Former DIA Director / UAPTF Director
Defense Intelligence Agency / UAP Task Force
Jay Stratton is a former Defense Intelligence Agency official who served as director of the UAP Task Force (UAPTF) — the government body that preceded AARO. He is one of the most senior officials to have formally investigated UAP on behalf of the U.S. government, and his guarded public statements have attracted significant attention in the disclosure community.
Stratton spent decades in the DIA and broader intelligence community before leading the UAPTF. The task force was established in 2020 following congressional mandate and was responsible for aggregating military UAP reports and producing classified assessments.
In that role, Stratton would have had access to the full classified UAP picture — including cases, data, and any associated program information that cleared investigators were allowed to see. He has been guarded in public, but statements he made to journalist Lue Elizondo and others suggest he personally believes some UAP represent technology of unknown origin.
He is referenced in various congressional documents and has reportedly been interviewed by investigators from both the House and Senate on the classified record. His significance is that he represents the institutional bridge between pre-disclosure secrecy and the current era of (partial) transparency.
UAP Task Force formally established; Stratton serves as director
UAPTF produces classified assessment for Congress
UAPTF transitions to AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office)
Stratton ran the UAPTF — the most senior dedicated UAP investigator the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged. He has been cautious publicly but is believed to have extensive knowledge of the classified picture.
Editorial note: All profiles are compiled from public record, testimony, and published sources. Unverified claims are noted. Project Strange does not assert the truth or falsity of any individual's claims.