US fighter jets intercept Russian planes off Alaska for the third time in a week

On Sunday, August 24, fighters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) intercepted a Russian aircraft in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone for the third time in a week. This was reported by ABC News.

One E-3 Sentry command-and-control aircraft, two F-16 fighters and two KC-135 Stratotankers were sent "to intercept and visually identify" a Russian Il-20 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft operating in the Alaskan air defense zone.

The Russian plane remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian airspace, the statement said.

NORAD added that this Russian activity in the Alaskan air defense zone occurs regularly and is not considered a threat.

"The air defense zone begins where sovereign airspace is established and is a specific area of international airspace that requires immediate identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security," the statement reads.

Last week, US F-16 fighters were dispatched twice – once on August 21 and once on August 20 – to intercept Russian Il-20 aircraft operating in the Alaskan air defense zone.

"NORAD uses a multi-layered defense network of satellites, ground and airborne radars, and fighter jets to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate action," the command said in a statement on Sunday.

NORAD remains prepared to employ a range of response options to protect North America, they said.

• Russia occasionally violates NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea.
• On August 13, Italian F-35 fighters took off from Estonia for the first time in response to Russian aircraft.