The US scrambled fighter jets after Russian military aircraft appeared near Alaska.
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) scrambled fighter jets after Russian military aircraft were spotted near Alaska, Newsweek reports.
According to NORAD, two Russian Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft were spotted in international airspace in the Alaska and Canada air defence identification zones. The Tupolev Tu-142 is a Soviet-Russian maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
In response, NORAD scrambled two US Air Force F-35 fighter jets, two F-22 fighter jets, four KC-135 refuelling aircraft, one E-3 AWACS early warning and control aircraft, two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets and one CC-150 refuelling aircraft.
The command noted that the Russian aircraft did not enter the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada. It also emphasised that such activity in the air defence identification zones near Alaska and Canada occurs regularly and is not considered a threat. The exact location of the incident has not been specified.
The ADIZ covers international airspace between the borders of sovereign airspace. In such zones, all aircraft must be identified in a timely manner for national security reasons.
Similar cases have been recorded before. On 19 February, NORAD also scrambled aircraft to intercept Russian military aircraft near Alaska. At that time, Tu-95, Sukhoi Su-35 and Antonov A-50 early warning aircraft were recorded.
Two F-16 fighters, two F-35s and four KC-135 refuelling aircraft were involved in that operation.
In September, the US also scrambled fighter jets after Russian Tu-95s and Su-35s appeared in the ADIZ near Alaska. A month earlier, NORAD intercepted a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft four times in one week.
In September 2024, NORAD released a video showing a Russian fighter jet flying very close to a NORAD aircraft in the ADIZ near Alaska.
In July 2024, the US also intercepted Russian and Chinese bombers after they entered the ADIZ near Alaska. It was reported that this was the first time that Russian and Chinese aircraft had entered this zone together.
NORAD was established in 1957 as a joint operational structure of the United States and Canada to protect the airspace of both countries. The commander of the organisation is US Air Force General Gregory M. Guillot, appointed jointly by the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Canada.
NORAD uses a multi-layered defence system that includes satellites, ground-based and airborne radars, and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft. The agency said it remains ready to use various response options to protect North America.
