Four Russian warplanes were intercepted by U.S. Air Force fighter jets off the coast of Alaska on Tuesday. 

Two of the planes flying off the Alaskan coast were Russia’s Tu-95 Bear bomber, an aircraft one hailed as the Soviet Union’s preeminent nuclear bomber. The other planes were two Su-35 Flanker fighter jets, reported Air & Space Forces Magazine. The quartet of Russian warplanes was greeted by 10 U.S. Air Force fighter jets deployed by North American Aerospace Defense Command. 

“The North American Aerospace Defense Command detected and tracked Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on 22 July 2025,” NORAD announced in a press release. 

An ADIZ is considered an area where “sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security,” according to NORAD. The Alaskan ADIZ is a “buffer for air defense,” according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. And while it is regarded as international airspace, any aircraft flying through the Alaska ADIZ is supposed to identify itself, which the Russian planes apparently did not do. 

NORAD subsequently deployed fighter jets to “positively identify, monitor, intercept, and escort them out of the Alaskan ADIZ,” said an official from the joint U.S.-Canadian command. It included ​​two U.S. Air Force F-35s and four F-16s and several other support aircraft, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. 

It’s the latest confrontation between U.S. and Russian fighter jets, for which there has been a steady uptick in recent months. In a particular tense interaction in September 2024, a Su-35 cut off a U.S. F-16, engaging in what is known as a “headbutt maneuver,” Air & Space Forces Magazine reported.

“The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all — not what you’d see in a professional air force,” said NORAD Cmdr. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot about the close call.

According to reports, the Russian aircraft flew in the ADIZ for over three hours. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the planes were conducting drills in the area and engaged in a “15-hour round-trip mission over the Bering Sea.” The Russian planes did not enter U.S. or Canadian airspace.

Despite the encroachment and the Russians’ inability to identify themselves upon entering the ADIZ, Russian jets are frequently present in the area, NORAD acknowledged.

“This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat,” NORAD mentioned in the release. 

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Moreover, while the latest infraction by Russia was not deemed serious, NORAD also emphasized its defense systems’ capabilities and preparedness in case of an emergency aerial conflict. 

“NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars, and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions,” noted its release. “NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America.”