The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported the detection and monitoring of four Russian military aircraft operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, as per an official statement.
According to NORAD, the Russian aircraft remained within international airspace and did not breach American or Canadian sovereign airspace. Such occurrences in the Alaska ADIZ are said to be commonplace and are not deemed as threatening, the statement emphasized.
The ADIZ, spanning 150 miles from the U.S. coastline, mandates aircraft to identify themselves upon entry.
NORAD employs a comprehensive defense network comprising satellites, ground-based and airborne radars, and fighter aircraft to monitor aircraft activity in the region, the statement detailed. Additionally, they asserted readiness to utilize various response strategies in defense of North America.
Russia’s defense ministry disclosed details of a long-range training flight involving bombers bound for the Arctic, possibly corresponding to the Russian aircraft involved in the incident. The ministry stated that two Tu-160 strategic missile carriers conducted a flight over neutral waters in the Arctic Ocean and the Laptev Sea, lasting over 10 hours.
Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, commander of long-range aviation, affirmed the flight’s adherence to international airspace regulations. He highlighted that such flights are routine for long-range aviation, which routinely traverses neutral waters in various regions, including the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black and Baltic Seas, and the Pacific Ocean.
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Strategic bombers Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and long-range bombers Tu-22M3 constitute the long-range aviation arm of the Russian Aerospace Forces. While primarily serving as the aerial component of Russia’s nuclear triad, these aircraft can also execute missions involving conventional missiles and bombs, including cruise missiles, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
