A Russian fighter flies dangerously close to a U.S. Air Force jet, patrolling off the coast of Alaska. The North American Aerospace Defense Command called the maneuver “unsafe, unprofessional and endangered all.” Photo courtesy of NORAD
Sept. 30 (UPI) — A shocking new video shows a Russian fighter flying dangerously close to a U.S. Air Force jet, patrolling off the coast of Alaska, amid reports that more Russian military planes are being tracked near Alaska’s air space.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, the U.S.-Canadian military alliance, which defends North American airspace, posted the 15-second video Monday. It shows the Russian jet buzzing within feet of the NORAD aircraft last week.
“On Sept. 23, 2024, NORAD aircraft flew a safe and disciplined intercept of Russian Military Aircraft in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone or ADIZ. The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional and endangered all — not what you’d see in a professional air force,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot.
While NORAD deployed jets to fly the “safe and disciplined intercept” of the Russian jet in ADIZ — an area where pilots are required to identify their aircraft — Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, demanded a strong response to the “reckless” provocation.
“The reckless and unprofessional maneuvers of Russian fighter aircraft — within just a few feet of our Alaska-based fighters — in Alaska’s ADIZ on Sept. 23, put the lives of our brave airmen at risk and underscore the escalating aggression we’re witnessing from dictators like Vladimir Putin,” Sullivan wrote Monday in a post on X.
“We need to answer force with force and continue building up America’s military presence in Alaska and the Arctic with more infrastructure, like the strategic Arctic port at Nome and reopening the Adak Naval Base and more military assets,” Sullivan added.
Earlier this month, NORAD revealed it was tracking more Russian military planes near Alaska’s air space, with four encounters in less than a week after some 130 U.S. soldiers were temporarily deployed to a remote Alaska island with mobile rocket launchers. The deployment was in response to eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels near Alaska, as Russia and China conducted joint military drills in July.
On Sept. 15, NORAD intercepted two Russian IL-38 military planes flying in international space near the ADIZ in what was the fourth reported incident in five days. NORAD said it was “not seen as a threat” as none of the planes breached U.S. airspace.
While Russian aircraft entering Alaska’s zone varies between six and seven a year, NORAD said there were 26 encounters last year, with 25 Russian jet sightings to date this year.