List of high-altitude object events in 2023
Updated: 11/6/2025, 2:55:27 AM Wikipedia source
Several high-altitude airspace security events were reported in February 2023, initially over North America, then over Latin America, China, and Eastern Europe.
Tables
· List of events
January 28, 2023
January 28, 2023
Detected
January 28, 2023
Shot down
February 4, 2023
USAF F-22
Location(s)
Alaska, Western Canada, and contiguous U.S.
Incident
2023 Chinese balloon incident
Circumstances
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
February 2, 2023
Detected
February 2, 2023
Shot down
—
Location(s)
Costa Rica, Colombia, and Venezuela
Incident
2023 Latin America balloon incident
Circumstances
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 9, 2023
Detected
February 9, 2023
Shot down
February 10, 2023
USAF F-22
Location(s)
Alaska (North Slope)
Incident
2023 Alaska high-altitude object
Circumstances
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.
—
—
Detected
—
Shot down
February 11, 2023
USAF F-22
Location(s)
Yukon
Incident
2023 Yukon high-altitude object
Circumstances
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 11, 2023
Detected
February 11, 2023
Shot down
February 12, 2023
MNANG F-16
Location(s)
Alberta, Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, Lake Huron
Incident
2023 Lake Huron high-altitude object
Circumstances
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
February 12, 2023
Detected
February 12, 2023
Shot down
—
Location(s)
Rizhao
Incident
2023 Shandong high-altitude object
Circumstances
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
February 14, 2023
Detected
February 14, 2023
Shot down
—
Location(s)
Southeast Romania, and Moldova
Incident
2023 Moldova and Romania high-altitude objects
Circumstances
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
February 16, 2023
Detected
February 16, 2023
Shot down
—
Location(s)
Shijiazhuang
Incident
2023 Hebei high-altitude object
Circumstances
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
February 19, 2023
Detected
February 19, 2023
Shot down
—
Location(s)
Pacific Ocean, northeast of Hawaii
Incident
2023 Pacific Ocean high-altitude object
Circumstances
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
April–May, 2023
Detected
April–May, 2023
Shot down
—
Location(s)
Hawaii
Incident
2023 Hawaii high-altitude object
Circumstances
The balloon flew over parts of Hawaii and was heading towards Mexico.
| Detected | Shot down | Location(s) | Incident | Circumstances | Ref. |
| January 28, 2023 | February 4, 2023 USAF F-22 | 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 USAF F-22 | 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 USAF F-22 | 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 MNANG F-16 | 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. |
References
- Helena Independent Recordhttps://helenair.com/news/local/unidentified-object-downed-over-lake-huron-1st-detected-above-montana/article_4a949209-7724-5668-9e6b-1ce260ce7b53.html
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/14/missile-misfire-lake-huron-aerial-object/
- The Hillhttps://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3855157-increase-in-aerial-objects-possibly-due-to-enhancing-radar-us-official/
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-military-shot-unidentified-object-lake-huron-rcna70289
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trudeau-ordered-takedown-unidentified-object-canadian-airspace-speakin-rcna70261
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64633705
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/object-us-military-shot-down-amateur-hobbyists-balloon
- "Ruling out aliens? Senior U.S. general says not ruling out anything yet"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ruling-out-aliens-senior-us-general-says-not-ruling-out-anything-yet-2023-02-13/
- The Detroit Newshttps://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/02/13/recovery-of-shot-down-object-ufo-in-lake-huron-hampered-by-choppy-waters-elissa-slotkin/69898750007/
- CTV Newshttps://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/what-we-know-about-the-search-for-two-flying-objects-shot-down-over-yukon-and-near-ontario/
- CNNhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/unidentified-object-alaska-military-latest/index.html
- "Lake Huron search for debris suspended, search efforts continue in Yukon"https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2023/lake-huron-search-debris-suspended-search-efforts-continue-yukon
- Focus Taiwanhttps://web.archive.org/web/20230216141937/https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202302160017
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64687038
- NBC Montanahttps://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/ufo-shot-down-by-us-fighter-jet-found-on-lake-hurons-shoreline-north-america-us-f-16-fighter-jet-octagon-shaped-missile-freedom-of-information-coast-guard-weather-monitoring-equipment-chinese-surveillance-balloon
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64515033
- Associated Presshttps://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-north-carolina-302134762e8aeae53314ebd9fdb327e4
- Associated Presshttps://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-antony-blinken-china-b1b03193b7abeb7bbeca169bbc7c2c53
- "U.S. fighter jet shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-says-us-is-going-take-care-of-chinese-balloon-2023-02-04/
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/chinese-balloon-cause-civilian-injuries-deaths-rcna69052
- Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-says-it-shot-down-object-over-alaska-size-small-car-2023-02-10/
- ABC Newshttps://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-shoots-high-altitude-object-alaska-white-house/story?id=97040022
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/us/politics/unidentified-object-shot-down-alaska.html
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/11/alaska-mystery-flying-object-us-chinese-balloon
- CNNhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html
- CNNhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/02/12/politics/lake-huron-high-altitude-object/index.html
- "'Octagonal' object shot down by military aircraft over Lake Huron, officials confirm to ABC News"https://abc7chicago.com/lake-michigan-flight-restrictions-airspace-closed-department-of-defense/12804806/
- Helena Independent Recordhttps://helenair.com/news/local/unidentified-object-downed-over-lake-huron-1st-detected-above-montana/article_4a949209-7724-5668-9e6b-1ce260ce7b53.html
- Politicohttps://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/12/intel-mike-turner-china-balloons-00082451
- CBC Newshttps://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-unidentified-objects-1.6746708
- Business Insiderhttps://www.businessinsider.com/china-preparing-shoot-down-unidentified-flying-object-2023-2
- The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/02/12/china-prepares-shoot-unknown-flying-object-near-coast/
- MSNhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/now-china-says-it-has-spotted-a-ufo/ar-AA17oBEm?li=BBnbcA1
- Bloomberg Newshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-12/china-spots-unidentified-object-flying-near-port-city-paper
- Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/world/europe/romania-detects-suspicious-weather-balloon-its-airspace-ministry-says-2023-02-14/
- Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/world/europe/moldova-has-temporarily-closed-its-airspace-national-airliner-says-2023-02-14/
- "Netizens Puzzled after Balloon in Shijiazhuang Sky Creates Flight Disruptions"https://web.archive.org/web/20230216152153/https://www.whatsonweibo.com/netizens-puzzled-after-balloon-in-shijiazhuang-sky-creates-flight-disruptions/
- BNO Newshttps://bnonews.com/index.php/2023/02/large-white-balloon-northeast-of-hawaii/
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-military-tracking-another-mysterious-balloon-rcna82300