2023 Yukon high-altitude object: Difference between revisions

2023 Yukon high-altitude object
	3000km; 2,000miles Yukon, Canada Approximate location where the object was shot down.
Date	February 11, 2023
Location	Yukon, Canada
Type	Airspace violator
Outcome	Downed by an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile fired by a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor

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On February 11, 2023, NORAD, at the direction of the Canadian Minister of National Defence and Chief of the Defence Staff, downed an unidentified object over Yukon.^[1]^[2]

After snowfall in the area made the debris difficult to find, the search was called off on February 17.^[3]^[4]

Background

The object was downed a day after an Alaskan high-altitude object was shot down, and a week after the 2023 Chinese balloon incident.

Detection and flight path

The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, said NORAD monitored the object and deployed American and Canadian aircraft. Two U.S. Air Force F-22s from Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, assisted by refueling aircraft, monitored the object over U.S. airspace and continued to monitor it as it entered Canadian airspace. Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 and CP-140 aircraft joined the formation monitoring the object after it passed into Canadian airspace.^[5]

Description

According to The Wall Street Journal, the object appeared to be a "small metallic balloon with a tethered payload".^[6] On February 12, after receiving a briefing from the United States National Security Council, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the U.S. believes that both the Yukon and Alaska objects were balloons.^[7] National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that they were considering that the balloon, as well as other balloons shot down during the same time period, were "tied to commercial or research entities and therefore totally benign."^[8] An anonymous Canadian official speaking to The Globe and Mail stated that the object was believed to be a surveillance balloon of Chinese or Russian origin.^[9]

Minister of National Defence Anita Anand said the object was flying at an altitude of approximately 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.^[10] She called it cylindrical and smaller than the Chinese balloon shot down a few days earlier. Anand dismissed the idea that there was any reason the impact of the object was of public concern.^[11] The White House said president Joe Biden and Trudeau had "discussed the importance of recovering the object in order to determine more details on its purpose or origin".^[12]

Amateur radio enthusiasts speculated that the object may be an amateur radio pico balloon with callsign K9YO, from the fact that the balloon's last reported contact was immediately before it drifted over the Yukon, at around the same place and time where the shootdown was reported. The balloon had been airborne for 124 days and circumnavigated the globe 7 times before being reported missing.^[13] High-altitude, circumnavigational pico balloons cost between $12 and $180, weigh less than 6 lb and are filled with helium or hydrogen gas. Hobbyists have been using them for a decade.^[14] Pico balloons are small enough they are not considered a hazard to aircraft, and thus this balloon was registered with the Federal Communications Commission but not the Federal Aviation Administration.^[15]

Shootdown

NORAD ordered a USAF F-22 to down the object in Canadian airspace, marking the fighter's third air-to-air kill.^[16] The object was shot down at 3:41 a.m. local time.^[17] The object will also be investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.^[5] This shoot down marked the first deployment of NORAD to down an aerial object within the 64-year history of the US-Canadian aerospace warning and air sovereignty organization.^[8]

Recovery operations

Canadian military and police forces searched for remnants of the object across a large portion of Yukon, roughly between Dawson City and Mayo.^[18] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that the search area encompassed 3,000 km² (1,870 sq miles) of "rugged mountain terrain with a very high level of snowpack" in Yukon.^[19] Canadian Defense Minister Anand said that the debris was located somewhere "northeast of Dawson City" in a remote location amid "complex alpine terrain that is prone to challenging northern weather conditions."^[20] Officials cautioned that, due to the vastness and harsh conditions of Yukon, it is possible that the object will not be located.^[21]

The RCMP lead the search effort, with coordination by Public Safety Canada and assistance from Yukon-based units of the Canadian Armed Forces.^[20] The U.S. military, FBI, and U.S. Coast Guard also participated.^[20] Royal Canadian Air Force assets deployed in the recovery effort included one CC-130H Hercules search-and-rescue aircraft, two CC-138 Twin Otter utility aircraft, and various CH-148 Cyclone and CH-149 Cormorant helicopters.^[20]

After snowfall in the area made the debris difficult to find, the search was called off on February 17.^[3]^[4]

