NORAD intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska

On July 24, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian Tu-95 and two People’s Republic of China H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), in what a US defense official said was the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.

The bombers remained in international airspace in the ADIZ and were not seen as a threat, according to a statement from NORAD, who said that the aircraft did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace.

In response, Senator Dan Sullivan released the following statement:

“Alaska continues to be on the frontlines of the authoritarian aggression by the dictators in Russia and China who are increasingly working together. Make no mistake, this is an escalation—the first time Russia and China have sent a joint bomber task-force into the Alaska ADIZ. Fortunately, our brave military members working closely with our Canadian allies were ready, conducting joint operations to intercept these bombers.

“The Arctic is a critical area of strategic competition between the U.S., Russia and China. As I have been warning our Pentagon leaders for years, these kinds of joint Russia and China incursions on the sea and in the air near Alaska will continue. For that reason, the United States needs to continue to build up our military forces and the infrastructure that goes with it in Alaska to protect our nation’s vital interests in the Arctic and the INDOPACOM theater.”