COLORADO SPRINGS — U.S. aircraft including two F16 fighters intercepted four Russian aircraft that flew into a buffer zone of international airspace near Alaska on Monday, according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
The Alaska Region of NORAD detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted the aircraft operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace. The Russian aircraft included a fighter jet and bomber (TU-95 BEARH-H and SU-35 fighter jet), according to the release.
“This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative. NORAD had anticipated this Russian activity and, as a result of planning, was prepared to intercept it.”
NORAD also assessed the Russian flight activity is not related to recent UFO activity over North America, according to the release. Supporting NORAD aircraft included two F35A fighters, one E3 Sentry (AWACS) and two KC 135 Stratotankers.