References

^ Newton, Paula (February 11, 2023). "NORAD says additional 'object' detected over northern Canada". CNN. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ Miller, Andrew (February 11, 2023). "NORAD confirms 'high-altitude airborne object' flying over northern Canada". Fox News. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Yukon search for debris suspended". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. February 17, 2023. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "US and Canada abandon search for three flying objects shot down". BBC News. February 18, 2023. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Statement on Today's Actions by North American Aerospace Defense Command". U.S. Department of Defense. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
^ Lubold, Gordon; Vieira, Paul (February 11, 2023). "Flying Object Shot Down Over Canada on Orders of Biden and Trudeau". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
^ Long, Colleen; C. Baldor, Lolita; Miller, Zeke (February 12, 2023). "Sen. Schumer says 2 downed objects believed to be balloons". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Alba, Monica; Romero, Dennis (February 11, 2023). "U.S. shoots down unidentified object in Canadian airspace". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ Anderssen, Erin; Chase, Steven (February 12, 2023). "Canadian team working to retrieve and analyze object shot down over Yukon, Trudeau says". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
^ Newton, Paula (February 11, 2023). "US jet shoots down 'unidentified object' over northern Canada, Trudeau says". CNN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
^ Aratani, Lauren; Badshah, Nadeem (February 12, 2023). "New 'unidentified object' shot down over Canada, says Trudeau". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
^ Cooper, Helene (February 11, 2023). "U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
^ kd9ito (February 15, 2023). "February 14th, 2023, K9YO, Missing in Action, KD9UQB, 7th Circumnavigation". Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Trimble, Steve (February 16, 2023). "Hobby Club's Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF". Aviation Week Network. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
^ Chappell, Bill; Sullivan, Becky (February 18, 2023). "Did an F-22 shoot down an Illinois hobby group's small radio balloon?". NPR. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
^ Trudeau, Justin (February 11, 2023). "Canadian statement". Twitter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ Vanden Brook, Tom; Santucci, Jeanine (February 11, 2023). "US jets shoot down third object for airspace violations within a week — This time over Canada". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ Platt, Brian (February 13, 2023). "Canada is looking for 'the object' it shot down but it's in a huge area in the frozen Yukon". Fortune. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
^ Mazta, Max (February 14, 2023). "Chinese balloon sensors recovered from ocean, says US". BBC News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Otis, Daniel (February 13, 2023). "What we know about the search for two flying objects shot down over Yukon and near Ontario". CTV News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
^ Cecco, Leyland (February 14, 2023). "Hunt for mysterious object shot down in remote Yukon faces daunting odds". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 16, 2023.

[1] Newton, Paula (February 11, 2023). "NORAD says additional 'object' detected over northern Canada". CNN. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

[2] Miller, Andrew (February 11, 2023). "NORAD confirms 'high-altitude airborne object' flying over northern Canada". Fox News. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

[RCMP_suspended-3] "Yukon search for debris suspended". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. February 17, 2023. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023.

[BBC_Abandoned-4] "US and Canada abandon search for three flying objects shot down". BBC News. February 18, 2023. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023.

[DOD-5] "Statement on Today's Actions by North American Aerospace Defense Command". U.S. Department of Defense. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.

[6] Lubold, Gordon; Vieira, Paul (February 11, 2023). "Flying Object Shot Down Over Canada on Orders of Biden and Trudeau". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.

[7] Long, Colleen; C. Baldor, Lolita; Miller, Zeke (February 12, 2023). "Sen. Schumer says 2 downed objects believed to be balloons". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.

[NORAD_first-8] Alba, Monica; Romero, Dennis (February 11, 2023). "U.S. shoots down unidentified object in Canadian airspace". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.

[9] Anderssen, Erin; Chase, Steven (February 12, 2023). "Canadian team working to retrieve and analyze object shot down over Yukon, Trudeau says". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.

[10] Newton, Paula (February 11, 2023). "US jet shoots down 'unidentified object' over northern Canada, Trudeau says". CNN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.

[11] Aratani, Lauren; Badshah, Nadeem (February 12, 2023). "New 'unidentified object' shot down over Canada, says Trudeau". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.

[12] Cooper, Helene (February 11, 2023). "U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.

