessment  

    • 144 reports were obtained from US government sources from 2004-21, largely firsthand witness information from military aviators and data sourced from “reliable” systems. 

    • The Task Force acknowledged that 18 incidents contained in 21 reports from those original appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. 

    • Concluded that UAPs “clearly post a safety of flight issue” given that aviators are contending with an “increasingly cluttered” air domain, and that U.S. military pilots reported near-misses with UAP in 11 classified events. 

    • Concluded that most of the UAPs “probably do represent physical objects”, the report adds, given that 80 reports involved observation from “multiple” sensors – among them radar, infra-red, electro-optical, and weapon seekers, as well as visual observation.
       

  • 2022 AARO Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena 

    • 366 additional reports were collected during 2021 – 2022, when combined with the 144 reports identified in the preliminary assessment, brings the total UAP reports catalogued to date to 510. 

    • Of those 510 reports, 171 remain uncharacterized and unattributed. Some of these uncharacterized UAP “appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities and require further analysis.” 

  • 2023 AARO Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena 

    • 366 additional reports were during 2022 – 2023, when combined with the 510 reports identified in the 2022 assessment, brings the total UAP reports catalogued to date to 801. 

    • “A small percentage of UAP reports display interesting signatures, such as high-speed travel and unknown morphologies.” 

Finally, NASA’s 2023 Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team Report asserts that “the threat to U.S. airspace safety posed by UAP is self-evident”. 

Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office speaks at the public meeting of NASA’s Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team on May 31, 2023 (Source: Joel Kowsky/NASA) 

The AIAA UAP Integration and Outreach Committee charter addresses both technical study and stigma

The AIAA UAP Integration and Outreach Committee charter is “Improving aerospace safety by enhancing scientific knowledge of, and mitigating barriers to the study of, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).” We address the dual sided nature of the UAP issue – by advancing technical study as well as addressing stigma towards UAP study, to improve aerospace safety. 
Our SMEs are trained in and understand the complex nuances of this aerospace safety issue and potential unknown threat as it relates to UAP. Our approach to supporting our stakeholders can be found in the following article. 

The AIAA UAP Integration and Outreach Committee charter is “Improving aerospace safety by enhancing scientific knowledge of, and mitigating barriers to the study of, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).” We address the dual sided nature of the UAP issue – by advancing technical study as well as addressing stigma towards UAP study, to improve aerospace safety. 

Our SMEs are trained in and understand the complex nuances of this aerospace safety issue and potential unknown threat as it relates to UAP. Our approach to supporting our stakeholders can be found in the following article. 

How We Support Our Stakeholders

How We Support Our Stakeholders