The U.S. military was put on high alert recently when two Russian aircraft were detected over Alaska. RadarOnline.com reported that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled fighter jets to intercept the Russian aircraft after they were spotted in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
NORAD, a joint operation between U.S. and Canadian forces, confirmed that U.S. fighter jets successfully intercepted the Russian aircraft on September 11, 2024. The Russian planes remained in international airspace and did not breach American or Canadian sovereign airspace, according to NORAD.
While NORAD did not provide specific details about the type of Russian aircraft or the U.S. fighter jets involved in the interception, the agency emphasized that such actions are necessary to monitor and respond to potential threats near North America. NORAD stated that it utilizes a sophisticated network of satellites, ground-based radars, and fighter jets to track and address any unauthorized aircraft in the ADIZ.
This incident is not the first time NORAD has intercepted Russian military aircraft. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NORAD has encountered and tracked Kremlin aircraft on multiple occasions. Despite these encounters, officials from the U.S. Department of Defense have downplayed the significance of these incursions, stating that they do not pose a direct threat to national security.
In a separate event in July 2024, Pentagon officials confirmed the detection of Russian and Chinese bombers flying near Alaska. This marked the first time that Russian and Chinese aircraft had conducted joint operations in the region. The interception of the two Russian aircraft coincided with large-scale military exercises conducted by Russia and China in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean, Baltic, and Caspian Seas. These joint exercises are expected to continue until September 16.
The U.S. remains vigilant in monitoring foreign military activities near its borders and will continue to employ necessary measures to ensure the security and defense of North America.
