US Fighter Jets Intercept Two Russian Aircraft Over Bering Sea

US F-22 fighter jets intercepted two Russian IL-38 patrol aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday, according to a Thursday report by the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The US jets were accompanied by a KC-135 Stratotanker and an E-3 AWACS aircraft.

The aircraft were intercepted in the Bering Sea, north of the Aleutian Islands – and did not enter US or Canadian airspace.

F22 LYNX01 (blue track) joined up with KC-135R BITE63 from Eielson AFB, Alaska and proceeded southwest for refueling over Cold Bay. pic.twitter.com/ClSnZ7VJJX

— Aircraft Spots (@AircraftSpots) April 9, 2020

“This is the latest of several occasions in the past month in which we have intercepted Russian aircraft operating near the approaches to our nations. We continue to execute our no-fail homeland defense missions with the same capability and capacity we always bring to the fight,” said NORAD in a statement.

“This is the latest of several occasions in the past month in which we have intercepted Russian aircraft operating near the approaches to our nations. We continue to execute our no-fail homeland defense missions with the same capability and capacity we always bring to the fight.”

— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) April 9, 2020