The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected two Russian maritime patrol aircraft flying within the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) on Sunday, the day before a three-day military drill operation.
The two Russian aircraft stayed in international airspace and didn’t enter American nor Canadian sovereign airspace, according to officials.
“NORAD tracks and positively identifies foreign military aircraft that enter the ADIZ, and routinely monitors foreign aircraft movements and as required, escorts them from the ADIZ.”
NORAD uses a sophisticated overlapping network of satellites, ground-based radars, airborne radar, and fighter aircraft to track and identify aircraft, according to the agency.
Operation Noble Defender
The Russian aircraft flew within the ADIZ before NORAD is conducting the air defense operation Noble Defender in the region between Sept. 12 and 14.The military operation involves aircraft and personnel from the United States and Canada flying at high altitudes over sparsely populated Arctic and Pacific areas where the public is not likely to see or hear them, according to NORAD.
Military personnel are practicing their ability to rapidly deploy assets and conduct operations in that region aimed at quickly deterring, defending, or defeating threats to North America.
All three NORAD regions are involved in the drills, including Alaska NORAD Region (ANR), Canadian NORAD Region (CANR), and Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR).
NORAD is a bi-national command charged with the defense of the United States and Canada operating since 1958. Its three primary missions are aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning of threats against North America.