US fighter jets scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers near Alaska

Two US F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to intercept a pair of Russian bombers that flew close to Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) has said.

The Tu-95 Bear-H bombers were intercepted on Monday after “entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)”, NORAD said in a statement on Tuesday.

Although the Russian aircraft did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said it “detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted” the bombers as they were within the ADIZ.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, air defence identification zones are areas of airspace that require all aircraft to be identified and located to have their flight plans controlled “in the interest of national security”.

NORAD, a joint air defence organisation of the US and Canada, said the Russian activity “is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative”.

It added: “NORAD tracks and positively identifies foreign military aircraft that enter the ADIZ. NORAD routinely monitors foreign aircraft movements and as necessary, escorts them from the ADIZ.”

It comes at a time when relations between the United States and Russia are at the lowest point since the Cold War.

Tensions remain high between the two countries over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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