Several high-altitude airspace security events were reported in February 2023, initially over North America, then over Latin America, China, and Eastern Europe.
North American sightings
3000km2,000miles
Feb 4: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Feb 12: Lake Huron
Feb 11: Yukon, Canada
Feb 10: Deadhorse, Alaska Approximate location where objects were shot down over North America
After the sightings of a Chinese balloon in 2023 (later shot down off the coast of South Carolina), the U.S. began more closely scrutinizing its airspace at high altitudes, including by radar enhancements that allowed the U.S. to better categorize and track slower-moving objects. General Glen VanHerck, the commander of NORAD, said that in 2021, up to 98% of raw radar data was not routinely analyzed, because the military aimed to filter out radio signal emanating from flocks of birds or weather balloons (as opposed to potential threats). VanHerck said that the U.S. adjustments to radar monitoring in 2023, after the Chinese balloon intrusion, gave the U.S. "better fidelity on seeing smaller objects." The U.S. radar adjustments and increased vigilance increased the detection of objects. It remains unknown when state-actor balloon incursions had begun.
On February 14, after unidentified high-altitude objects had been detected and shot down over northern Alaska, Yukon, and Lake Huron, White House spokesman John Kirby said that the U.S. Intelligence Community "will not dismiss as a possibility that these could be balloons that were simply tied to commercial or research entities and therefore benign. That very well could be, or could emerge, as a leading explanation here." The downing of the Yukon object, on February 11, 2023, marked the first deployment of NORAD to down an aerial object within the 64-year history of the US-Canadian aerospace warning and air sovereignty organization. The objects shot down over northern Alaska, Yukon, and Lake Huron were all smaller than the Chinese balloon shot down over South Carolina. A report by The Guardian on 17 February suggested that one of the objects "may have been amateur hobbyists’ $12 balloon."
When asked about possible extraterrestrial origin of the three objects downed over North America between February 9–12, General VanHerck said he personally had not "ruled out anything", but he deferred to U.S. intelligence experts.
Recovery operations
Since several of the objects were downed in relatively inaccessible locations, ranging from sea ice off the Arctic Ocean coast of Alaska to remote alpine terrain in Yukon and deep US-Canada boundary waters in the middle of Lake Huron, recovery efforts have required considerable amounts of coordination and care.
On February 16, 2023, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced that the search for the Lake Huron object had been suspended due to deteriorating weather and low chance of recovery.
On February 16, 2023 at about 11 a.m., a suspected weather balloon believed to have originated in China was discovered at a shooting range on Dongyin, Lienchiang, Taiwan.
On February 18, 2023, it was reported that the searches for the Alaska, Yukon and Lake Huron objects had all been abandoned.
Documents released in November 2024 revealed that debris from the Lake Huron object had been recovered and that the object was "from a company who sells weather monitoring equipment."
List of events
| Detected | Shot down | Location(s) | Incident | Circumstances | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 28, 2023 | February 4, 2023 | Alaska, Western Canada, and contiguous U.S. | 2023 Chinese balloon incident | A Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon transited Canadian and U.S. airspace before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina by the U.S. Air Force on February 4. | |
| February 2, 2023 | — | Costa Rica, Colombia, and Venezuela | 2023 Latin America balloon incident | A Chinese high-altitude balloon flew over Costa Rica, Colombia, and Venezuela. A spokesperson for the Chinese government confirmed the balloon was theirs and said that it was used for "flight tests" and was blown off-course. | |
| February 9, 2023 | February 10, 2023 | Alaska (North Slope) | 2023 Alaska high-altitude object | A high-altitude object entered U.S. airspace on February 9 and was shot down over the Beaufort Sea by the U.S. Air Force. The Department of Defense said it was the size of a small car and flying northeast at approximately 40,000 feet (12,000 m), posing a risk to civilian flight. | |
| — | February 11, 2023 | Yukon | 2023 Yukon high-altitude object | Canadian and U.S. authorities ordered the downing of an unidentified object over Yukon, and a U.S. Air Force F-22 (part of the joint U.S.-Canada North American Aerospace Defense Command) shot down the object in Canadian airspace. | |
| February 11, 2023 | February 12, 2023 | Alberta, Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, Lake Huron | 2023 Lake Huron high-altitude object | An octagonal object with strings hanging from it was detected over northern Montana, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at 20,000 feet (6,100 m).
