February 2023 US Airspace Object Shootdowns
Three additional unidentified objects shot down over North America days after the Chinese balloon incident
| February 2023 US Airspace Object Shootdowns | |
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| Date | February 10–12, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Alaska, Yukon (Canada), and Lake Huron, U.S. |
| Type | Unidentified object shootdowns |
| Investigation | |
| Objects shot down | 3 |
| Status | UnresolvedNever recovered |
Following heightened air-defense scrutiny after the Chinese Spy Balloon Incident, U.S. and Canadian fighter aircraft shot down three additional small objects in quick succession over Alaska, the Canadian Yukon, and Lake Huron; none were recovered from difficult terrain or water, and none were identified.
Assessment
The White House later stated that the leading theory for at least some of the objects was that they were harmless commercial or hobbyist balloons, coincidentally detected due to heightened radar sensitivity settings adopted after the Chinese balloon episode, though this remains an assessment rather than a confirmed identification given no debris was recovered.
[1]See also
References
- ^ The White House, National Security Council press briefing, February 14, 2023.