Did you know the AIM-9X Air-To-Air Missile is able to strike Moving Ground Targets?

USAF F-16 shot down an unidentified flying object over Lake Huron, Michigan, by means of an AIM-9 Sidewinder

By Dario Leone
Feb 13 2023
Share this article

A USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet shot down an object on Feb. 12, 2023 over Lake Huron waters on the US side of the international border with Canada.

A US Air Force (USAF) F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet shot down an object on Feb. 12, 2023 over Lake Huron (Michigan) waters on the US side of the international border with Canada, according to US Rep. Jack Bergman’s office.

This time the Pentagon used an F-16 Viper that shot the object with an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile.

As reported by The Detroit News, Bergman, R-Watersmeet, described communication of government operations he received from the Department of Defense on Sunday afternoon.

“I’ve been in contact with DOD regarding operations across the Great Lakes region today,” Bergman tweeted. “The US military has decommissioned another ‘object’ over Lake Huron. I appreciate the decisive action by our fighter pilots. The American people deserve far more answers than we have.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the object was “swiftly, safely and securely taken down.”

“Our national security and safety is always a top priority,” Whitmer tweeted. “I’ve been in contact with the federal government and our partners who were tracking an object near our airspace.”

F-16CJ Print
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. F-16CM Fighting Falcon – Wild Weasel 50th Anniversary, 2015

Earlier Sunday afternoon, airspace over part of another Great Lake, Lake Michigan, was briefly closed for national defense purposes. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said that with the cooperation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a temporary flight restriction began at about noon Sunday “to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area.” A tweet, posted at 1:44 p.m., announced that the restriction had been lifted.

The FAA on Sunday told pilots the airspace was classified as national defense airspace, instructed them to avoid the area and leave immediately if already in it, warning them of possible administrative and criminal actions if the directive was not followed.

The latest turn in the aerial show taking place in the skies above North America comes after a helter-skelter weekend involving what at times seemed like an invasion of unidentified flying objects.

The episodes began on Feb. 4, with the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

On Saturday, an unidentified object flying over the Yukon in Canada was shot down, and a similar action was taken with an object flying over Alaska on Friday. Airspace over Montana was also briefly closed Saturday.

According to The New York Times, the incursions seemed to become so common that Biden administration officials have found themselves issuing private assurances that there is no evidence that they involve extraterrestrial activity. But officials also acknowledge privately that the longer they are unable to provide a public explanation for the provenance of the objects, the more speculation grows.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force

F-16D model
This model is available from AirModels – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS.

Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

    List of some possible advertising permissions:

    You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices