According to sources familiar with the matter, the Pentagon’s UFO chief, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, will be replaced by the end of the year.
Kirkpatrick, who has led the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) since its inception in June 2022, has faced criticism from UFO whistleblowers and activists who accuse him of lying to the public and ignoring witnesses.
AARO is the Pentagon’s official agency for investigating and reporting unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs. The agency was created following a landmark report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in June 2021, which recognized UAP as a potential national security threat and called for increased resources and coordination to study it.
However, AARO has been embroiled in controversy since its launch, as some former and current officials have come forward with allegations of cover-up, corruption and misconduct within the Pentagon’s UFO programs.
One of the most prominent whistleblowers is David Grusch, a retired Air Force and Intelligence veteran who testified under oath before Congress in July 2023 that during his career he witnessed evidence of crashed UFOs, recovered creatures, and UFO-related deaths .
Grusch also alleged that Kirkpatrick and other senior officials lied to Congress and the public about the extent and nature of the Pentagon’s UFO investigations, and withheld or destroyed vital information and evidence.
Grusch’s testimony was reportedly corroborated by other defense industry witnesses during secret hearings, some of whom may appear before a House Oversight hearing on UFOs scheduled for next week.
Kirkpatrick has denied Grusch’s allegations and defended his office’s work, saying AARO takes the UFO issue seriously and is committed to transparency and accountability. He also said Grusch’s testimony was offensive and unfounded, and that he had no direct knowledge or access to UFO programs or evidence.
However, sources say so DailyMail.com that Kirkpatrick has lost the trust of many UFO whistleblowers and insiders, who do not want to work with his office or share their information with him.
They also said the Pentagon has already interviewed four leading candidates to replace Kirkpatrick and has made a decision on his successor, who will be announced soon.
The personnel change comes amid growing public interest and pressure on the UFO topic, as more sightings, videos and testimonies have emerged in recent months.
White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator Admiral John Kirby (Ret.) said Monday that UFOs impact the training range of U.S. fighter pilots and should be treated as a legitimate issue. He also said the Pentagon wants to get to the bottom of the UFO mystery and better understand what’s going on in the country’s restricted airspace.
