The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced Wednesday that it had detected Russian aircraft operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
NORAD identified the Russian planes as two Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers and two Su-35 advanced fighter jets.
According to a NORAD statement, “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 considered a threat.”
NORAD stated that it responded by deploying an E-3, four F-16s, and four KC-135 tankers “to positively identify and intercept in the Alaskan ADIZ.”
NORAD clarified that the Alaskan ADIZ begins where the sovereign airspace of the U.S. and Canada ends.
Earlier, NORAD detected an IL-20 COOT operating in the Alaskan ADIZ, responding with an E-3, two F-16s, and two KC-135s to intercept and visually identify the aircraft. Following that incident, NORAD reiterated that Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ is routine and not necessarily a threat.
NORAD’s Thursday announcement follows accusations against Russia for airspace incursions into Estonia and Poland.
On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 jets flew together over Estonia, according to two independent NATO sources. The jets flew back and forth for over 12 minutes before Italian F-35s intervened, the sources said.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated, “Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable. But today’s incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen. Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure.”
Following the incursion, NATO allies met on Tuesday at Estonia’s request, triggering Article 4.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking on behalf of member states, described Russia’s actions as “escalatory.”
“We do not want to see a continuation of this dangerous pattern by Russia, intentional or not,” Rutte stated. “But we stand ready and willing to continue to defend every inch of ally territory.”
Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.