NORAD said U.S. jets were scrambled after two Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighters and an A-50 reconnaissance plane were detected in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. Two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135 tankers were launched to intercept and escort the Russian formation, which did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace. NORAD described the activity as routine and noted similar intercepts in 2024–2025, including encounters with an Il-20 and a joint Russian–Chinese flight.
U.S. Jets Scramble to Escort Multiple Russian Warplanes Off Alaska
A screen grab from a video shows Russian Tu-95 bomber conducting a planned flight lasting more than 11 hours over neutral waters of the Sea of Japan on Jan. 21, 2026. / Credit: Russian Defense Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images(Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
U.S. fighter jets were scrambled Thursday after multiple Russian aircraft were detected flying near Alaska’s coast, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said.
NORAD reported that two Russian Tu-95 ("Bear") bombers, two Su-35 fighters and an A-50 ("Mainstay") early-warning aircraft were tracked inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response, NORAD launched two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135 tanker aircraft to intercept and escort the Russian formation until it departed the zone.
The Russian aircraft did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said, and described the activity as routine and not considered an immediate threat. The Alaskan ADIZ is a stretch of international airspace that begins where U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace ends and is used to ensure the ready identification of aircraft near North American airspace.
Recent Pattern of Encounters
NORAD noted similar interceptions in recent years. In September 2025, U.S. jets were scrambled to intercept Tu-95 bombers and Su-35 fighters in the Alaskan ADIZ. In August 2025, NORAD intercepted a Russian Il-20 "Coot" reconnaissance plane four times in one week. In September 2024, NORAD published a short video showing a Russian fighter flying close to a NORAD aircraft in the ADIZ. In July 2024, U.S. forces intercepted both Russian and Chinese bombers after they entered the Alaskan ADIZ — the first recorded joint entry by Russian and Chinese aircraft in that zone and the first time Chinese H-6 bombers were observed off Alaska.
The incidents underscore ongoing high-altitude and long-range air activity near North America and the routine role of NORAD partner forces in identifying and monitoring such flights.
Help us improve.
