Military officials confirmed Thursday that the North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted a formation of Russian military aircraft operating in international airspace near the Bering Strait. According to a statement from NORAD, the multi‑aircraft group included two Tu‑95 bombers, two Su‑35 fighters, and an A‑50 airborne early warning aircraft, all flying within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.

NORAD said U.S. forces launched two F‑16s, two F‑35s, one E‑3, and four KC‑135 refueling tankers to identify and escort the Russian aircraft until they exited the area. In its statement, the command emphasized that the Russian aircraft “remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” and described the activity as routine rather than provocative. The full report was first published by MyNorthwest, drawing on information from the Associated Press and NORAD’s public release.

The Alaskan ADIZ, where the aircraft were detected, is an early‑warning zone extending beyond territorial airspace. It requires all aircraft to identify themselves for national security purposes, but does not confer sovereign control. NORAD used satellite systems along with ground‑ and air‑based radar to track the Russian formation.

NORAD’s Alaska operations are based at Joint Base Elmendorf‑Richardson in Anchorage, with command headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.

Why this matters for Southwest Washington

While the intercept occurred thousands of miles from Cowlitz County, the region sits squarely beneath the western half of the continental United States air defense architecture that NORAD manages. Federal officials consistently point out that activity in the Alaskan ADIZ forms an early part of the detection pipeline meant to protect the entire West Coast, including population centers and infrastructure along the I‑5 corridor. Local emergency management agencies in Southwest Washington routinely coordinate with federal partners on preparedness planning tied to national‑level air defense posture.

Officials have not indicated any change in threat level for Washington State following Thursday’s intercept.

Sources

MyNorthwest: NORAD intercepts 5 Russian aircraft near Alaska, though military says there was no threat