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On June 16th, NORAD F-22 fighter jets intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bomber formations near Alaska.
NORAD said that the first formation of Russian aircraft consisted of two Tu-95 bombers, accompanied by two Su-35 fighter jets and was supported by an A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The second formation consisted of two Tu-95 bombers supported by an A-50.
NORAD F-22 Raptors, supported by KC-135 Stratotankers and an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, successfully completed two intercepts of Russian bomber aircraft formations entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone last night. pic.twitter.com/9iSZK0Vu2F
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) June 17, 2020
“For the eighth time this year, Russian military aircraft have penetrated our Canadian or Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zones and each and every time NORAD forces were ready to meet this challenge,” said General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, the NORAD Commander.
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, NORAD constantly monitors the northern approaches to our nations and our operations make it clear that we will conduct homeland defense efforts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”
According to a message posted on the Russian Defense Ministry’s Twitter account, the bombers were on a “scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Northern Pacific.”
#Footage Four #RussianASF's #Tu95MS strategic missile carriers performed a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Northern Pacific https://t.co/7pAmwwfZFM #RussianAirForce #LongRangeAviation #F22 #USAirForce pic.twitter.com/xNwOfXguBg
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) June 17, 2020
A similar situation took place on June 10th, when North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-22 fighter jets intercepted two pairs of Russian Tu-95 bombers “who got a little too close to Alaska for comfort.”
There was also accompanying aircraft for the Russian bombers.
The encounter took place on June 10th.
The original video of the interception was released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on June 17th.
In neither of these incidents did Russian aircraft enter US airspace.
On June 15th, Russian Su-27 fighters were reportedly intercepted by US strategic bombers over the Baltic Sea.
Back in March, US and Canadian fighter jets intercepted two Russian reconnaissance aircraft while they were flying off the Alaskan coast. There were also multiple intercepts involving Russian military aircraft off the coast of Alaska in 2019.
NORAD F-22s, CF-18s, supported by KC-135 Stratotanker and E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, intercepted two Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Monday, March 9th. pic.twitter.com/39n3zqy8F8
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) March 10, 2020
Separately, there were several occasions when US aircraft was intercepted by Russian fighter jets along the Russian border, as they were either patrolling or testing out some capability (such as missile strikes) nearby.
Notably, a US B-1B strategic bomber was intercepted by Russian fighter jets above the Black Sea.
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Well, at least they tried
This is not an interception but escort, you should learn the difference NORAD ffs. The russian formation did not violate your national airspace, they were flying in international airspace.
And you didn’t force them to change course, they just continued their route ignoring you, because if they indeed did had change course then you can call it interception, but you just flying beside them. I didn’t see any dogfight either.
Did Russia actually sell the rights to Alaskan airspace to the USA or just the land rights?
Questionable (to my mind) if there is an Open Skies permanent arrangement over Alaska legally in effect or not.
If so, then the U.S. has no right in escorting Russian aircraft away from Alaskan airspace with Russian legal rights of use.
“For the eighth time this year, Russian military aircraft have penetrated our Canadian or Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zones and each and every time NORAD forces were ready to meet this challenge,”
So where were your forces on 9-11-2001?
hahahahaha thats the trillion dollar question right?
why only tu-95 why not tu-160 or something? and why no fighter escorts for them?
Because Russia is only playing with them. “Friendly”
Poor Americants think that this is the real deal…Its not. God forbid that it ever comes to that…but if it does you wont see the upgraded Tu-160 and new stealth PAK-DA coming, and they wont use that route either…just sayin…
“…penetrated our Canadian or Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zones…” So the Russian never entered your airspace? Another misleading warmongering sentence from the USA.