Two Russian military aircraft, both IL-38s, were detected flying near the coast of the US state of Alaska last Saturday (14). This was the third time in just one week that Russian aircraft have been detected flying over this region, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), in information broadcast by the American broadcaster CNN.
The detection of the Russian aircraft comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Russia over dictator Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The IL-38s are used for reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare.
According to NORAD officials, the Russian aircraft did not intrude into U.S. or Canadian airspace, but remained within the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), a national security monitoring area. The ADIZ requires the rapid identification of any approaching aircraft to ensure the security of the countries’ air borders. It extends beyond the sovereign airspace of the United States and Canada and is regularly monitored by NORAD forces.
The first interception of a Russian military aircraft last week occurred last Wednesday (11), when military aircraft from the United States and Canada, which operate jointly within NORAD, located two Russian aircraft near Alaska. On Friday (13), NORAD identified and intercepted two Tupolev TU-142 aircraft, a Russian reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare model.
The Russian aircraft were not considered an immediate threat by the US and Canadian military, as reported by NORAD. According to the CNN, Earlier this year, NORAD had intercepted Russian and Chinese aircraft flying near Alaska. This particular incident was the first recorded incident in which the two countries, Russia and China, were detected operating together in the vicinity of the US state’s air defense zone.
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