Kathrine Frich
Russian and Western forces continue aerial patrols near one another’s zones of interest.
This week, US and Canadian defense authorities tracked multiple Russian aircraft operating near Alaska, prompting a coordinated response.
The aircraft did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, officials said.
Aircraft tracked in ADIZ
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it detected and monitored five Russian military aircraft in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
According to a joint US and Canadian defense statement cited by Reuters and reported by Agerpres, the formation included two Tu-95 strategic bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets and one A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
An ADIZ is an area beyond a country’s sovereign airspace where aircraft are identified and tracked for national security purposes.
NORAD emphasized that the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace throughout the operation.
NORAD response
In response, NORAD deployed a mix of fighter and support aircraft to intercept and identify the Russian planes.
The command said it scrambled two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3 airborne warning aircraft and four KC-135 refueling tankers.
The Russian aircraft were positively identified and escorted until they exited the Alaskan ADIZ, according to NORAD.
Officials described the activity as routine and noted that such encounters occur periodically in the region.
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Sources: Reuters, Agerpres, NORAD statement, Digi24.
