La Joya Airbase, Arequipa, Peru
La Joya Airbase is a Peruvian Air Force military installation located in Arequipa, Peru, and the site of the April 11, 1980 La Joya Airbase UFO Intercept. During this incident, Lieutenant Oscar Santa Maria Hueras was scrambled in his Sukhoi-22 fighter to intercept an unidentified silvery orb-like object that had entered restricted airspace near the end of the runway without authorization.
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The 1980 UFO Intercept
On the early morning of April 11, 1980, a strange silvery object was spotted floating in restricted airspace near La Joya Airbase's runway during a period of heightened espionage concerns in Peru. The object's presence without authorization represented what Hueras described as "a grave challenge to national sovereignty," prompting an immediate military response.
Hueras engaged the object, firing 64 30mm shells that had no damaging effect, and subsequently pursued it for 84 kilometers while reaching speeds of Mach 1.6. The object demonstrated extraordinary capabilities including instant acceleration, sudden stops at high altitude, and the ability to shadow Hueras's climbing maneuvers from 14,000 feet up to 19,200 feet.
Witness Corroboration
Upon Hueras's return to La Joya Airbase, multiple eyewitnesses and base personnel also observed the object, providing independent corroboration of the encounter. The incident's credibility was further strengthened by its inclusion in a DOD Joint Chiefs briefing document associated with Project Moondust, which documented the encounter alongside the 1968 Nepal crash disc case.
The La Joya Airbase incident remains one of the most well-documented military UAP intercepts in South America, notable for the direct weapons engagement, extended pursuit, detailed object description, and multi-witness corroboration.