In the past hours, U.S. and Canadian Air Force fighters intercepted Russian and Chinese strategic bombers operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). This information was disclosed in a press release from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and later confirmed by a viral video from the Russian Ministry of Defense. The incident involved two Tu-95MS bombers from the Russian Aerospace Forces and two H-6K bombers from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China.
According to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the aircraft were detected, tracked, and intercepted within the Alaska ADIZ, remaining in international airspace and not entering U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace.
While the incident was not deemed a threat, NORAD deployed multiple fighters, including an F-35A and two F-16 Fighting Falcons from the U.S. Air Force, and two F/A-18 Hornets from the Royal Canadian Air Force, as seen in open-source intelligence (OSINT) images. These fighters closely monitored the combined aerial patrol activities of the Russian and Chinese combat aircraft.
The presence of Tu-95MS and H-6K bombers marks the eighth combined strategic air patrol over the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and North Pacific Ocean by Chinese and Russian forces. This event also marks the first sighting of PLAAF bombers in the Alaska ADIZ. Russian Su-30SM and Su-35S fighter jets provided aerial combat cover during the patrol.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated, “During the flight, Russian and Chinese crews resolved issues of cooperation at all stages of the aerial patrol in the new joint operations area. Combat air cover was provided by Su-30SM and Su-35S aircraft of the Russian Air Force.”
According to TASS, the combined flight of Russian and Chinese aircraft lasted over five hours, during which they were accompanied by foreign fighter jets at various stages. Russian Ministry of Defense stated that both countries’ aircraft strictly adhered to international law without violating any foreign airspace.
This recent incident adds to a series of recent encounters between U.S. and Russian military forces in the region, including the interception of U.S. B-52H bombers by Russian MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighters over the Arctic, and ongoing engagements involving the Russian Aerospace Forces in the Baltic region.
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