A shocking incident unfolded over the skies of Arizona when an F-16 Viper fighter jet collided with an unidentified flying object, described as an “orange-white UAS” (uncrewed aerial system, commonly known as a drone), according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The collision occurred in restricted airspace near Gila Bend, Arizona, within the Barry Goldwater Range—a vast desert expanse along the Arizona-Mexico border used for military air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training. The object struck the rear of the jet’s canopy, the protective glass bubble shielding the pilot, cracking it and forcing the $63 million aircraft to land for repairs. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the Air Force has not disclosed the full extent of the damage.
This startling event was not an isolated incident. Within 24 hours of the collision, three additional sightings of unidentified aircraft were reported over the Barry Goldwater Range, raising concerns about the safety of U.S. airspace. The incident is part of a broader surge in Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings, with Arizona emerging as a hotspot for such mysterious encounters, according to a recent report from the Department of Defense’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
A Growing Pattern of UFO Sightings
The F-16 collision is one of 22 reported incidents involving Air Force fighter pilots encountering or colliding with strange objects between October 2022 and June 2023, as reported by azfamily.com. Most of these encounters occurred within 100 miles of Luke Air Force Base, the launch point for many F-16 jets operating in the Barry Goldwater Range. While the FAA has stated there is no evidence suggesting the object that struck the F-16 was extraterrestrial, the incident adds to a growing list of unexplained events plaguing Arizona’s skies.
Between May 2023 and June 2024, AARO documented 757 UAP sightings worldwide, with 410 occurring over U.S. airspace. Only 49 of these cases have been resolved, with the objects identified as mundane items such as airplanes, balloons, birds, drones, or satellites. AARO has recommended closing 243 additional cases for similar reasons, but the majority remain unsolved. Many of these sightings occurred over restricted military airspace, though exact locations were not disclosed in the report.
Arizona: The New UFO Hotspot
Whistleblowers have pointed to Arizona, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border, as a focal point for UAP activity. Luis Elizondo, a former Pentagon intelligence officer who investigated UAP cases, recently stated, “A lot of people reporting a lot of things out of Arizona, particularly on the border.” Similarly, Bob Thompson, a 14-year veteran of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), shared exclusive videos of UFOs spotted over Arizona, describing sightings of orbs, cigar-shaped crafts, and triangular objects. Thompson revealed that over 100 CBP agents have confided in him about witnessing unidentified objects along the border.
Some of these sightings involved swarms of up to eight mysterious objects flying over Air Force training bases near the U.S.-Mexico border. Between 2016 and 2020, military pilots reported eight encounters with unidentified drone-like objects over Arizona, further fueling speculation about the nature of these intrusions.
Drug Cartels and High-Tech Drones?
A prevailing theory suggests that the surge in unidentified drone sightings may be linked to drug cartels deploying advanced technology to conduct spy missions into U.S. territory. NewsNation border reporter Ali Bradley explained, “We’re seeing drones… used as scouting patrols, to watch Border Patrol.” These drones are reportedly larger and more sophisticated than previously encountered models, potentially capable of carrying substantial drug payloads across the border. Unlike Chinese drones previously intercepted by the U.S. government, these new drones are harder to detect, posing a significant challenge to border security.