Reference
UAP & UFO Glossary
17 terms · plain-English definitions for the UAP disclosure space
- UAPUnidentified Anomalous Phenomena
- The current official U.S. government term for objects or events in the sky (or underwater) that cannot be immediately identified. Replaced "UFO" in official usage around 2021. The word "anomalous" was added to cover non-aerial cases — objects observed in space or underwater also qualify. UAP is now the standard term used by Congress, AARO, and the Department of Defense.
- UFOUnidentified Flying Object
- The older, popular term for unexplained aerial sightings. Coined in the 1950s by the U.S. Air Force. Officially superseded by UAP but still widely used in media and public discourse. In this site's context, UFO and UAP are used interchangeably — both refer to the same phenomenon.
- PURSUEPresidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters
- The Trump administration's ongoing program to declassify and publicly release U.S. government records related to UAP. Launched by executive directive on February 19, 2026, the first tranche of 162 documents was published on May 8, 2026 at war.gov/UFO. New tranches are released approximately every 30 days. Full PURSUE explainer →
- AAROAll-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
- The Pentagon office responsible for detecting, identifying, and attributing UAP sightings. Created by Congress in 2022 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). AARO replaced earlier programs like AATIP and UAPTF. By early 2026 its active caseload exceeded 2,000 reported incidents. AARO is distinct from PURSUE — it manages ongoing reports, not historical declassification.
- FOIAFreedom of Information Act
- The U.S. law that gives citizens the right to request federal agency records. UAP researchers have used FOIA for decades to surface documents about UFO programs. PURSUE differs from FOIA in that the government proactively releases documents rather than waiting for individual requests. Some PURSUE files were previously available via FOIA but with heavier redactions.
- NHINon-Human Intelligence
- A term used by some UAP researchers, whistleblowers, and congressional testimony to describe the potential origin of certain UAP — implying they are operated by intelligence that is not human in origin. NHI does not necessarily mean extraterrestrial; it is a deliberately broad term. AARO's official position is that no confirmed evidence of NHI has been found in its caseload.
- NDAA UAP provisionsNational Defense Authorization Act
- The annual U.S. defense spending bill that has increasingly included UAP-related mandates since 2021. Key provisions include: the creation of AARO (2022), mandatory UAP reporting requirements for military personnel, whistleblower protections for UAP witnesses, and requirements for DoD to brief Congress on UAP incidents near North American airspace. The FY2026 NDAA contains the most detailed UAP transparency requirements to date.
- ODNIOffice of the Director of National Intelligence
- The U.S. intelligence community's coordinating body. ODNI publishes the annual UAP report required by Congress and plays a role in the PURSUE declassification process. The annual report summarizes AARO's findings from the previous year and is publicly released in a declassified version.
- AATIPAdvanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program
- A classified Pentagon program that ran from 2007 to 2012, funded largely at the request of Senator Harry Reid. AATIP studied UAP and was run by Luis Elizondo, who later resigned and became a prominent public advocate for UAP transparency. AATIP's existence was revealed in 2017 by the New York Times, triggering the modern UAP disclosure movement.
- SAPSpecial Access Program
- A classified U.S. government program with access controls beyond standard Top Secret clearance. Several UAP whistleblowers, including David Grusch, have claimed that UAP-related materials and programs exist within SAPs and have not been disclosed to Congress despite legal requirements. The existence of UAP-related SAPs is one of the central claims driving congressional oversight efforts.
- David GruschUAP whistleblower, former NGA/NRO officer
- A former U.S. intelligence officer who testified before Congress in July 2023 claiming the U.S. government runs a secret program involving recovered non-human craft. Grusch filed a formal whistleblower complaint and was awarded protection under the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act. His testimony directly contributed to the passage of UAP disclosure provisions in the FY2024 NDAA.
- Tic Tac UAP2004 Nimitz incident object
- A white, oblong object — described as resembling a Tic Tac — observed and filmed by U.S. Navy pilots during the 2004 USS Nimitz carrier strike group exercises off the coast of California. The encounter, involving pilots including Commander David Fravor, is considered one of the best-documented modern UAP cases. The FLIR video was officially released by the Pentagon in 2020.
- Gimbal2015 Navy UAP video
- One of three UAP videos officially released by the Pentagon in 2020. Recorded by a U.S. Navy F/A-18 off the U.S. East Coast in 2015. The object appears to rotate — hence the name — in a way that skeptics attribute to infrared sensor gimbal artifact, while others argue the rotation reflects actual object behavior. One of the key videos in the PURSUE first tranche context.
- GOFAST2015 Navy UAP video
- The third of the three officially released Pentagon UAP videos, also from 2015. The object appears to travel at high speed at low altitude over the ocean. Skeptical analysis (notably from Mick West at Metabunk) suggests the apparent speed is a parallax effect from the aircraft's own velocity, while others dispute this interpretation.
- MetabunkSkeptical UAP analysis forum
- A fact-checking and skeptical analysis community founded by Mick West. Metabunk systematically examines UAP videos, photos, and claims for conventional explanations — sensor artifacts, atmospheric phenomena, misidentified aircraft. UAP Insight deliberately includes Metabunk as a source to ensure skeptical counterpoints appear alongside disclosure-focused coverage.
- Galileo ProjectHarvard scientific UAP research initiative
- A scientific research project founded in 2021 by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb to systematically search for evidence of extraterrestrial technological artifacts. Unlike government UAP programs, the Galileo Project publishes its methodology and findings openly. Loeb is one of the sources tracked by UAP Insight via his Medium blog.
- war.gov/UFOU.S. Department of War PURSUE portal
- The official government website where PURSUE documents are published. Launched alongside the first tranche release on May 8, 2026. New document batches are added on a rolling basis. UAP Insight monitors this portal daily and surfaces new releases in the Gov drops feed.
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