American fighter jets intercept two Russian military aircraft near Alaska
Two Russian planes were intercepted near Alaska by American fighter jets.
September 13, 2024, published at 3:41 PM ET
Two Russian aircraft detected over Alaska panicked the US military.
RadarOnline.com can reveal which US military fighter jets should intercept the aircraft after the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detects and tracks them in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
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NORAD has detected and tracked two Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone.
NORAD, which consists of U.S. and Canadian forces, confirmed that U.S. fighter jets “conducted the interception” in a statement on X.
The message read: “NORAD detected, tracked and intercepted two Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on September 11, 2024. NORAD fighter jets from the United States carried out the interception.
“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ is not considered a threat, and NORAD will continue to monitor the activities of competitors near North America following and meeting presence with presence.”
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The agency confirmed that US fighter jets intercepted the plane on September 11, 2024.
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NORAD did not elaborate on the type of aircraft detected or provide further details about the US fighter jets used to intercept the Russian planes.
Although the ADIZ is defined as international airspace, the agency previously stated that it “requires the ready identification, location and control of all aircraft in the interest of national security.”
In addition, NORAD stated that it uses a “layered defense network of satellites, ground and airborne radars, and fighter aircraft to track aircraft and take appropriate actions.”
The organization added: “NORAD remains prepared to deploy a number of response capabilities in defense of North America.”
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U.S. Defense Department officials previously said Russian incursions occur regularly and are not considered a threat.
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This is not the first time NORAD has intercepted Russian military aircraft.
Since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, NORAD repeatedly detected, tracked and intercepted Kremlin aircraft.
In July 2023, the agency announced that Russian aircraft had been detected and tracked four times since the beginning of the year.
A US Defense Department official noted that raids involving Russian aircraft “occur regularly, and we do not consider this activity to be a threat.”
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The raid comes as Putin’s military conducted an exercise together with China in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
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Most recently, in July 2024, Pentagon officials confirmed that Russian and Chinese bombers, including two Russian TU-95 and two Chinese H-6 aircraft, had been detected near Alaska.
The incident marked the first time that Russian and Chinese aircraft operated together in such a manner.
Meanwhile, the interception of two Russian aircraft took place on Wednesday as the Kremlin and Chinese forces conducted a large-scale joint military exercise in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The two countries reportedly conducted similar exercises in the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Caspian Sea. The joint military exercises are expected to last until September 16.
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