[55], The balloon entered U.S. airspace above the Aleutian Islands on January 28, 2023, then moved across Alaska, and entered Canadian airspace over the Yukon and Northwest Territories on January 30, 2023. It's a Plane! The Pentagon and the Office of National Intelligence declined to comment. [63][64] A publicly released U.S. State Department document, after the balloon was downed and debris collected, said that the balloon's solar arrays produced sufficient power to operate "multiple active intelligence collection sensors" and that the antennas on the balloon could collect and geolocate communications, including radio and mobile phone signals, but it was unknown if any specific devices were targets. Second, it was described . The location of Deadhorse, where the object was shot down off the coast. [59][60][61], Citing a PLA procurement portal, a U.S. official said that the balloon was manufactured by a civilian Chinese defense contractor. [9][10][11], President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, out of what Kirby called an "abundance of caution". [110] China said it wanted the wreckage returned,[111][112] but the U.S. said it had no plans to do so. [12], The incident increased U.S.China tensions. [163], Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated on February 13 that the United Kingdom's government would do "whatever it takes" to defend the country from observation balloons. National Security Council spokesman Admiral John Kirby said the craft had a propeller and could be maneuvered. [2][12] Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder called it "a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight". [102][61] A pair of F-15Cs from Barnes Air National Guard Base[97] used Sniper targeting pods to record the downing and locations of falling debris. [7][6] Analysts said that its flight path and structural characteristics were dissimilar from those of a typical weather balloon. A U.S. Air Force fighter safely shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a written statement. [180] The Costa Rican General Directorate of Civil Aviation confirmed the incursion by an object "not of Costa Rican origin", which the locals had first seen on February 2. [146], At a June fundraising event, Biden compared his Chinese counterpart to a dictator and said that Xi was upset about not knowing the location of the balloon, which carried "two box cars" of spy equipment. [3] The Pentagon did not confirm that information but said countermeasure efforts by the U.S. contributed to the balloon not collecting information while flying over the US, but didn't give further explanation. [7], U.S. authorities did not name the manufacturer of the balloon but said with high confidence that the entity has "direct commercial ties" to the People's Liberation Army. Shoots Down High-Altitude Object Over Alaska", "NORAD says additional 'object' detected over northern Canada", "US Says 3 Mystery Objects Likely Private, With No China Link", "U.S. military brings down flying object over Lake Huron", "Why Is China Allegedly Using a Spy Balloon When It Has a Global Satellite Network? Military. [8], According to U.S. officials, the object had traveled over Alaska before heading northward to sea at a speed of 20 to 40 miles per hour (32 to 64km/h). Lengths of U.S. school buses vary but are limited to 45 feet (14m) per specifications defined by the National Congress on School Transportation. Reports of its detection near Hainan came out after the balloon was shot down. [35] After flying southeast over British Columbia, the balloon re-entered the U.S. in northern Idaho on January 31 and Montana on February 1,[35] where it was spotted over Billings. Nonetheless, the Pentagon took steps to protect its assets from leaking sensitive information to the balloon. The Chinese government maintained it was a civilian (mainly meteorological) airship that had been blown off course. He said it was shot down at 1:45 p.m. [92][93][94] Military aircraft were reported to be over the Carolinas. Debris from the wreckage was recovered and sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis. [137] Biden administration National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that improved airspace surveillance ordered by Biden after he took office had detected the previous incursions and "enhanced our capacity to be able to detect things that the Trump administration was unable to detect". [79] Other officials reported that the balloon loitered near sensitive military sites and made multiple passes under control. [116][117][118], The United States asserts sovereignty of the airspace above its territories. "We are calling this an "object" because that is the best . [154] On February 14, Wang elaborated by saying that since 2022, circumnavigation balloons launched from U.S. soil flew over China and other countries illegally more than ten times. A. Pentagon spokesman said it was not a balloon. On February 17, the U.S. military said that recovery operations have concluded for the balloon after the final debris was located and retrieved. From Reuters: "U.S. officials declined to speculate about what the object might be, even after a day of observation, raising questions about what kind of object could be so difficult to identify by experienced U.S. pilots and intelligence officials." I know it's probably not a UFO UAP, but it is . ), National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena (1956-1980), Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (20072012), Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (current), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_high-altitude_object_events_in_2023&oldid=1158819374, February 2023 events in the United States, Lists of aviation accidents and