Case study · CASE-057 · Military interception of unidentified objects
February 2023 high-altitude object shootdowns
OpenOpen / unidentifiedWhere Beaufort Sea / northern Alaska; Yukon, Canada; Lake HuronWhen 2023-02-10 to 2023-02-12
Case
- Overview
- After the Chinese surveillance balloon shootdown, U.S. and Canadian aircraft shot down three further objects on presidential and prime-ministerial orders. None was publicly identified; lawmakers later suggested they were balloons.
- Investigative phases
- NORAD/NORTHCOM operations; recovery attempts; congressional briefings; later administration statements
- Reported phenomena
- Small high-altitude objects, one described as cylindrical
- Public evidence status
- Shootdowns confirmed by U.S. and Canadian governments; debris largely not recovered or released
- Alternative explanations / caveats
- Likely commercial or hobby balloons; no official identification
- Next research tasks
- Obtain NORAD event logs and any AARO assessment; track debris recovery outcomes (see E-V86-11)
- Last reviewed
- 2026-11-11
Assessment
- Event date
- 2023-02-10 to 2023-02-12
- Source category
- Official military action
- Original data accessibility
- Limited
- Witness / instrument basis
- Military sensors and pilots
- Corroboration limitations
- Debris unrecovered
- Extraordinary claim assessment
- Likely balloons; unidentified
- Current status
- Open / unidentified
- Priority research task
- Request NORAD logs
- Lead source ID
- SRC-V86-11
- Last reviewed
- 2026-11-11
Evidence (1)
Documents gathered (1 line of evidence)
- U.S. and Canadian shootdowns of three unidentified high-altitude objects Primary record linked