The U.S. military intercepted six Russian military jets near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed on Friday.
American F-22 fighter jets and KC-135 refueling aircraft intercepted several groups of Russian Tu-142 patrol jets near the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, NORAD said in a statement.
The jets came within 50 miles of the Alaskan shore but remained within international airspace, the agency said.
Also on Thursday, U.S. Northern Command wrote that a Russian submarine was detected near Alaska.
![A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor takes off to relocate in advance of Hurricane Florence at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia on Sep. 11, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Nin Leclerec)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F09%2F13%2Ff-22-600x428.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
“We are holding such massive drills there for the first time ever,” Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov said in a statement, saying that about 50 warships and 40 planes were partaking in the exercise near the Bering Sea, which separates Russia’s Far East and Alaska.
“We are building up our forces to ensure the economic development of the region,” he said. “We are getting used to the Arctic spaces.”
Russian planes have flown near the Alaskan coast several times this year, prompting U.S. officials to scramble jets for an interception.
In June, F-22 planes and a KC-135 intercepted two Russian Il-38, which were also flying through the Alaskan air defense zone.
“The Russian aircraft came within 50 miles of Unimak Island along the Aleutian island chain, spending approx. four hours in the ADIZ before exiting. The Il-38s remained in international airspace and at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace,” NORAD said at the time.
“For the fifth time this month, NORAD has demonstrated our readiness and ability to defend the homeland by intercepting Russian military aircraft entering our ADIZ,” said Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, the head of NORAD, in a statement in late June.