U.S. Jets Intercept Russian Warplanes Off Alaska; Russian Fighter Jets Escorted from ADIZ
U. S. fighter jets were scrambled Thursday to intercept multiple Russian bombers, fighter planes and a spy plane flying off the western coast of Alaska near the Bering Strait, an action that underscores continuing aircraft activity in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. The incident involved russian fighter jets and other Russian aircraft being tracked and escorted until they departed the ADIZ.
Russian Fighter Jets Near Alaska
Two Russian Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighter planes and an A-50 spy plane were detected in the Alaskan ADIZ, NORAD said. U. S. forces launched escorts to identify and shadow the aircraft through the zone; the Russian aircraft did not enter U. S. or Canadian sovereign airspace and were escorted until they departed the ADIZ. NORAD described the activity as a regular occurrence that was not considered a threat, and posted photos to social media showing the Russian aircraft as they were being escorted out of the area.
Aircraft and response details
NORAD launched two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135 tankers to rendezvous with and escort the Russian formations while they were in the Alaskan ADIZ. The ADIZ is a stretch of international airspace that begins where U. S. and Canadian sovereign airspace ends; NORAD defines it as a "defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security. " U. S. jets maintained escort until the Russian aircraft had left the zone.
- Russian aircraft detected: two Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighter planes, one A-50 spy plane
- U. S. response: two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135 tankers
- Airspace: aircraft stayed within the Alaskan ADIZ and did not enter sovereign airspace
Recent pattern of activity
The interception follows a pattern of repeated flights near Alaska. In September 2025, U. S. jets were scrambled to intercept Tu-95s and Su-35s in the Alaskan ADIZ. Last August, a Cold War–era IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted multiple times in one week. In September 2024, a short video showed a Russian fighter jet operating very close to a NORAD aircraft inside the ADIZ. Earlier in July 2024, Russian and Chinese bombers were intercepted after entering the Alaskan ADIZ, an episode noted at the time as the first known joint entry by those nations' bombers into the zone and the first encroachment by a particular Chinese bomber type off Alaska.
What to watch next
NORAD termed the activity a regular occurrence and not an immediate threat. If such flights continue to operate within the Alaskan ADIZ, similar intercepts and escort operations are likely to remain part of routine air defense activity. Observers will monitor future flight tracks and any official updates from defense authorities for changes in frequency or aircraft types involved. For now, the incident ended when the Russian formations departed the ADIZ without entering sovereign airspace.
