US Jets Scrambled To Intercept Russian Warplanes Off Alaska Amid Growing Incidents

Amid ongoing soaring tensions between the West and Russia, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled American fighter jets to identify and intercept four Russian warplanes flying near Alaska.

NORAD indicated in a fresh statement that the incident occurred Wednesday, and involved a pair of Russian Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers and a pair Su-35 fighter jets traversing the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Illustrative file image of prior intercept incident, via USAF.

The US side sent E-3 early warning and control aircraft, and four F-16s and four KC-135 tanker planes, „to positively identify and intercept” the Russian aircraft – NORAD described.

The ADIZ is considered international airspace that borders US and Canadian sovereign airspace. Such an action by Russian aerial forces has become somewhat routine, but has occurred more frequently over the last couple years, also as war continues to rage in Ukraine.

For example, August saw three similar incidents play out within only a matter of a week. And before that, there were a half-dozen instances since the year’s start where Russian planes entered the ADIZ.

There were dozens of other instances in 2024 and 2023 – each requiring NORAD to send its own jets to shadow, monitor, and intercept the Russian aircraft.

As we detailed before, in September 2024 NORAD released footage of a Russian plane flying „within just a few feet” of US military aircraft near the coast of Alaska, prompting a general to say at the time that the Russian Su-35 plane’s conduct „was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all.”

NORAD has previously acknowledged that Russian bomber flights near Alaska occur „regularly”. But recently China has even begun to join some Russian patrols of northern Pacific areas, including areas extending near Alaska.

JETS SCRAMBLED: NORAD detects Russian aircraft in Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. pic.twitter.com/ObTsFSX7WZ

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 25, 2025

The US-Canada command has said „NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions.”