Two U.S. F-35 fighter jets have intercepted and turned back 4 Russian aircraft, a TU-95 BEAR bomber escorted by SU-30 and SU-35 fighter jets, that were approaching Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed that the Russian jets did not enter U.S. airspace. The previous day, two U.S. F-16 fighters turned back a TU-95 BEAR being escorted by a single SU-35 fighter. NORAD issued a statement saying, “This is the second intercept of Russian aircraft over two days. This Russian activity near the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative.”
