Russian Fighter Jet Encounters NORAD Aircraft in Territorial Skies

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
30/09/2024 18h11

**Russian Jet Flies Dangerously Close to NORAD Aircraft off Alaska Coast**

A Russian fighter jet dangerously approached a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aircraft near Alaska, according to a video shared by NORAD on Monday. The 15-second clip shows the Russian military jet passing alarmingly close to the NORAD aircraft, making swift bank maneuvers to its left and right as it sped by. This incident occurred within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), an area where aircraft must identify themselves, although it lies outside U.S. sovereign airspace.

General Gregory Guillot, commander of the United States Northern Command and NORAD, condemned the Russian pilot's actions, labeling them "unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all." Guillot emphasized that this behavior is inconsistent with the standards of a professional air force.

The release of this footage follows an earlier announcement by NORAD about detecting and tracking four Russian military planes off Alaska's coast. This spike in activity came shortly after the temporary deployment of approximately 130 U.S. soldiers to a remote Alaskan island, equipped with mobile rocket launchers, in response to increased Russian military movements in the region.

The recent surge in Russian military presence coincided with joint military drills conducted by Russia and China. During this period, eight Russian military aircraft and four navy vessels, including two submarines, neared Alaska's borders, though none breached U.S. airspace.

NORAD reported multiple instances of Russian military aircraft operating near Alaska over several days in September. The identified dates include September 11, September 13, September 14, and September 15. Additionally, in July, two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers entered the Alaska ADIZ. These aircraft were intercepted by U.S. F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, alongside Canadian CF-18s and other support aircraft.

Historically, NORAD has detected around six or seven Russian aircraft entering the Alaska ADIZ annually, but recent years have seen a notable increase. Last year, NORAD recorded 26 such instances, and there have been 25 occurrences so far this year.

In a related event, Japanese warplanes recently used flares to warn off a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that had entered northern Japanese airspace, indicating a broader pattern of provocative Russian military activity in the region.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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