US warplanes intercept six Russian jets near Alaska
US warplanes last week intercepted six Russian fighter jets in international airspace near Alaska, the state where US troops held military drills, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
NORAD announced on Sunday that it “detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted” Russian TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighter jets operating in and near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 11.
NORAD is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection for Canada and the United States.
NORAD said in a written statement that the Russian flights took place during a number of planned large-scale US military training exercises within Alaska. The Russian jets did not enter American or Canadian airspace.
Since 2007, “NORAD has seen a yearly average of approximately six to seven intercepts of Russian military aircraft in the ADIZ. These numbers have varied each year from as high as 15 to as low as zero,” according to the statement.
NORAD said US F-16 and F-22 fighter jets, KC-135 Stratotankers and E-3 AWACS, participated in the intercept.
Tensions between the US and Russia remain high due to a Washington-backed war in Ukraine, which has been raging on since February last year.
On Monday, Russia scrambled a fighter jet to intercept and escort two NATO aircraft over the Baltic Sea when they attempted to “violate” its airspace.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Su-27 fighter jet intercepted and escorted a German P-3C Orion patrol plane and the French Navy’s Atlantique 2 anti-submarine patrol aircraft.
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