[13] 9ito (February 15, 2023). "February 14th, 2023, K9YO, Missing in Action, KD9UQB, 7th Circumnavigation". Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[14] Trimble, Steve (February 16, 2023). "Hobby Club's Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF". Aviation Week Network. Retrieved February 17, 2023.

[NPR-15] Chappell, Bill; Sullivan, Becky (February 18, 2023). "Did an F-22 shoot down an Illinois hobby group's small radio balloon?". NPR. Retrieved July 23, 2023.

[Trudeau-16] Trudeau, Justin (February 11, 2023). "Canadian statement". Twitter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

[17] Vanden Brook, Tom; Santucci, Jeanine (February 11, 2023). "US jets shoot down third object for airspace violations within a week — This time over Canada". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

[18] Platt, Brian (February 13, 2023). "Canada is looking for 'the object' it shot down but it's in a huge area in the frozen Yukon". Fortune. Retrieved February 16, 2023.

[19] Mazta, Max (February 14, 2023). "Chinese balloon sensors recovered from ocean, says US". BBC News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.

[SearchFor-20] Otis, Daniel (February 13, 2023). "What we know about the search for two flying objects shot down over Yukon and near Ontario". CTV News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.

[21] Cecco, Leyland (February 14, 2023). "Hunt for mysterious object shot down in remote Yukon faces daunting odds". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 16, 2023.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Shootdown incident over Yukon, Canada}}
-{{use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
-{{merge|2023 Chinese balloon incident |2023 Alaska high-altitude object | 2023 Montana high-altitude object |discuss=Talk:2023 Chinese balloon incident#Merger proposal |date=February 2023}}
-{{merge|2023 Montana high-altitude object|target=2023 Alaska high-altitude object|discuss=Talk:2023 Alaska high-altitude object#Proposal to merge the high-altitude object articles|date=February 2023}}
 {{Infobox event
+| map={{OSM Location map
+|   coord = {{coord|65|12|20|N|138|30|42|W}}
+|    zoom = 2
+|   width = 260
+|  height = 150
+| caption = Approximate location where the object was shot down.
+| label = Yukon, Canada
+| label-pos =right
+| mark-coord = {{coord|64.060066 |-139.432037}}
+| mark-description= Epicenter
+}}
 | time                     =
 | timezone                 =
-| date                     = {{date|2023-02-11|MDY}}
+| date                     = February 11, 2023
-| location                 = [[Yukon]], [[Canada]]
+| location                 = [[Yukon]], Canada
 | coordinates              = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|region:XXXX_type:event|display=inline,title}} -->
 | type                     = [[Airspace]] violator
@@ Line 14: / Line 23: @@
 }}
-On 11 February 2023, [[NORAD]], at the direction of the [[Minister of National Defence (Canada)|Canadian Minister of National Defence]] and [[Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)|Chief of the Defence Staff]], downed an unidentified object over [[Yukon]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newton |first1=Paula |date=11 February 2023 |title=NORAD says additional 'object' detected over northern Canada |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=[[CNN]] |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211221434/https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Andrew |date=11 February 2023 |title=NORAD confirms 'high-altitude airborne object' flying over northern Canada |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/norad-confirms-high-altitude-airborne-object-flying-over-northern-canada |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=[[Fox News]] |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211221435/https://www.foxnews.com/world/norad-confirms-high-altitude-airborne-object-flying-over-northern-canada |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Prime Minister of Canada]], [[Justin Trudeau]], said NORAD monitored the object and deployed American and Canadian aircraft. Two [[U.S. Air Force]] [[Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor|F-22s]] from [[Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson]], assisted by refueling aircraft, monitored the object over U.S. airspace and continued to monitor it as it entered Canadian airspace. [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] [[McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet|CF-18]] and [[Lockheed CP-140 Aurora|CP-140]] aircraft joined the formation monitoring the object after it passed into Canadian airspace.<ref name="DOD">{{Cite web |date=11 February 2023 |title=Statement on Today's Actions by North American Aerospace Defense Command |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3295989/statement-on-todays-actions-by-north-american-aerospace-defense-command/ |website=[[U.S. Department of Defense]] |access-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211235643/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3295989/statement-on-todays-actions-by-north-american-aerospace-defense-command/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+On February 11, 2023, [[NORAD]], at the direction of the [[Minister of National Defence (Canada)|Canadian Minister of National Defence]] and [[Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)|Chief of the Defence Staff]], downed an unidentified object over [[Yukon]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newton |first1=Paula |date=February 11, 2023 |title=NORAD says additional 'object' detected over northern Canada |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |access-date=February 11, 2023 |website=[[CNN]] |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211221434/https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Andrew |date=February 11, 2023 |title=NORAD confirms 'high-altitude airborne object' flying over northern Canada |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/norad-confirms-high-altitude-airborne-object-flying-over-northern-canada |access-date=February 11, 2023 |website=[[Fox News]] |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211221435/https://www.foxnews.com/world/norad-confirms-high-altitude-airborne-object-flying-over-northern-canada |url-status=live }}</ref>
