NORAD Intercepts Russian Planes Near Alaskan Coast

The US Defense Department has reported the interception of “two Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft” that entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on March 9.

The Russian planes came withing 50 nautical miles of the Alaskan coast, but did not breach US or Canadian airspace, authorities reported.

US and Canadian jets escorted the Russian planes for the approximately four hours they spent in the zone, reports said.

Air Defense Identification Zones surround the US and Canada are areas monitored by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in which all flights are monitored and identified. Credit: Defense Department via Storyful