Fighter jets scrambled as Russian and Chinese bombers spotted over Alaska

A defence official told Air & Space Forces Magazine it was the first time H-6 bombers had entered the Alaska ADIZ.

They said the intercept was carried out by US F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, Canadian CF-18 fighter jets, and support aircraft.

While Russia’s military has long been active in the north Pacific, China has emerged as a new actor in recent years as it expands its navy and air force.

In May, Norad said it was tracking four Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska ADIZ. It said at the time Russian activity in the area “occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat”.

The Chinese military aircraft intercepted this week are the first detected in the area.

The Russian defence ministry said the joint patrol also flew over the Chukchi Sea, which is on the north side of the Bering Strait.

Russian fighter jets and strategic bombers were joined by Chinese strategic bombers in the exercises, which lasted more than five hours, the ministry said.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for China’s defence ministry, said it was the eighth joint strategic air patrol since 2019 to test and improve coordination between the two air forces.