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| US F-16 fighter aircraft intercept 2 Russian Tu-95 bombers near Alaska |
International Military - United States F-16 warplanes intercepted two Russian bombers in international airspace near the state of Alaska on Tuesday. This was stated by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
"The Tu-95 bomber was intercepted after entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone," NORAD said in a statement.
An Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is a perimeter where air traffic is monitored beyond national airspace boundaries to provide additional reaction time in the event of a hostile act.
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| F-16 fighter jet following a Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber (pict of Illustration) |
While tensions are high between the United States and Russia over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, NORAD said the bombers were not seen as a threat. "NORAD tracks and positively identifies foreign military aircraft entering the ADIZ, and routinely monitors the movements of foreign aircraft and, if necessary, escorts them from the ADIZ," the statement said.
Russia usually holds annual nuclear drills around this year, although it is unclear whether the presence of the bombers was linked to the drills. Interception of Russian aircraft in the area close to the country's far eastern border is relatively frequent.