SUMMARY
- US fighter jets intercepted five Russian military aircraft in the Alaskan ADIZ
- NORAD said the aircraft stayed in international airspace
- Such intercepts occur regularly and are not considered a threat
US fighter jets intercepted Russian warplanes operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Thursday.
According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which said the aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter US or Canadian territory.
The Russian formation included two Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighters and one A-50 airborne early warning aircraft. NORAD said it deployed two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135 tankers to identify and escort the planes.
An ADIZ is a stretch of international airspace where aircraft must identify themselves for national security.
NORAD, established in 1957 by the United States and Canada, provides aerospace warning and missile defense for North America. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, NORAD commander, said the command remains vigilant.
Andrea Charron, director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba, said such patrols test response times without breaching sovereignty. NORAD said it will continue monitoring activity near Alaska.
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