NORAD intercepts 2 Russian reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace near Alaska
Source: Stars and Stripes
By Gary Warner
Stars and Stripes March 5, 2026
Two Russian Tu-142 Bear-F long-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft were detected and tracked Wednesday in the American and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones off Alaska.
North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled two U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighters, two F-22 Raptor fighters, four KC-135 Stratotankers, one E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, two Royal Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft and one CC-150 Polaris tanker to intercept, identify and monitor the Russian aircraft.
The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said in a statement. This Russian activity in the Alaskan and Canadian ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.
The Wednesday incident was the first since the war in Iran began on Feb. 28.
Read more: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/americas/2026-03-05/russia-aircraft-alaska-zone-norad-20961249.html
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-02-20/norad-tracks-russian-jets-alaska-20813560.html
NORAD sends fighter jets to escort 5 Russian aircraft out of Alaska air defense zone
Stars and Stripes February 20, 2026
It is the first reported incursion of Russian aircraft in the Alaska zone since Sept. 24. The September incident came after several incursions in August and July.
PSPS
(15,298 posts)Herself
(198 posts)To my knowledge has been going on since my brother was in Alaska in the 1970's
tonekat
(2,510 posts)In Reader's Digest in the 70's of a close up photo of a tail gunner in a Bear giving the finger.