F-16s intercept Russian bombers flying near Alaska
By COREY DICKSTEIN
STARS AND STRIPES • October 18, 2022
The United States scrambled a pair of fighter jets Monday to intercept two Russian bombers flying in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, U.S. military officials said.
The U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets intercepted the Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers after they were “detected, tracked [and] positively identified” entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone by the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The intercept ended without incident and was not considered a threat or a military provocation, according to the statement issued Tuesday from NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canadian command charged with defending those nations’ airspace.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said the incident remained safe and professional and noted such interactions over international waters near Alaska occur regularly.
https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2022-10-18/russian-bombers-alaska-american-jets-7735230.html
