U.S. and Canadian fighter jets intercepted Russian and Chinese military aircraft off the coast of Alaska on Wednesday.
A news release from the North American Aerospace Defense Command — which is made up of American and Canadian forces — detailed how NORAD first identified the targets, then tracked and later intercepted them.
The Russian and Chinese aircraft were two Russian TU-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers, according to the release.
As noted by Fox News journalist Lucas Tomlinson, the incident took place just before President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday.
Ahead of Biden’s Oval Office address, NORAD says it scrambled fighter jets to intercept two Russian Tu-95 “Bear” bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers off the coast of Alaska.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) July 24, 2024
The four foreign aircraft had entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone and were conducting operations there, according to the news release.
The Air Defense Identification Zone is international airspace. However, aircraft entering it are required to identify themselves with NORAD.
NORAD confirmed the foreign jets did not pose a threat and did not enter U.S. or Canadian airspace.
Nevertheless, NORAD is continuing to monitor the situation and will continue to “meet presence with presence,” according to the news release.
NORAD detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24, 2024. NORAD fighter jets from the United States and Canada conducted the intercept.https://t.co/EKg3G30lmW
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) July 24, 2024
“NORAD is a unique bi-national command between the United States and Canada. NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft in seamless interoperability to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions,” the news released states.
“NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America.”
This is not the first time NORAD has confronted Russian movement in the Alaskan ADIZ.
In May, a NORAD news release confirmed Russian aircraft had entered the zone.
“This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat,” that release stated.
However, CNN reported that the participation of Chinese air power in such operations “appears to be a new development.”
Has the U.S. become less secure in recent years?
In March, according to CNN, Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot warned at a Senate hearing that Chinese military activity in the Arctic might be seen “as soon as this year potentially.”
“We have seen them in the maritime,” he said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, according to CNN. “We have seen them under the cloud of a technical or scientific research, but we think it is certainly multi-mission, to include military. And then I expect to see air activity in the Alaska part of the Arctic as soon as this year, potentially.”
