On January 19, 2023, a US Air Force F-16 Viper fighter jet collided with an unidentified aerial object over Arizona’s Barry Goldwater Range, a vast desert expanse along the Arizona-Mexico border used for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training.

The incident, detailed in a recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, involved an “orange-white uncrewed aerial system” (UAS), commonly known as a drone, striking the rear of the jet’s canopy—the protective glass bubble shielding the pilot.

The impact cracked the canopy of the $63 million aircraft, forcing it to land for repairs. No injuries were reported, though the extent of the damage to the jet remains undisclosed.

The collision occurred in restricted airspace near Gila Bend, Arizona, a region increasingly associated with mysterious aerial phenomena.

According to FAA documents, three additional sightings of unidentified aircraft were reported over the Barry Goldwater Range within a day of the incident.

These events add to a growing body of evidence suggesting Arizona is becoming a hotspot for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), the modern term for what were once called UFOs.

The F-16 incident is one of 22 reported encounters between Air Force fighter pilots and unidentified objects in Arizona’s skies between October 2022 and June 2023, as reported by azfamily.com.

Most of these incidents occurred within 100 miles of Luke Air Force Base, a primary launch point for F-16 jets training at the Barry Goldwater Range.

Some encounters involved swarms of up to eight mysterious objects flying over military training bases along the US-Mexico border, raising concerns about airspace safety and national security.

A recent report from the Department of Defense’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which investigates UAP sightings that could impact national security or aviation safety, underscores the scale of the phenomenon.

Between May 2023 and June 2024, AARO recorded 757 UAP sightings worldwide, with 410 occurring over US airspace. Of these, only 49 cases have been resolved, leaving the majority unexplained.

Many of these incidents took place in restricted military airspace, though specific locations were not disclosed in the report.

Arizona’s emergence as a UAP hotspot is not new. Between 2016 and 2020, military pilots reported eight encounters with unidentified drone-like objects over the state.

The recent F-16 collision and subsequent sightings add to a pattern of activity that has drawn increasing attention from both the FAA and AARO.

When incidents like the F-16 collision occur, pilots file reports that the FAA investigates using radar and other data. If the object is unidentified, the case is forwarded to AARO for further analysis.

While the FAA has stated there is no evidence that the F-16 collision involved extraterrestrial activity, the incident highlights the challenges of managing unidentified objects in restricted airspace.

The increasing frequency of such encounters has prompted renewed scrutiny of Arizona’s skies, particularly around military installations.

The growing number of UAP reports, particularly in sensitive military zones, raises questions about the potential risks to both military operations and civilian aviation.

The Barry Goldwater Range, where the F-16 collision occurred, is a critical training ground for the US Air Force, making unexplained aerial activity in the area especially concerning.

The fact that swarms of unidentified objects have been reported in these restricted zones underscores the need for improved detection and response protocols.

As AARO continues to investigate these incidents, the public’s fascination with UAPs persists, fueled by the lack of definitive explanations for many sightings.

Arizona’s role as a focal point for these encounters ensures it will remain a key area of interest for researchers, military officials, and UAP enthusiasts alike.