-Minister of National Defence [[Anita Anand]] said the object was flying at an altitude of approximately 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Paula |date=February 11, 2023 |title=US jet shoots down 'unidentified object' over northern Canada, Trudeau says |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |access-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212023938/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> She called it cylindrical and smaller than the suspected Chinese balloon shot down a few days earlier. Anand dismissed the idea that there was any reason the impact of the object was of public concern.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Aratani |first1=Lauren |last2=Badshah |first2=Nadeem |date=2023-02-12 |title=New 'unidentified object' shot down over Canada, says Trudeau |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/11/new-unidentified-object-shot-down-over-canada-says-trudeau |access-date=2023-02-12 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212131737/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/11/new-unidentified-object-shot-down-over-canada-says-trudeau |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[White House]] said president [[Joe Biden]] and Trudeau had "discussed the importance of recovering the object in order to determine more details on its purpose or origin".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cooper |first=Helene |author-link=Helene Cooper |date=2023-02-11 |title=U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/us/politics/unidentified-object-canada-alaska-pentagon.html |url-access=limited |access-date=2023-02-12 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212225759/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/us/politics/unidentified-object-canada-alaska-pentagon.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
+After snowfall in the area made the debris difficult to find, the search was called off on February 17.<ref name="RCMP suspended">{{cite news |date=2023-02-17 |title=Yukon search for debris suspended  |language=en-CA |work=[[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] |url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2023/yukon-search-debris-suspended |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225035645/https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2023/yukon-search-debris-suspended |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BBC Abandoned">{{cite news |date=2023-02-18 |title=US and Canada abandon search for three flying objects shot down |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64687038 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225131615/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64687038 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+== Background ==
-NORAD ordered a USAF F-22 to down the object in Canadian airspace, marking the fighter's third air-to-air kill.<ref name="Trudeau">{{cite web |last1=Trudeau |first1=Justin |author-link=Justin Trudeau |date=February 11, 2023 |title=Canadian statement |url=https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1624527579116871681 |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=[[Twitter]] |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211221852/https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1624527579116871681 |url-status=live }}</ref> The object was shot down at 3:41 a.m. local time. Elements of the [[Canadian Armed Forces]] are currently collecting and analyzing the object's debris.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Vanden Brook |first1=Tom |last2=Santucci |first2=Jeanine |title=US jets shoot down third object for airspace violations within a week — This time over Canada |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/11/us-jets-shoot-down-object-over-canada/11238813002/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=[[USA Today]] |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211223318/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/11/us-jets-shoot-down-object-over-canada/11238813002/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The object will also be investigated by the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] with assistance from the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]].<ref name="DOD"/> This shoot down marked the first deployment of NORAD to down an aerial object within the 64-year history of the US-Canadian aerospace warning and air sovereignty organization.<ref name="NORAD first">{{cite news |last1=Alba |first1=Monica |last2=Romero |first2=Dennis |title=U.S. shoots down unidentified object in Canadian airspace |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trudeau-ordered-takedown-unidentified-object-canadian-airspace-speakin-rcna70261 |access-date=14 February 2023 |publisher=NBC News |date=11 February 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230213074042/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trudeau-ordered-takedown-unidentified-object-canadian-airspace-speakin-rcna70261 |archive-date=13 February 2023}}</ref>
+The object was downed a day after an [[2023 Alaska high-altitude object|Alaskan high-altitude object]] was shot down, and a week after the [[2023 Chinese balloon incident]].
+== Detection and flight path ==