incidents, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, A Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon transited Canadian and U.S. airspace before being shot down off the coast of. US Shoots Down 'Unidentified Aerial Object' Over Alaska: Funny Memes and Jokes Go Viral After Twitterati Wonder What Was Shot Down by American Fighter Jet. Did a 'spy' balloon snoop on the Andaman and Nicobar islands? [12], 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. [171], On the shooting of the balloon, Christopher Twomey, a security scholar, said that any Chinese response would be restrained and that China would want to "sweep this under the rug" and emphasize senior-level visits within months. "[15] She said China regretted the unintentional incident, citing force majeure. On February 18, 2023, it was reported that the search had been abandoned. [125] Later that day, U.S. officials disclosed that three days earlier he had granted permission to down the balloon. The exact nature and specifications of the technology remained undisclosed, subject to ongoing intelligence assessments. [67] Doak contacted his friend and Billings Gazette photographer Larry Mayer,[72] and the two photographed the balloon using telephoto lenses. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The official told Fox News the object was. [61][126] Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer added: "The bottom line here is that shooting down the balloon over water wasn't just the safest option, but it was the one that maximized our intel gain. [1], By February 13, the U.S. had recovered a significant portion of the balloon's payload, including sensors, electronics, and structural sections. But the rebels did come under attack . Surveillance ballons might have been a creative way to collect information and to offer China some insights into US capabilities and possibly vulnerabilities. This Week", "Gazette's spy balloon photos play role in White House's response to China", "Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S.", "Pentagon Says It Detected a Chinese Spy Balloon Hovering Over Montana", "Pentagon says it is monitoring Chinese spy balloon spotted flying over US", "US tracked suspected Chinese spy balloon for 5 days before shooting it down over the Atlantic", "Chinese balloon got intel from U.S. military sites, despite efforts to block it", "Suspected Chinese spy balloon sightings reported across U.S. as Pentagon tracks it", "Ask the Captain: Highest altitudes for planes", "Why stratospheric balloons are used in era of space-based intelligence", "Republicans criticize Biden for waiting to shoot down Chinese balloon", "F-22s Scramble from Nellis in Response to Chinese Spy Balloon Over US", "U-2, Cold War Flashpoint, Comes Out of the Shadows for Chinese Balloon", "U.S. There were conflicting reports on whether it had collected any intelligence during its transit. [16], President Biden said that the shootdown was a success. [74][59] Montana is the location of multiple intercontinental ballistic missile installations, such as Malmstrom Air Force Base, causing suspicion that the balloon had been launched to surveil said nuclear installations. The object was shot down onto the Beaufort Sea. [82] U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the U.S. military was able to collect valuable intelligence on the balloon while it was transiting North America. They include U.S. assessment of the downed balloon's power generation capability (up to 10,000 watts), which would be sufficient to operate synthetic-aperture radar equipment if carried onboard, and how parts of the Chinese government were surprised by the balloon's North American incursion, judging from intercepted communications. This is a stopgap mapping solution, while attempts are made to resolve technical difficulties with {{, Approximate location where objects were shot down over North America, List of high-altitude object events in 2023, 2023 Romania and Moldova high-altitude objects, "Exclusive: US developed method to track China's spy balloon fleet within last year, sources say", "U.S. tracked China spy balloon from launch on Hainan Island along unusual path", "Three objects shot down over U.S., Canada may be 'benign', "Increase in aerial objects possibly due to 'enhancing radar': US official", "U.S. military shoots down unidentified object over Lake Huron", "U.S. shoots down unidentified object in Canadian airspace", "Chinese balloon sensors recovered from ocean, says US", "Object downed by US missile may have been amateur hobbyists' $12 balloon", "Ruling out aliens? The downing was the first recorded by a F-22 aircraft, the first of an aircraft over U.S. territory since World War II, and is speculated to be the highest altitude air-to-air kill in recorded history. [91] A ground stop was ordered on the coast at Myrtle Beach International Airport and Charleston International Airport in South Carolina, and Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina. 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. Airship spotted flying over North Carolina", "F-22 Safely Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off South Carolina Coast", "U.S. fighter jet shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon", "Navy releases close-up photos of Chinese surveillance balloon recovery", "F-22 Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off Carolinas With Missile (Updated)", "Rough seas complicate US efforts to recover suspected China spy balloon", "Pentagon reveals details on how Chinese spy balloon was taken down with single shot", "The Shooting Down Of China's Spy Balloon In Moment-By-Moment Audio", "US Navy working to recover debris from Chinese 'spy balloon', "3 Navy Warships, FBI Now Hunting for Wreckage of Chinese Spy Balloon off South Carolina", "Suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down