With reports flooding in from Arizona, you may find yourself wondering about the strange swarm of unidentified flying objects buzzing around US Air Force training ranges. These aren’t just random sightings — they include incidents involving high-value military assets and raise questions about the nature of these mysterious aerial visitors.
In January 2023, an incident caught the attention of both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense when a $63 million F-16 Viper fighter jet was struck midair by what was described as an “orange-white UAS,” or uncrewed aerial system — crucially a drone. The impact damaged the fighter jet’s clear bubble canopy above the pilot’s head, temporarily grounding the plane. This unusual event is not isolated; the FAA documents revealed multiple similar encounters in that region shortly afterward.
If you track such phenomena, you’ll find that this swarm of mysterious objects has been active over Air Force training sites in Arizona and near the US-Mexico border since January 2020. Reports describe groups of up to eight small drones flying at high altitudes, sometimes intersecting with military flights during training exercises. Given the area’s significance for military operations and surveillance, these sightings have raised concern within defense circles.
The FAA closely monitors any reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) that pilots or other aviation personnel file. When radar data or other supporting evidence backs these reports, the FAA passes the information to the UAP Task Force. The Department of Defense’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office then centralizes the investigation of incidents that might impact safety or national security. Between May 2023 and June 2024, the government received 757 such reports, with only 49 cases marked as closed, indicating that many sightings remain unexplained.
You might be curious about who or what is behind these incursions. Some US officials, including Ron Vitiello, a senior adviser for US Customs and Border Protection, believe foreign drug cartels could be the source. These groups reportedly use drones for spying and smuggling operations along the border. Capable of transporting up to 10 kilograms of narcotics at a time, these drones are difficult to detect and increasingly sophisticated. Vitiello noted that the cartels might have access to “cutting-edge” technology, funded by their limitless resources, enabling them to innovate and adapt rapidly.
This notion aligns with ongoing concerns that these drones represent an evolving threat approach by non-state actors looking to exploit technology for criminal purposes. You should understand that this isn’t just about occasional trespassing; these incursions have real consequences for military readiness, airspace safety, and national security.
Whether they are foreign drones, experimental devices, or something more unusual, the presence of these unidentified flying objects near critical US military sites in Arizona underscores how complex and active the skies have become. It’s clear that researchers, military planners, and government agencies are paying close attention as they work to identify and respond to this ongoing puzzle in American airspace.
What do YOU think of this theory of the drug cartels using drones and that these object swarming military areas and being drones and not alien craft? Most people think this is all aliens, but here was have the bad actor drone theory at play.
