USA and Canada intercepted two aircraft for maritime reconnaissance Russia who remained Monday in the space air defense of Alaska.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed the event on Tuesday, March 10, in a statement.
The two Russian planes were intercepted by the F-22 Raptors of the US Air Force, and the CF-18 of the Royal Canadian Air Force, a version of the F/A-18 Hornet of the US Navy. UU. The aircraft entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), officials said.
The fighters, supported by an E-3 Sentry airborne alert and control system and a KC-135 Stratotanker, escorted Russian planes during the four hours they remained in the area, which extends 320 kilometers off the coast of Alaska.
NORAD said the Russian aircraft remained in the international airspace over the Beaufort Sea and approached up to 50 nautical miles to the coast, but did not enter the United States or Canada airspace.
ADIZ surrounds the United States and Canada, extending to western Alaska to cover the Semichi Islands, south of Russia.
Both countries defend it together, and foreign airplanes cannot fly alone in ADIZ’s airspace without authorization.
“NORAD continues to operate in the Arctic across multiple domains,” NORAD commander General Terrence O’Shaughnessy said in the Twitter statement.
“As we continue to carry out exercises and operations in the north, we are driven by a single unwavering priority: to defend our territories.”
NORAD F-22s, CF-18s, supported by KC-135 Stratotanker and E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, intercepted two Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Monday, March 9th. pic.twitter.com/39n3zqy8F8
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) March 10, 2020
Source: Elintranews