off South Carolina coast", "U.S. Navy Collecting Surveillance Balloon Debris", "Spy balloon part of a broader Chinese military surveillance operation, US intel sources say", "Here is where US is taking remains of China spy flight", "China says it wants its busted balloon back after the US Navy fished the suspected spy craft out of the ocean", "China Says US Should Return Debris From Balloon It Shot Down", "Significant portion of Chinese balloon spy equipment recovered, US official says", "Chinese balloon sensors recovered from ocean, says US", "Chinese spy balloon recovery operation has concluded", "US says Chinese spy balloon downed in February did not collect information", "Chinese spy balloon did not collect information, says Pentagon", "Chinese spy balloon did not collect information over US, Pentagon says", "Balloons vs. satellites: Popping some misconceptions about capability and legality", "Did China's balloon violate international law? "[124], Secretary of State Blinken postponed a scheduled diplomatic trip to China in response, which would have been the first such visit since 2018. This allows better altitude control and much longer endurance compared to the more common variable-volume balloon design. [24][25] By 2019, the Pentagon had invested millions in COLD STAR (Covert Long Dwell Stratospheric Architecture), a project for stealthy balloons that are now being transitioned from narcotics surveillance into military service. [170] Baxland also said that the balloon could be designed to test the resolve of Washington as well as gather information about American detection capabilities and reaction. The unidentified flying object[4] was described as cylindrical, silver, and appearing to float. [166][167], Michael Clarke, a British defense analyst, claimed that China wanted the balloon "to be noticed". The classification of the "object" shot down by US fighter jets "is pretty quizzical," says Ret. Further analysis and debris collections were underway. Mayer also sent the images to various government agencies. [76] The balloon was spotted above northwest Missouri, near Kansas City, on February 3, and subsequently passed near Whiteman Air Force Base, which houses the nuclear-capable B2 Spirit. [35], Pentagon officials stated that there was no earlier opportunity to shoot down over water, rebutting Trump and other Republicans who criticized the Biden administration for not shooting down the balloon earlier. From January 28 to February 4, 2023, a high-altitude balloon owned by China was spotted in North American airspace, including Alaska, western Canada, and the contiguous United States. [19][20], Balloons have been valued for their ability to observe the battlefield and direct artillery. [2] On February 4, the U.S. Air Force shot down the balloon over U.S. territorial waters off the coast of South Carolina. [12][55][d] It was able to change its altitude before entering the Pacific Ocean, where officials believe it was blown off-course. The balloon flew over parts of Hawaii and was heading towards Mexico. [88], A U.S. government official said that at least two U-2S reconnaissance aircraft were used to gather data about the balloon while it was over the Midwest, though it was not clear at which points in the balloon's flight it was tracked by U-2S aircraft. [22][23], Although mostly supplanted by surveillance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles, balloons have retained some advantages, such as a lower cost of production and deployment. The US military shot down a high-altitude "object" above waters off the coast of Alaska, officials announced on Friday. The U.S. military shot down another high-altitude aircraft in U.S. territorial waters near northeastern Alaska on Friday, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in a. 01:03. Service history Alaska was authorized under the Fleet Expansion Act on 19 July 1940, and ordered on 9 September. Arrests National Guardsman in Leak of Classified Documents", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2023_Chinese_balloon_incident&oldid=1162823609, Airspace over the United States, Canada, and, High-altitude Chinese balloons entering foreign airspace, United States and Canada allege reconnaissance; China claims, This page was last edited on 1 July 2023, at 09:19. [178] Some sources paid particular attention to Yang's line, "Congrats! [59], According to some U.S. officials, China attempted to speed up the balloon, after its presence became known to the public, in order for it to exit U.S. airspace more quickly. For the Chinese balloon, see, This is a stopgap mapping solution, while attempts are made to resolve technical difficulties with {{. "[7], When asked about possible extraterrestrial origin of the threeobjects downed over North America between February912, General Glen D. VanHerck said he personally had not "ruled out anything", but he deferred to U.S. intelligence experts. It was determined that the balloon did not collect any sensitive data while crossing the continental United States or flying over military bases. The Akutan Zero, also known as Koga's Zero () and the Aleutian Zero, was a type 0 model 21 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Japanese fighter aircraft piloted by Petty Officer Tadayoshi Koga, that crash-landed on Akutan Island, Alaska Territory, during World War II.It was found intact by the Americans in July 1942 and became the first Zero acquired by the United States during the war that . On Friday, a U.S. F-22 fighter jet shot down an unidentified, small, and high-altitude object flying high over the Alaskan sky. DirkDiggler Supreme User 731 Gender:Male Authorities shared that the object was shot down off the. Notes. You shot a balloon! Debris from the wreckage was recovered and sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis.