Record 014 · June 2021
Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) · United States
Ledger illustration of the record — not a scan of the original paper. — Night Ledger illustration of the file
The assessment analyzed 144 UAP reports, mostly from U.S. Navy aviators. It concluded that the limited high-quality data hampers firm conclusions on the nature or intent of UAP. Most reports involved objects that were not attributable to known aircraft or natural phenomena at the time of observation. Potential explanatory categories include airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, U.S. or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, or 'other.' One case was identified as a large, deflating balloon. The report notes that UAP clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security, recommending improved reporting, collection, and analysis. It does not discuss non-human intelligence, crash retrieval, or occupants.
Public file: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
