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2h ago

F-16s Intercept Russian Il-20s Near Alaska on Two Straight Days

NORAD says both flights remained in international airspace with no threat to U.S. or Canadian territory.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter lines up for aerial refueling by a KC-10 Extender aerial tanker over the Pacific Ocean.
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Overview

  • North American Aerospace Defense Command reported back-to-back interceptions on Wednesday and Thursday after Russian Il-20 surveillance aircraft entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.
  • Two F-16s and a KC-135 launched each day to identify and monitor the aircraft, with an E-3 Sentry added to Thursday’s response.
  • The Il-20 operating on Wednesday stayed in the ADIZ for about 1 hour and 12 minutes and flew roughly 25 nautical miles from Alaska’s St. Lawrence Island, according to a NORAD spokesperson.
  • NORAD said the Russian aircraft did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace and the activity is not considered a threat.
  • The flights reflect a recurring pattern of Russian activity in the region, including an ADIZ entry reported on July 22, and the Wednesday intercept occurred less than a week after a Trump–Putin summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.