The Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG)

Background

On 25 June 2021 the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks issued a memorandum, which in part, directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security "...to develop a plan to formalize the mission currently performed by the UAPTF."  (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force.)  Dated 23 November 2021 is a U.S. Department of Defense media release, which provides details of the new UAP entity. Here is the full text of this release.

Media release

"DoD Announces the Establishment of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG.)

Today, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, in close collaboration with the Director of National Intelligence directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to establish within the Office of the USD(I&S) the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) as the successor to the U.S. Navy's Unidentified Aerial phenomena Task Force. 

The AOIMSG will synchronize efforts across the Department and the broader U.S. government to detect, identify and attribute objects of interest in Special Use Airspace (SUA), and to assess and mitigate any associated threats of flight and national security. 

To provide oversight of the AOIMSG, the Deputy Secretary also directed the  USD(I&S) to lead an Airborne Object Identification and Management Executive Council  (AOIMEXEC) to be comprised of DoD and Intelligence Community membership, and to offer a venue for U.S. government interagency representation.

Incursions of any airborne object into our SUA pose safety of flight and operations security concerns, and may pose national security challenges. DoD takes reports of incursions - by any airborne object, identified or unidentified - very seriously and investigates each one. This decision is the result of planning efforts and collaboration conducted by OUSD(I&S) and other DoD elements at the direction of Deputy Secretary Hicks, to address the challenges associated with assessing UAP occurring on or near DoD training ranges and installations highlighted in the DNI preliminary assessment report  submitted to Congress in June 2021. The report also identified the need to make improvements in processes, policies, technologies and training to improve our ability to understand UAP.

In coming weeks the Department will issue implementing guidance, which will contain further details on the AOIMSG Director, organizational structure, authorities and resourcing."

The directive

I reproduce images of the two page direction dated 23 November 2021.

The full text of the directive reads:

"The presence of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) in Special Use Airspace (SUA), designated in accordance with 14CFR Part 73, represents a potential safety of flight risk to aircrews and raise potential national security concerns. Accordingly, I direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (USD(I&S) to establish the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group ((AOIMSG) to synchronize efforts across the Department and with other Federal departments and agencies to detect, identify and attribute objects of interest in SUA, and to asses, and as appropriate, mitigate any associated threats to safety and national security . To provide oversight and direction of the AOIMSG, I establish the Airborne Object Identification and Management Executive Council (AOIMEXEC). The USD(I&S) will be the lead DoD official responsible for this process, will co-chair the AOIMEXEC along with the Director of Operations, Joint Staff, and will invite Principal-level participation from the Office of the Director of National intelligence. Resourcing for this requirement will be addressed in the Program Budget Review process.

The Director, AOIMSG (hereafter referred to as "the Director" ) will synchronize the activities among the Office of the Secretary of defense (OSD) and DoD components, and with other U.S. Government departments and agencies, to minimize safety of flight and national security concerns associated with UAP or other airborne objects in SUA. The Director, with support from the OSD and DoD components heads, will address this problem by standardizing UAP incident reporting across the Department; identifying and reducing gaps in operational and intelligence detection capabilities; collecting and analyzing operational, intelligence and counterintelligence data; recommending policy, regulatory or statutory changes, as appropriate; identifying approaches to prevent or mitigate any risks posed by airborne objects of interest; and other activities as deemed necessary by the Director. Additionally the Director, in coordination with the OSD and DoD Component heads, will identify requirements and recommend changes in doctrine, organization, training , materiel, leadership, personnel, workforce, facilities and resources to be brought to the AOIMEXEC for review, consideration and implementation , as appropriate, by the applicable DoD Component Head.

Effective immediately, the AOIMEXEC, in coordination  with the OSD and DoD component heads will manage the transition of the current UAP Task Force to the AOIMSG. The AOIMEXEC will designate an acting Director of the AOIMSG, and will submit implementation  guidance for my approval. This guidance will specify organizational membership, roles, responsibilities and authorities for the AOIMSG, AOIMEXEC, and OSD and DoD Components."