NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) revealed that it detected and intercepted two Russian Tu-95MS bombers and two other Chinese Xian H-6K jets flying in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24.
The aircraft were escorted by US F-16 and F-35 fighters and Canadian CF-18 fighters.
It is the first time that Chinese and Russian military aircraft have entered the ADIZ at the same time and also the debut of Chinese H-6s in the region.
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“The Russian and PRC aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” said a NORAD statement.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the bombers were accompanied by Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters and that the joint flight lasted five hours.
“The event was held within the framework of the implementation of the military cooperation plan for 2024 and is not directed against third countries,” the Russian statement said, according to the TASS news agency.
It is understood that the H-6s may have taken off from air bases in Russia as part of expanded joint exercises following the pact with China in 2022, on the eve of the military invasion of Ukraine.
The Tu-95 and H-6 have already carried out joint missions, such as in 2022 when they flew over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.
Last year, the Russian and Chinese navies also carried out a naval mission near Alaska.