-According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', the object appeared to be a "small metallic balloon with a tethered payload".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lubold |first1=Gordon |last2=Vieira |first2=Paul |title=Flying Object Shot Down Over Canada on Orders of Biden and Trudeau |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/flying-object-shot-down-over-canada-on-trudeaus-orders-a9e638e9?mod=hp_lead_pos1 |access-date=12 February 2023 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212160522/https://www.wsj.com/articles/flying-object-shot-down-over-canada-on-trudeaus-orders-a9e638e9?mod=hp_lead_pos1 |url-status=live }}</ref> On February 12, after receiving a briefing from the [[United States National Security Council]], U.S. [[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Chuck Schumer]] said that the U.S. believes that both the Yukon and Alaska objects were balloons.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Long |first=Colleen |last2=C. Baldor |first2=Lolita |last3=Miller |first3=Zeke |date=12 February 2023 |title=Sen. Schumer says 2 downed objects believed to be balloons |work=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-charles-schumer-jake-sullivan-china-acc1a333326c50ee9649760c569c300f |access-date=12 February 2023 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212230901/https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-charles-schumer-jake-sullivan-china-acc1a333326c50ee9649760c569c300f |url-status=live }}</ref> According to an anonymous Canadian official speaking to [[The Globe and Mail]], the object was believed to be a surveillance balloon of Chinese or Russian origin.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anderssen |first=Erin |last2=Chase |first2=Steven |date=12 February 2023 |title=Canadian team working to retrieve and analyze object shot down over Yukon, Trudeau says |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-team-working-to-retrieve-and-analyze-object-shot-down-over/ |access-date=12 February 2023 |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213034412/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-team-working-to-retrieve-and-analyze-object-shot-down-over/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+The [[prime minister of Canada]], [[Justin Trudeau]], said NORAD monitored the object and deployed American and Canadian aircraft. Two [[U.S. Air Force]] [[Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor|F-22s]] from [[Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson]], assisted by refueling aircraft, monitored the object over U.S. airspace and continued to monitor it as it entered Canadian airspace. [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] [[McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet|CF-18]] and [[Lockheed CP-140 Aurora|CP-140]] aircraft joined the formation monitoring the object after it passed into Canadian airspace.<ref name="DOD">{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2023 |title=Statement on Today's Actions by North American Aerospace Defense Command |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3295989/statement-on-todays-actions-by-north-american-aerospace-defense-command/ |website=[[U.S. Department of Defense]] |access-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211235643/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3295989/statement-on-todays-actions-by-north-american-aerospace-defense-command/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+== Description ==
-The object was downed a day after an [[2023 Alaska high-altitude object|Alaskan high-altitude object]] was shot down, and a week after the [[2023 Chinese balloon incident]].
+According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', the object appeared to be a "small metallic balloon with a tethered payload".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lubold |first1=Gordon |last2=Vieira |first2=Paul |date=2023-02-11 |title=Flying Object Shot Down Over Canada on Orders of Biden and Trudeau |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/flying-object-shot-down-over-canada-on-trudeaus-orders-a9e638e9?mod=hp_lead_pos1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212160522/https://www.wsj.com/articles/flying-object-shot-down-over-canada-on-trudeaus-orders-a9e638e9?mod=hp_lead_pos1 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |access-date=February 12, 2023 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> On February 12, after receiving a briefing from the [[United States National Security Council]], U.S. [[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Chuck Schumer]] said that the U.S. believes that both the Yukon and Alaska objects were balloons.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Long |first1=Colleen |last2=C. Baldor |first2=Lolita |last3=Miller |first3=Zeke |date=February 12, 2023 |title=Sen. Schumer says 2 downed objects believed to be balloons |work=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-charles-schumer-jake-sullivan-china-acc1a333326c50ee9649760c569c300f |url-status=live |access-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212230901/https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-charles-schumer-jake-sullivan-china-acc1a333326c50ee9649760c569c300f |archive-date=February 12, 2023}}</ref> National Security Council spokesman [[John Kirby (admiral)|John Kirby]] stated that they were considering that the balloon, as well as [[List of high-altitude object events in 2023|other balloons shot down]] during the same time period, were "tied to commercial or research entities and therefore totally benign."<ref name="NORAD first" /> An anonymous Canadian official speaking to [[The Globe and Mail]] stated that the object was believed to be a surveillance balloon of Chinese or Russian origin.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Anderssen |first1=Erin |last2=Chase |first2=Steven |date=February 12, 2023 |title=Canadian team working to retrieve and analyze object shot down over Yukon, Trudeau says |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-team-working-to-retrieve-and-analyze-object-shot-down-over/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213034412/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-team-working-to-retrieve-and-analyze-object-shot-down-over/ |archive-date=February 13, 2023}}</ref>
