10 aircraft dispatched to intercept Russian planes, 'escort them out’ of Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone
The North American Aerospace Defense Command says it detected and tracked Russian warplanes flying in international airspace Tuesday off the coast of Alaska.
A NORAD spokesperson said the two Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets stayed in a section of international airspace called the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone They did not enter U.S. nor Canadian airspace.
Maj. Jennifer Derenzis said NORAD dispatched two Alaska-based F-16s and four F-35 fighter jets to “positively identify, monitor, intercept and escort them out” of the Alaskan ID zone.
Derenzis said in an email that the NORAD jets were accompanied by support aircraft, including an E-3 AWACS command and control plane, and three KC-135 air tankers.
She said the Russian aircraft were in the Alaskan air ID zone for a little over three hours.
A NORAD news release said Russian activity in the Alaska air defense ID zone occurs regularly and is not considered a threat.
The last time NORAD reported Russian aircraft in the air defense ID zone was in mid-April, when six Russian warplanes were detected. They included two TU-95 bombers, two SU-35 fighter jets, a TU-142 maritime reconnaissance plane and an A-50 AWACs-type aircraft.
Editor's note: This story has been updated.