Airspace was temporarily closed in the Lake Huron area, where the object was shot down by the US Air Force and National Guard, falling into Canadian waters. |
|
| February 12, 2023 | — | Rizhao | 2023 Shandong high-altitude object | Chinese authorities said they detected an unidentified object over the Yellow Sea, in waters near Qingdao, and were planning to shoot it down due to proximity to Jianggezhuang, a major PLA naval base. | |
| February 14, 2023 | — | Southeast Romania, and Moldova | 2023 Moldova and Romania high-altitude objects | The Romanian Air Force unsuccessfully attempted to intercept an unidentified object detected roughly 36,000 feet (11,000 m) above Southeast Romania.
Neighboring Moldova briefly closed its airspace due to a balloon-like object. |
|
| February 16, 2023 | — | Shijiazhuang | 2023 Hebei high-altitude object | Shijiazhuang Airport, serving Hebei's provincial capital, was shuttered for two hours due to local airspace "being occupied" by an unidentified flying object. Government sources later stated that the object was a balloon but provided no further follow-up, leading to a drop in domestic Chinese stocks. | |
| February 19, 2023 | — | Pacific Ocean, northeast of Hawaii | 2023 Pacific Ocean high-altitude object | American air traffic control from the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center reported that a large white balloon had been reported to be flying at an altitude of roughly 40,000 to 50,000 feet (12,000 to 15,000 m) over the Pacific Ocean, about 594 miles (956 km) northeast of Honolulu, United States. | |
| April–May, 2023 | — | Hawaii | 2023 Hawaii high-altitude object | The balloon flew over parts of Hawaii and was heading towards Mexico. |
See also
- Airspace class
- Unidentified flying object
- Jetpack man
- Mystery airship
- 2010 California contrail incident
Further reading
- Bertrand, Natasha; Bo Lillis, Katie (February 10, 2023). "Exclusive: US developed method to track China's spy balloon fleet within last year, sources say". CNN.
- Nakashima, Ellen; Harris, Shane; Samenow, Jason (February 14, 2023). "U.S. tracked China spy balloon from launch on Hainan Island along unusual path". The Washington Post.
References
- ^ Long, Colleen; C. Baldor, Lolita; Miller, Zeke (February 12, 2023). "'Unidentified object' downed over Lake Huron 1st detected above Montana". Helena Independent Record. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan; Horton, Alex (February 14, 2023). "Three objects shot down over U.S., Canada may be 'benign'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- Sforza, Lauren (February 13, 2023). "Increase in aerial objects possibly due to 'enhancing radar': US official". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- Tsirkin, Julie; Kube, Courtney; Concepcion, Summer; De Luce, Dan (February 12, 2023). "U.S. military shoots down unidentified object over Lake Huron". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- Alba, Monica; Romero, Dennis (February 11, 2023). "U.S. shoots down unidentified object in Canadian airspace". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- Matza, Max (February 14, 2023). "Chinese balloon sensors recovered from ocean, says US". BBC News. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- Luscombe, Richard (February 17, 2023). "Object downed by US missile may have been amateur hobbyists' $12 balloon". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- Ali, Idrees; Stewart, Phil (February 13, 2022). "Ruling out aliens? Senior U.S. general says not ruling out anything yet". Reuters. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- Nann Burke, Melissa; Beggin, Riley (February 13, 2023). "White House: Shot-down object likely in deep waters of Lake Huron". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- Otis, Daniel (February 13, 2023). "What we know about the search for two flying objects shot down over Yukon and near Ontario". CTV News. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- Britzky, Haley; Bertrand, Natasha; Pelish, Aaron (February 11, 2023). "What we know about the unidentified object shot down over Alaska | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- "Lake Huron search for debris suspended, search efforts continue in Yukon". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. February 16, 2023. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- Yeh, Joseph (February 16, 2023). "Taiwan military finds Chinese weather balloon debris on frontline islet". Focus Taiwan. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023.
