US stealth jets intercepted Russians bombers and fighter jets just off Alaska's western coast Monday.
A tweet from the North American Aerospace Defence Command, more commonly known as NORAD, said that the Russian aircraft had flown into what is known as the Air Defence Identification Zone or ADIZ, a 200 mile buffer off Alaska's coast.
Though NORAD monitors the zone, it is still considered international airspace and the planes did not enter US or Canadian airspace.
The intercepted aircraft included four Tu-95 long-range bombers accompanied by two Su-35 fighters, the intercepting planes were American F-22 Stealth jets.
"Two of the Russian bombers were intercepted by two F-22s, and a second group of bombers with Su-35 fighters was intercepted later by two additional F-22s, while the E-3 provided overall surveillance," NORAD said.
A tweet from the Russian Ministry of Defence stated that their planes were engaged in "scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands." In a second tweet, they said that for certain portions of the 12-hour flight, the Russian planes were escorted by the American F-22s.
“NORAD’s top priority is defending Canada and the United States. Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens, vital infrastructure, and national institutions starts with successfully detecting, tracking, and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching US and Canadian airspace,” General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, the commander of NORAD, said in a statement.
