Representative photo (AP)
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday to intercept four Russian military aircraft detected near Alaska, the US-Canadian defense organization said Thursday.Norad tracked two Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers and two Su-35 advanced fighter jets operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response, the command deployed an E-3 surveillance aircraft, four F-16 fighter jets, and four KC-135 tanker planes to monitor and identify the Russian planes.”The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat,” Norad stated.Norad noted that the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) starts at the edge of US and Canadian airspace.Last month, Norad detected a Russian IL-20 COOT in the zone and responded with an E-3 surveillance plane, two F-16 fighters, and two KC-135 tankers to intercept and identify the aircraft.The Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone is an international airspace where all aircraft must be readily identified to ensure national security. Norad’s announcement on Thursday comes amid accusations that Russia has violated the airspace of Estonia and Poland, both Nato member states.During a UN summit on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump stated that Nato countries should shoot down Russian planes that violate their airspace. Asked by a reporter if they should take such action, Trump replied, “yes, I do,” while meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid escalating tensions over the Ukraine war.NATO scrambled jets last week after three Russian MiG-31s briefly entered Estonian airspace, prompting Estonia to seek a UN Security Council meeting. Earlier, Poland reported repeated Russian drone incursions, calling them an “act of aggression,” though Trump has suggested the Polish incidents may have been accidental.
