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Concerning events are being reported from Arizona's restricted air combat training areas, where U.S. fighter jets have been experiencing disturbing encounters. These incidents, taking place since January 2020, include reports of unidentified objects, some resembling drones, flying at high altitudes of up to 36,000 feet and at speeds as fast as Mach 0.75. More worryingly, pilots have reported encounters with groups of these objects, sometimes up to eight in number, and one small drone-like object is reported to have collided with an F-16 Viper, causing damage. These observations are based on reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), pointing to a trend of unidentified aerial systems breaching these restricted warning areas with increasing frequency.
Contributors to The War Zone, Marc Cecotti and Adam Kehoe, have been instrumental in highlighting this trend, using an interactive online tool that utilizes the FAA's public database of drone-related incidents. They have observed a cluster of unusual aerial encounters in southwestern Arizona since 2021. In terms of the physical geography, Arizona is home to numerous major air combat training ranges, encompassing significant airspaces adjacent to Luke Air Force Base and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, with a large portion of Arizona's border with Mexico falling under these ranges. The presence of these unidentified objects, particularly in group formation, is attracting significant attention, as interest in Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) grows.
Pilots Are Seeing Some Very Strange Things In Arizona's Military Training Ranges
U.S. fighter jets are having worrisome aerial encounters in Arizona's restricted air combat training areas, which fits with a broader trend.
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