Russian Military Aircraft Detected in U.S. Air Defense Zone

Four Russian military jets were tracked flying in airspace near Alaska that is monitored by the U.S. for national security purposes, aerospace officials revealed on Tuesday.

The incident, which happened in skies covered by the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), took place on Monday, according to the North American AeroSpace Defense Command (NORAD). The site is an area of international airspace that does not belong to the U.S. or Canada, but is nevertheless monitored by NORAD for national security reasons. The presence of Russian aircraft in the zone is a regular occurrence and is not considered a threat, NORAD officials said.

Nevertheless, the incident comes amid increasing tensions between Russia and the U.S. following Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. The U.S. has been among the allies supporting Ukraine with financial aid and weapons as it fights back to repel the Russian forces.

And the latest Russian flights in the Alaska ADIZ comes amid recent concerns about foreign states' incursions into American skies—such as the Chinese spy balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet and recovered from off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in February.

A statement about the incident by the North American AeroSpace Defense Command (NORAD), which was released on Twitter on Tuesday, read: "The North American AeroSpace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 3, 2023.

"The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American of Canadian sovereign airspace. The Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.

"ADIZ begins where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security.

"NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to track aircraft and inform appropriate actions. NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defence of North America."

It is not clear exactly when or where the four Russian jets were spotted and tracked on Monday, and whether the number of such incidents has changed since Russia waged war in Ukraine. A previous statement issued by NORAD, cited by the Washington Times in May, said that since 2007, the amount of Russian flights in ADIZ zones has varied from zero to 15.

Newsweek has reached out to NORAD by email for further information and comment.

Several similar incidents have occurred recently.

On May 15, the U.S. was forced to send fighter jets to intercept a Russian military aircraft after it entered the Alaska ADIZ during American "planned, large-scale military training exercises" in the area, NORAD said.

And just days earlier, on May 11, the U.S. had intercepted six Russian military jets, again during American training exercises. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder said at the time that officials "responded appropriately," adding: "It's not the first Russian flight. It probably won't be the last."

It is not clear why the Russian military aircraft may have been flying in the Alaska ADIZ zone this week; Newsweek has emailed Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

Update 07/04/22, 9:57 a.m. EDT: This article was updated with additional context.