U.S. Intercepts Russian and Chinese Bombers Off Alaska

Russian and Chinese warplanes were intercepted off the coast of Alaska by U.S. and Canadian fighters Wednesday, marking the first time strategic bombers from the two U.S. adversaries have operated together near North America, a U.S. official said.

Two Russian TU-95 Bear and two Chinese H-6 bombers flew into the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, a buffer zone in international airspace, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said. The flights were the most recent sign of growing military and security cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.

The Russian and Chinese bombers all took off from a Russian air base, a development first reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine and confirmed by a second U.S. official.

Norad, a joint U.S. and Canadian command that protects against air threats to North America, said the Russian and Chinese planes didn’t enter U.S. or Canadian airspace and weren’t seen as a military threat.

The Russian and Chinese planes were intercepted by U.S. F-16s and F-35s as well as Canadian CF-18s. “Norad will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence,” the command said.