+Minister of National Defence [[Anita Anand]] said the object was flying at an altitude of approximately 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Paula |date=February 11, 2023 |title=US jet shoots down 'unidentified object' over northern Canada, Trudeau says |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212023938/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/norad-additional-object-northern-canada/index.html |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |access-date=February 12, 2023 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> She called it cylindrical and smaller than the Chinese balloon shot down a few days earlier. Anand dismissed the idea that there was any reason the impact of the object was of public concern.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Aratani |first1=Lauren |last2=Badshah |first2=Nadeem |date=February 12, 2023 |title=New 'unidentified object' shot down over Canada, says Trudeau |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/11/new-unidentified-object-shot-down-over-canada-says-trudeau |url-status=live |access-date=2023-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212131737/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/11/new-unidentified-object-shot-down-over-canada-says-trudeau |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The [[White House]] said president [[Joe Biden]] and Trudeau had "discussed the importance of recovering the object in order to determine more details on its purpose or origin".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cooper |first=Helene |author-link=Helene Cooper |date=February 11, 2023 |title=U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/us/politics/unidentified-object-canada-alaska-pentagon.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=2023-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212225759/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/us/politics/unidentified-object-canada-alaska-pentagon.html |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
+[[Amateur radio]] enthusiasts speculated that the object may be an amateur radio [[pico balloon]] with [[Call sign|callsign]] K9YO, from the fact that the balloon's last reported contact was immediately before it drifted over the Yukon, at around the same place and time where the shootdown was reported. The balloon had been airborne for 124 days and [[Circumnavigation|circumnavigated]] the globe 7 times before being reported missing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=kd9ito |date=February 15, 2023 |title=February 14th, 2023, K9YO, Missing in Action, KD9UQB, 7th Circumnavigation. |archive-date=2023-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217083831/https://nibbb.org/2023/02/14/february-14th-2023-k9yo-missing-in-action-kd9uqb-7th-circumnavigation/ |url=https://nibbb.org/2023/02/14/february-14th-2023-k9yo-missing-in-action-kd9uqb-7th-circumnavigation/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade |language=en}}</ref> High-altitude, circumnavigational pico balloons cost between $12 and $180, weigh less than 6 lb and are filled with helium or hydrogen gas. Hobbyists have been using them for a decade.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Trimble |first1=Steve |date=16 February 2023 |title=Hobby Club's Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF |url=https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/hobby-clubs-missing-balloon-feared-shot-down-usaf |access-date=17 February 2023 |website=Aviation Week Network}}</ref> Pico balloons are small enough they are not considered a hazard to aircraft, and thus this balloon was registered with the [[Federal Communications Commission]] but not the [[Federal Aviation Administration]].<ref name="NPR">{{Cite web |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |last2=Sullivan |first2=Becky |date=February 18, 2023 |title=Did an F-22 shoot down an Illinois hobby group's small radio balloon? |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1158048921/pico-balloon-k9yo |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=NPR |language=en-US}}</ref>
+== Shootdown ==
+NORAD ordered a USAF F-22 to down the object in Canadian airspace, marking the fighter's third air-to-air kill.<ref name="Trudeau">{{cite web |last1=Trudeau |first1=Justin |author-link=Justin Trudeau |date=February 11, 2023 |title=Canadian statement |url=https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1624527579116871681 |access-date=February 11, 2023 |website=Twitter |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211221852/https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1624527579116871681 |url-status=live }}</ref> The object was shot down at 3:41&nbsp;a.m. local time.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Vanden Brook |first1=Tom |last2=Santucci |first2=Jeanine |date=2023-02-11 |title=US jets shoot down third object for airspace violations within a week — This time over Canada |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/11/us-jets-shoot-down-object-over-canada/11238813002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211223318/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/11/us-jets-shoot-down-object-over-canada/11238813002/ |archive-date=February 11, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> The object will also be investigated by the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] with assistance from the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]].<ref name="DOD" /> This shoot down marked the first deployment of NORAD to down an aerial object within the 64-year history of the US-Canadian aerospace warning and air sovereignty organization.<ref name="NORAD first">{{cite news |last1=Alba |first1=Monica |last2=Romero |first2=Dennis |date=February 11, 2023 |title=U.S. shoots down unidentified object in Canadian airspace |work=[[NBC News]] |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trudeau-ordered-takedown-unidentified-object-canadian-airspace-speakin-rcna70261 |url-status=live |access-date=February 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213074042/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trudeau-ordered-takedown-unidentified-object-canadian-airspace-speakin-rcna70261 |archive-date=February 13, 2023 }}</ref>
