The United States Aerospace Command announced this Tuesday that it detected and tracked up to four military aircraft of Russian origin near the coast of Alaska. According to military sources, the four Russian warplanes were flying on patrol over international airspace but within Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
According to a statement from the Aerospace Command, these types of Russian incursions into international airspace are common and mostly related to maneuvers or patrols. "The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," reads the statement from the military.
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) February 7, 2024
The Russian government confirmed this Wednesday that several of its Tu-95 bombers flew over the waters a few miles off the coast of Alaska. Along with the bombers, there were also some Su-30SM fighters. The Tu-95 bomber is a heavy, long-range aerial device, which despite its early development in the Cold War is planned to remain in use in the Russian armed forces.
Naval operations with China
North American defenses in Alaska are on alert after Russia and China deployed their largest naval exercises to date in August 2023. That month, a joint naval patrol made up of Russian and Chinese ships patrolled just off the coast of Alaska for a week.
The joint patrol came very close to the Aleutian Islands, which belong to Alaska, and two senators spoke out about the troops and ships so close to U.S. waters. In response to these maneuvers, the United States Navy deployed a squadron of four destroyers to monitor the activity of Chinese and Russian ships.
