The US Air Force launched several aircraft after Russian military aircraft were detected.

15:18, Thu, Mar 5, 2026 Updated: 15:20, Thu, Mar 5, 2026

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The US Air Force launched several aircraft after Russian military aircraft were detected (Image: Getty)

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was forced to scramble multiple fighter jets and other aircraft after Russian military aircraft were detected near Alaska. Two Russian Tupolev TU-142 military aircraft were spotted in international airspace in the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ), the command said in a statement.

In response, NORAD launched two US Air Force F-35s and two F-22 fighter jets, as well as four KC-135 refuelling aircraft, one E-3 AWACS (airborne early warning and control), two Canadian CF-18 fighter aircraft and one CC-150 refuelling tanker. While an exact location for the incident was not given, the command said the Russian aircraft did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace and that "this Russian activity in the Alaskan and Canadian ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat".

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Severomorsk

Two Russian Tupolev TU-142 military aircraft were spotted in international airspace (Image: Getty)

The Russian aircraft did, however, enter an ADIZ, an international airspace between the end of sovereign airspaces, which, according to NORAD, "requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security".

Incidents in these airspaces have increased in recent months amid heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO. On February 19, NORAD deployed a similar contingent of aircraft to intercept Russian warplanes, comprising Tu-95s, Sukhoi Su-35s and an Antonov A-50 operating after they were detected near Alaska.

NORAD launched two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135s to complete the mission.

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Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone

Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) (Image: -)

In September, the US also scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian Tu-95s and Su-35s in the Alaskan ADIZ, while during the previous month, NORAD intercepted a Russian Ilyushin IL-20 COO reconnaissance aircraft four times in one week.

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This comes as one of Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the Russian Government has claimed the closest allies of Ukraine in the West are waging a "direct, hot" war at Russia. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, claimed that Ukraine is being prepared to become anti-Russia.

He said: "And it has become the spearhead of the West's hybrid war, but recently not only a hybrid war, but a direct, 'hot' war of the West against the Russian Federation."