+== Recovery operations ==
+Canadian military and police forces searched for remnants of the object across a large portion of Yukon, roughly between [[Dawson City]] and [[Mayo, Yukon|Mayo]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Platt |first=Brian |date=2023-02-13 |title=Canada is looking for 'the object' it shot down but it's in a huge area in the frozen Yukon |url=https://fortune.com/2023/02/13/canada-balloon-ufo-object-search-yukon-justin-trudeau/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |language=en}}</ref> The [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP) said that the search area encompassed 3,000 km<sup>2</sup> (1,870 sq miles) of "rugged mountain terrain with a very high level of [[snowpack]]" in Yukon.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mazta |first=Max |date=2023-02-14 |title=Chinese balloon sensors recovered from ocean, says US |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64633705 |access-date=2023-02-16}}</ref> Canadian Defense Minister Anand said that the debris was located somewhere "northeast of Dawson City" in a remote location amid "complex alpine terrain that is prone to challenging northern weather conditions."<ref name="SearchFor">{{Cite web |last=Otis |first=Daniel |date=2023-02-13 |title=What we know about the search for two flying objects shot down over Yukon and near Ontario |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-we-know-about-the-search-for-two-flying-objects-shot-down-over-yukon-and-near-ontario-1.6272475 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=[[CTV News]] |language=en}}</ref> Officials cautioned that, due to the vastness and harsh conditions of Yukon, it is possible that the object will not be located.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cecco |first=Leyland |date=2023-02-14 |title=Hunt for mysterious object shot down in remote Yukon faces daunting odds |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/14/search-mysterious-object-yukon-canada |access-date=2023-02-16 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
+The RCMP lead the search effort, with coordination by [[Public Safety Canada]] and assistance from Yukon-based units of the [[Canadian Armed Forces]].<ref name=SearchFor/> The U.S. military, FBI, and U.S. Coast Guard also participated.<ref name=SearchFor/> [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] assets deployed in the recovery effort included one [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|CC-130H Hercules]] search-and-rescue aircraft, two [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|CC-138 Twin Otter]] [[utility aircraft]], and various [[CH-148 Cyclone]] and [[CH-149 Cormorant]] helicopters.<ref name=SearchFor/>
+After snowfall in the area made the debris difficult to find, the search was called off on February 17.<ref name="RCMP suspended"/><ref name="BBC Abandoned"/>
-Another object was shot down by the US Air Force near the Canada-US border, this time over [[Lake Huron]], on 12 February 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liebermann |first=Oren |last2=Atwood |first2=Kylie |date=2023-02-12 |title=US military shoots down high-altitude object over Lake Huron on Sunday {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/12/politics/lake-huron-high-altitude-object/index.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213034412/https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/12/politics/lake-huron-high-altitude-object/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This aircraft was downed by a USAF [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 Fighting Falcon]] with a Sidewinder missile.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Luis |last2=Fishel |first2=Justin |last3=Margolin |first3=Josh |last4=Raddatz |first4=Martha |last5=Nagle |first5=Molly |last6=Axelrod |first6=Tal |date=2023-02-13 |title=Military shoots down another high-altitude object, over Lake Huron, officials say |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/military-shoots-high-altitude-object-lake-huron-officials/story?id=97068247 |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=[[ABC News]] |publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company]] |language=en-US |archive-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213025626/https://abcnews.go.com/US/military-shoots-high-altitude-object-lake-huron-officials/story?id=97068247 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 == See also ==
@@ Line 41: / Line 65: @@
 [[Category:21st-century aircraft shootdown incidents]]
 [[Category:21st-century history of the United States Air Force]]
-[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2023]]
-[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Canada]]
 [[Category:Aerial operations and battles involving the United States]]
-[[Category:Unidentified flying objects]]
+[[Category:UFO sightings in Canada]]
 [[Category:Canada–United States military relations]]
 [[Category:Military history of Canada]]
 [[Category:Presidency of Joe Biden]]
-[[Category:Justin Trudeau]]
+[[Category:Premiership of Justin Trudeau]]

