NORAD intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in first such flight

NORAD intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what a US defense official said was the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what a US defense official said was the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together. The bombers remained in international airspace in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and were “not seen as a threat,” according to a statement from NORAD. The US and Canada, which together comprise NORAD, intercepted the Russian TU-95 Bear and Chinese H-6 bombers. The aircraft did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said. It also marks the first time H-6 bombers, which are a derivative of older Soviet bombers, have entered the Alaska ADIZ, the defense official said. The intercept was carried out by US F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as Canadian CF-18 fighter jets, according to the defense official. Support aircraft were also part of the intercept, the official said. On Thursday, China’s Defense Ministry said the Chinese and Russian air forces had organized a “joint strategic aerial patrol in the relevant airspace of the Bering Sea” as part of an existing annual cooperation plan between the two militaries.