Sean M. Kirkpatrick is an American physicist and former intelligence official who became the first director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). Before AARO, he held senior science and intelligence roles, including work connected to the Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Strategic Command, and missile and space intelligence.
For UAP reporting, Kirkpatrick represents the official U.S. government response after 2021. Under his leadership, AARO expanded reporting channels, released case-resolution material, briefed Congress and the media, and articulated the Pentagon’s position on legacy-program allegations and current sightings. His work shows how the government classifies UAP reports, what evidentiary standards it applies, and where friction emerges between agency communication, whistleblowers, Congress, and the public.