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https://voennoedelo.com/en/posts/id13975-norad-scrambles-12-jets-to-track-two-russian-tu-142

NORAD Scrambles 12 Jets to Track Two Russian Tu-142

NORAD Deploys 12 Aircraft to Escort Two Russian Tu-142 Near Alaska

NORAD Scrambles 12 Jets to Track Two Russian Tu-142

NORAD deployed 12 U.S. and Canadian aircraft, including F-22 and F-35 fighters, to monitor two Russian Tu-142 planes approaching the U.S. air defense zone near Alaska.

2026-03-12T13:41:04+03:00

2026-03-12T13:41:04+03:00

2026-03-12T13:41:04+03:00

The United States and Canada recently launched a surprisingly large air group to shadow two Russian long-range anti-submarine aircraft that appeared near the coast of Alaska. The incident was highlighted by Stavros Atlamazoglou, a journalist for The National Interest (TNI). According to the report, the Russian Tu-142 aircraft approached the U. S. Air Defense Identification Zone. In response, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) decided to deploy a substantial number of aircraft to monitor the situation. NORAD later stated that the Russian planes remained in international airspace and did not enter the sovereign airspace of either the United States or Canada. The command also indicated that such Russian activity within the air defense identification zones of the two countries occurs regularly and is not considered a threat. The mission involved a wide range of aircraft. NORAD deployed American F-35A Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fighters, KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, and an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control plane. Canada contributed CF-18 Hornet fighters and a CC-150 Polaris tanker. In total, the operation involved 12 aircraft. Atlamazoglou notes that only a handful of fighters would normally be sufficient to escort two aircraft. Nevertheless, the North American allies chose to commit significantly more assets. In the journalist’s view, the scale of the response may have served as a demonstration of readiness to react to Moscow’s actions, even as the United States is currently conducting a major military operation in the Middle East against Iran. The encounter was not an isolated event. Since the beginning of 2026, this is already the second time that American and Canadian fighters have been scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near the air defense identification zones of the United States and Canada.

NORAD Russian aircraft Alaska, Tu-142 near Alaska, NORAD scramble jets, US Canada intercept Russian planes, F-22 F-35 NORAD mission, Russian aircraft ADIZ Alaska, NORAD response Russia

2026

John Baker

news

NORAD Deploys 12 Aircraft to Escort Two Russian Tu-142 Near Alaska

© English: Igor DvurekovРусский: Игорь Двуреков, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

John Baker, Editor

16:41 12-03-2026

NORAD deployed 12 U.S. and Canadian aircraft, including F-22 and F-35 fighters, to monitor two Russian Tu-142 planes approaching the U.S. air defense zone near Alaska.

The United States and Canada recently launched a surprisingly large air group to shadow two Russian long-range anti-submarine aircraft that appeared near the coast of Alaska. The incident was highlighted by Stavros Atlamazoglou, a journalist for The National Interest (TNI).

According to the report, the Russian Tu-142 aircraft approached the U. S. Air Defense Identification Zone. In response, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) decided to deploy a substantial number of aircraft to monitor the situation.

NORAD later stated that the Russian planes remained in international airspace and did not enter the sovereign airspace of either the United States or Canada. The command also indicated that such Russian activity within the air defense identification zones of the two countries occurs regularly and is not considered a threat.

The mission involved a wide range of aircraft. NORAD deployed American F-35A Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fighters, KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, and an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control plane. Canada contributed CF-18 Hornet fighters and a CC-150 Polaris tanker. In total, the operation involved 12 aircraft.

Atlamazoglou notes that only a handful of fighters would normally be sufficient to escort two aircraft. Nevertheless, the North American allies chose to commit significantly more assets.

In the journalist’s view, the scale of the response may have served as a demonstration of readiness to react to Moscow’s actions, even as the United States is currently conducting a major military operation in the Middle East against Iran.

The encounter was not an isolated event. Since the beginning of 2026, this is already the second time that American and Canadian fighters have been scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near the air defense identification zones of the United States and Canada.