Two US F-16 fighter jets have been dispatched to intercept a pair of Russian bombers that flew near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) has mentioned.
The Tu-95 Bear-H bombers have been intercepted on Monday after “entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)”, NORAD mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday.
Although the Russian plane didn’t enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD mentioned it “detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted” the bombers as they have been inside the ADIZ.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, air defence identification zones are areas of airspace that require all plane to be recognized and positioned to have their flight plans managed “in the interest of national security”.
NORAD, a joint air defence organisation of the US and Canada, mentioned the Russian exercise “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 on the lowest level for the reason that Cold War.
Tensions stay excessive between the 2 international locations over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Source: information.sky.com”