American F-16 intercepts Russian bombers near Alaskan airspace

On By Vaseline

(RYAN ROBERTSON)

ON THURSDAY, RUSSIAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT FLY INTO ALASKA’S AIR DEFENSE IDENTIFICATION ZONE. A US F-16 WAS MANAGED TO INTERCEPT THE RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT… AND NORAD, THE NORTH AMERICAN AIR DEFENSE COMMAND, HAS CONTROLLED THEIR FLIGHTPATH… BUT THE US MILITARY SAYS IT SOUNDS WORSE THAN IT IS. THIS IS WHY…ALASKA’S AD-ID ZONE IS EXPANDING 150 MILES OUTSIDE US SOVEREIGN AIRSPACE, REQUIRING FOREIGN AIRCRAFT TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES FOR NATIONAL SECURITY PURPOSES. NORAD SAYS THE RUSSIAN AIRPLANE REMAINS IN INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE AND PRESENTS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE US OR CANADIAN TERRITORIES. RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA CONFIRMED THE FLIGHT AS A TRAINING MISSION… ADDING TWO TU-95MS STRATEGIC BOMBERS COMPLETED AN 11-HOUR ROUTINE FLIGHT OVER THE NEUTRAL WATERS OF THE BERING SEA NEAR ALASKA’S WEST COAST – WITH TWO SU-30SM JETS PROVIDING ESCORT. RUSSIA’S 70-YEAR-OLD TU-95 BOMBERS ARE CAPABLE OF CARRYING OUT NUCLEAR AND CONVENTIONAL LONG-RANGE ATTACKS. They are routinely used for cruise missile attacks on Ukraine. THAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH. AFTER RUSSIAN TU-95’S CRUISE MISSILES LAUNCHED TOWARDS UKRAINE, KIEV ISSUED A NATIONAL AIRAID. THE HEAD OF THE CITY’S MILITARY ADMINISTRATION SAID THAT ROCKETS TARGETED THE CAPITAL IN GROUPS DURING THREE SEPARATE ATTACKS OVER FOUR DAYS. IN LVIV – TWENTY MISSILES WERE FIRED AT THE REGION TARGETING “CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.” Monitoring Russian military activity near U.S. airspace is a standard part of NORAD’s defense strategy. THIS INCLUDES THE DEPLOYMENT OF SATELLITES, RADARS AND JETJETS TO GUARANTEE NATIONAL SECURITY. SINCE 2007, NORAD HAS AVERAGED BETWEEN SIX AND SEVEN INTERCEPTIONS OF RUSSIAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT PER YEAR. AND THEY WERE DETECTED EARLIER IN THE ALASKA AIR DEFENSE ZONE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN FEBRUARY. THAT’S WHY NORAD SAYS THESE MISSIONS ARE COMMON AND NOT CONSIDERED THREATENING.