v t e Canada–United States relations
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Incidents	Quebec Act Caroline affair Frères chasseurs Hunters' Lodges Battle of Windsor Fenian raids Cypress Hills Massacre Sitting Bull Louie Sam In re Ross Trail Smelter dispute Defence Scheme No. 1 1950 Douglas C-54D disappearance 1950 British Columbia B-36 crash 1950 Rivière-du-Loup B-50 nuclear weapon loss incident Symphony Six CIA activities in Canada Edmonton aircraft bombing Canuck letter Arctic Refuge drilling controversy Kidnapping of Sidney Jaffe Shootings of Alfred and Rosemary Podgis 1984 Montreal bombing Arrow Air Flight 1285R Reference Re Ng Extradition Pacific Salmon War United States v Burns Mitchell v MNR Korean Air Flight 085 Tarnak Farm incident Canadian Guantanamo Bay detainees Northeast blackout of 2003 Arar v. Ashcroft Keystone Pipeline Havana syndrome Extradition case of Meng Wanzhou Canada convoy protest Timeline 2023 Yukon high-altitude object 2023 Lake Huron high-altitude object
Military relations	2nd Canadian Regiment Canadian Caper Canadian peacekeeping Canada and the Iraq War Iraq War resisters in Canada Jeremy Hinzman Kimberly Rivera War Resisters Support Campaign Canada and the Vietnam War Vietnam War resisters in Canada CIA activities in Canada Defence Scheme No. 2 First Special Service Force Five Eyes UKUSA Agreement Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Canadian procurement Mid-Canada Line Montreal Laboratory North American Aerospace Defense Command Distant Early Warning Line North Warning System Continental NORAD Region Operation Noble Eagle Operation Yellow Ribbon Operation Inland Seas Permanent Joint Board on Defense Ogdensburg Agreement Pinetree Line Project HARP War Plan Red
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Related	Anti-Canadian sentiment American immigration to Canada Expulsion of the Loyalists Little Canada Snowbird Canada–United States sports rivalries Junior ice hockey rivalry Women's national ice hockey rivalry Comparison of healthcare systems Canada lunar sample displays Canadian Society of New York CANUSA Games Hollywood North Maple Match 51st state Movements for the annexation of Canada to the United States Montreal Annexation Manifesto Annexation Bill of 1866 Cascadia Doug flag Parti 51 Unionest Party Continentalism Fort Stikine Godfrey–Milliken Bill Invasion of Quebec Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec Letters to the inhabitants of Canada Indian barrier state Royal Proclamation of 1763 Indian Reserve Aroostook War Halifax Road Webster–Ashburton Treaty Great Lakes Fishery Commission Great Lakes Areas of Concern Halifax Fisheries Commission Pacific Salmon Commission Pugets Sound Agricultural Company Rum-running in Windsor, Ontario United States passport card Western Climate Initiative Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival Champlain Hudson Power Express Great Recycling and Northern Development Canal Lake Champlain Seaway International Control Dam North American Water and Power Alliance Northwest Area Water Supply St. Lawrence Seaway Sumas 2 Alaska gas pipeline Alberta Clipper pipeline Alliance Pipeline Brunswick Pipeline Gas Transmission Northwest Great Lakes Transmission Iroquois Pipeline Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Northern Border Pipeline Northwest Pipeline Portland–Montreal pipeline Vector Pipeline Territorial claims in the Arctic Simultaneous substitution Canadian television stations available in the United States Foreign television channels available in Canada United States television stations available in Canada Talking to Americans Lament for a Nation The Fight for Canada
Category:Canada–United States relations