| Date | February 10, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Beaufort Sea |
| Type | Airspace violator |
| Outcome | Shot down by a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor |
On February 10, 2023, the United States Air Force shot down a high-altitude object that had entered U.S. airspace over Alaska a day before. The object was shot down onto the Beaufort Sea. 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. On February 16, 2023, US President Joe Biden stated that the downed object was probably a civilian-owned balloon and "most likely tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions".[1]
An attempt was made to recover the debris, which landed in the sea. However, on February 18, 2023, it was reported that the search had been abandoned.[2]
- ^ Kinery, Christina Wilkie, Emma (February 16, 2023). "Biden says three recently downed aerial objects were not linked to Chinese spy program". CNBC. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "US and Canada abandon search for three flying objects shot down". BBC News. February 18, 2023. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023.