Jets Intercept Six Russian Planes Off US Coast

Two American fighter jets were scrambled after six Russian military planes approached the US coastline, officials said.

The F-22 jets intercepted the aircraft about 55 miles from the Alaskan coast on Wednesday evening, according to a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad).

The Russian planes were identified as two IL-78 refuelling tankers, two Mig-31 fighter jets and two Bear long-range bombers, said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jazdyk.

They looped south and returned to their base in Russia after the Alaskan-based jets were scrambled.

On Thursday morning, two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets intercepted two Russian long-range bombers about 40 miles off the Canadian coastline in the Beaufort Sea.

In both cases, the Russian planes entered the Air Defence Identification Zone, which extends about 200 miles from the coastline.

They did not enter sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada.

Mr Jazdyk said the fighter jets were scrambled "basically to let those aircraft know that we see them, and in case of a threat, to let them know we are there to protect our sovereign airspace".

The US and Russia are increasingly at odds over the conflict in Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting for control of parts of the former Soviet state.

In the past five years, jets under Norad's command have intercepted more than 50 Russian bombers approaching North American airspace.

"We do not see these flights as a threat," said John Cornelio, another spokesman for Norad, which is a binational American and Canadian command responsible for air defence in North America.

Also this week, British fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian planes flying through international airspace.

The Typhoon jets were sent to identify the planes, which turned out to be Russian military Bears.

A statement released by the RAF said the aircraft did not enter UK airspace.

The statement said the launch was the first time a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) had been issued from RAF Lossiemouth since the Moray base took on the role of defending the UK's northern airspace.