- "US and Canada abandon search for three flying objects shot down". BBC News. February 18, 2023. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023.
- Fishman, Taylor (November 16, 2024). "UFO shot down by US fighter jet found on Lake Huron's shoreline". NBC Montana. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- "Chinese spy balloon over US is weather device says Beijing". BBC News. February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- Brown, Matthew; Pollard, James (February 5, 2023). "Eyes on the sky as Chinese balloon shot down over Atlantic". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- Baldor, Lolita C.; Copp, Tara (February 4, 2023). "China balloon: Many questions about suspected spy in the sky". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- Hill, Randall; Stewart, Phil; Mason, Jeff (February 4, 2023). "U.S. fighter jet shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- Gregorian, Dareh; Kube, Courtney; Gains, Mosheh; Richards, Zoë (February 3, 2023). "Another Chinese 'surveillance balloon' is flying over Latin America, Pentagon says". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- Shalal, Andrea; Holland, Steve; Stewart, Phil; Stewart, Phil (February 11, 2023). "U.S. shoots down unidentified object flying above Alaska". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- Gittleson, Ben (February 10, 2023). "US shoots down unknown 'high-altitude object' over Alaska, White House says". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- Cooper, Helene; Barnes, Julian E.; Wong, Edward (February 10, 2023). "U.S. Shoots Down High-Altitude Object Over Alaska". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- Aratani, Lauren (February 11, 2023). "Mystery surrounds what exactly was object US jet shot down over Alaska". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- Newton, Paula; Britzky, Haley (February 11, 2023). "US jet shoots down 'unidentified object' over northern Canada". CNN. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- Liebermann, Oren; Atwood, Kylie; Bertrand, Natasha; Saenz, Arlette; Mattingly, Phil; Britzky, Haley (February 12, 2023). "US military shoots down high-altitude object over Lake Huron on Sunday". CNN. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- "'Octagonal' object shot down by military aircraft over Lake Huron, officials confirm to ABC News". ABC7 Chicago. February 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- Long, Colleen; C. Baldor, Lolita; Miller, Zeke (February 12, 2023). "'Unidentified object' downed over Lake Huron 1st detected above Montana". Helena Independent Record. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- McLeary, Paul; Olander, Olivia; Seligman, Lara; Ward, Alexander (February 12, 2023). "U.S. downs unidentified object over Lake Huron, third destroyed since Chinese spy balloon". Politico. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- Tasker, John Paul (February 13, 2023). "Trudeau says flying objects brought down over the past week may be linked". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- Shoaib, Alia (February 12, 2023). "Chinese authorities said they were preparing to shoot down an 'unidentified flying object' spotted near the Yellow Sea". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- Watt, Louise (February 12, 2023). "China prepares to shoot down unknown flying object near coast". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- Rahman, Khaleda (February 12, 2023). "Now China Says It Has Spotted a UFO". MSN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- "China Ready to Down Object Flying Near Naval Base: Paper". Bloomberg News. February 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- "Romania detects suspicious weather balloon in its airspace, ministry says". Reuters. February 14, 2023. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- "Moldova briefly shuts airspace after report of balloon-like object". Reuters. February 14, 2023. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- Koetse, Manya (February 16, 2023). "Netizens Puzzled after Balloon in Shijiazhuang Sky Creates Flight Disruptions". What's on Weibo. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- "'Large white balloon' spotted northeast of Hawaii". BNO News. February 14, 2023. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- Kube, Courtney; Lee, Carol E. (May 1, 2023). "U.S. military is tracking another mysterious balloon". NBC News. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
| 2023 high-altitude object incidents | |
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- 2023 controversies in the United States
- 2023 in Central America
- February 2023 events in Europe
- 2023 in military history
- February 2023 events in South America
- 2023-related lists
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 2023
- Aviation security
- February 2023 events in the United States
- International security
- Lists of aviation accidents and incidents
- UFO sightings
- January 2023 events in the United States
- Government responses to UFOs