On Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, NORAD “detected and tracked” Russian aircraft in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). It responding by sending two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3 and four KC-135s to escort them out.
According to U.S. officials, two Russian Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighter planes and an A-50 spy plane. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reports this is a regular occurrence and not a threat as the Russian aircraft did not enter U.S. or Canadian airspace.
ADIZs are not recognized in international law or overseen by any international body. Countries including India, U.S. Japan, and China unilaterally declared ADIZs that require foreign military aircraft to identify themselves when entering.
The Alaskan ADIZ is a “defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security,” says NORAD.
Other Russian Aircraft in Alaskan ADIZ
- September 2025 – Russian Tu-95s and Su-35s and in August, and IL-20 COOT, a Cold War-era reconnaissance aircraft – four times in one week.
- September 2024 – a Russian fighter jet flew only feet from a NORAD aircraft.
- July 2024 – Russian and Chinese bombers together for the first time, also first time Chinese H-6 bombers encroached off Alaska.
Sources:
Al Jazeera: US jets escort Russian military out of Alaska’s air defense zone
CBS News: U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian warplanes off Alaskan coast
norad.mil: NORAD detects and tracks Russian aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone
Featured Image Courtesy of Alan Wilson’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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