NORAD fighters intercept joint Russian-Chinese bomber flight group off Alaska

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian Tu-95 and two Chinese H-6 strategic bombers operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24, 2024.

NORAD fighter jets from both the United States and Canada conducted the intercept, ensuring that the foreign aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace. The aircraft used for interception were not specified.

“The Russian and PRC aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” NORAD reported. “This Russian and PRC activity in the Alaska ADIZ is not seen as a threat, and NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence.”

An ADIZ is an unilaterally declared region of international airspace that serves as a buffer zone before sovereign airspace. Its primary purpose is to facilitate the swift identification and monitoring of all aircraft entering this designated space. 

“Alaska continues to be on the frontlines of the authoritarian aggression by the dictators in Russia and China who are increasingly working together,” US Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska said in a statement. “Make no mistake, this is an escalation—the first time Russia and China have sent a joint bomber task-force into the Alaska ADIZ.”

A collaborative organization between the United States of America and Canada, NORAD is responsible for safeguarding the airspace of both nations.

U.S. Air Force photo

Russian aircraft operating in Alaska ADIZ detected by NORAD  

DefensebyClement Charpentreau2023-08-16

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