U.S. detects and tracks 4 Russian warplanes flying in international airspace off Alaska coast

The North American Aerospace Protection Command mentioned on Tuesday that it had detected and tracked 4 Russian warplanes flying close to Alaska. The navy plane had been working within the Alaska Air Protection Identification Zone (ADIZ), an space stretching about 150 miles from the U.S. coast that’s monitored to supply extra response time in case of hostile actions.

“The Russian plane remained in worldwide airspace and didn’t enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian exercise within the Alaska ADIZ happens usually and isn’t seen as a risk,” NORAD mentioned in a statement.

Russia confirmed on Wednesday that two of its Tu-95 bombers flew over waters close to Alaska, Reuters reported. The Tu-95s flew for about 9 hours and had been escorted by SU-30SM fighter jets, Russia’s protection ministry mentioned.

“The flight was carried out in strict accordance with worldwide guidelines for using airspace,” mentioned Lieutenant Normal Sergei Kobylash, in line with Reuters.

Whereas these Russian warplanes weren’t seen as presenting a danger, navy exercise within the space has made headlines in current months. In August, the U.S. Navy sent destroyers to the coast of Alaska after 11 Russian and Chinese language warships had been noticed crusing in close by worldwide waters. Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska, referred to as the dimensions of that joint Chinese language and Russian operation “unprecedented.”

Final February, American warplanes intercepted Russian navy plane close to Alaska twice in the same week.

NORAD says it makes use of “a layered protection community” of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter jets to trace and determine plane.

In response to its website, the Alaskan NORAD Area can detect “what goes on in and close to North American airspace 24 hours a day, seven days per week.”