The North American Aerospace Defense Command once again quickly launched fighter jets to intercept Russian planes after four were spotted over the waters near Alaska.
In a statement, NORAD said that two Russian Tu-95 bombers and a pair of Su-35 fighter jets were spotted inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday. NORAD did not disclose details on it until the next day. NORAD said that four F-16 fighter jets, four KC-135 refueling tankers and an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (or AWACS) plane were quickly launched to intercept the four Russian planes.
Last month, in the face of multiple Russian incursions into the ADIZ, NORAD scrambled a pair of F-16s in each instance.
The Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone is part of international airspace, not American or Canadian territory. However NORAD — jointly operated by the two countries, requires that aircraft in the zone identify themselves as a security measure. The Alaskan ADIZ extends as far as 150 miles out from the Alaskan coast.
According to NORAD the four Russian aircraft stayed in international airspace and the scrambled planes tracked them during their flight. NORAD operates extensive radar and tracking systems to monitor aircraft around North America. Wednesday’s incident is the first time in a month that Russian planes entered the ADIZ. In late August NORAD reported three separate incursions into the ADIZ by Russian military planes. The command noted, as it has in the past, that “Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”
Top Stories This Week
However, this week’s interdiction comes as Russian planes have repeatedly entered NATO airspace over Europe in September. Several Baltic nations reported Russian aircraft crossing into their skies. In a statement on Sept. 23, NATO’s North Atlantic Council said that “NATO and Allies will employ, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions. We will continue to respond in the manner, timing, and domain of our choosing.”
The latest interdiction happened on Aug. 24, a month after the last known incident. During August, NORAD scrambled jets three times in response to the same number of Russian incursions into the Alaskan ADIZ. Those incidents happened while the United States was carrying out major military exercises in Alaska and shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the state for a diplomatic summit.
