Glossary

Every term, agency and file reference used across the archive, in one place.

A

  • AARO — All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. The DoD office (established 2022) tasked with detecting, identifying and attributing UAP. Successor to AATIP and the UAP Task Force. See AARO files.
  • AATIP — Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. 2007–2012 DoD programme that studied UAP under classified contracts; absorbed by the UAP Task Force, then AARO.
  • AAWSAP — Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program. DIA programme behind many of the technical reports (DIRDs) in the releases.
  • ATFLIR — Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared. The F/A-18 sensor pod that recorded the Gimbal, FLIR1 and GoFast footage.

D

  • DIRD — Defense Intelligence Reference Document. Technical papers produced under AAWSAP-style contracts; dozens appear in the PURSUE releases.
  • DoW — Department of War. Current designation used across the PURSUE release programme; custodian of the war.gov/UFO records.
  • DVIDS — Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. The public DoD media platform hosting most original-resolution UAP video.

F

  • FLIR1 / Gimbal / GoFast — The three U.S. Navy UAP videos (2004 and 2015) declassified by the DoD in April 2020.
  • FOIA — Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), the U.S. public-records statute. See how to file.

G

  • GEIPAN — Groupe d'Études et d'Information sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non identifiés. The French CNES civilian UAP study group, operating since 1977.

N

  • NARA — National Archives and Records Administration. Custodian of Project Blue Book and other accessioned federal records.

O

  • ODNI — Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Publisher of the 2021 preliminary UAP assessment and subsequent annual reports.
  • OGL v3 — Open Government Licence v3.0, the UK reuse licence covering our mirror of National Archives files.
  • OVNI — Spanish/Portuguese for UFO; used across the Brazilian, Argentine, Chilean, Spanish, Peruvian and Uruguayan material.

P

  • PAN — Phénomène Aérospatial Non identifié. French equivalent of UAP; GEIPAN classifies cases PAN A (identified) through PAN D (unexplained).
  • Project Blue Book — U.S. Air Force UFO investigation programme, 1952–1969. Its files are held by NARA.
  • PURSUE — Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters. The Department of War's UAP release programme; tranches 01–07 are tracked at /releases. See what PURSUE is.

S

  • SEFAA / CEFAA — Chilean DGAC UAP committee (established 1997 as CEFAA, renamed SEFAA in 2014).

T

  • Tic-Tac — Pilot descriptor for the white, wingless object observed during the 2004 USS Nimitz events.
  • TNA — The National Archives (UK), repository at Kew for the MoD UFO files.

U

  • UAP — Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. The current U.S. government term, covering airborne, transmedium, space and submerged objects.
  • UAPTF — Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. 2020–2021 Navy-led task force; predecessor of AARO.
  • UFO — Unidentified Flying Object. The historical term, still used by foreign archives.

V

  • VIRIN — Visual Information Record Identifier Number. The DoD identifier for every official visual asset; surfaces in the war.gov and DVIDS manifests.