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.

NORAD says aircraft did not enter sovereign airspace and were not considered a threat.

The United States and Canada intercepted two Chinese bombers and two Russian bombers operating in international airspace near the state of Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has said.

US and Canadian warplanes “detected, tracked, and intercepted” two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft within Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday, NORAD said.

The aircraft did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace and were not considered a threat, NORAD said.

“NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence,” the binational command said in a statement.

Intercepting an aircraft is military speak for contacting a foreign aircraft by electronic or visual means.

Countries including the US, China, India and Japan have unilaterally declared ADIZs that require foreign military aircraft to identify themselves upon entering a specific zone of airspace.

Unlike sovereign airspace, ADIZs are not recognised in international law or overseen by any international body.

Russian military activity is not uncommon off Alaska’s coast.

In February, NORAD said it had detected four Russian warplanes operating in the Alaska ADIZ.

On Sunday, Moscow said it had scrambled fighters to intercept two US bombers that approached the Russian border over the Barents Sea in the Arctic.

This is good news for Alaskans because the state intends to issue more stimulus checks as is customary under the PFD Act. This financial boost comes as many households struggle to overcome the effects of the global economic downturn.

Subsequent payments of $1000 each to qualified residents will be dispatched in a few days and will help revive the local economy with a total of $1300 per person. This stand-alone initiative funded by oil revenues still gives its citizens reasonable support, making Alaska stand in a different category from other states regarding direct cash transfers to its citizens.

Understanding the unique Alaska permanent fund dividend program and its impact on residents

One peculiar feature of the Alaskan economy is the existence of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, which enables the state’s inhabitants to receive an annual cash distribution according to the proportion of the state’s oil income. Alaska was established in 1976 through a constitutional amendment to act as a savings account for the profits from the oil and natural gas resources to benefit the residents.

It is managed by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, created through the state’s constitution, and the end term is to grow the fund for the benefit of future generations. While the federal stimulus measures are temporary, and this differs from PFD in that it has been an ongoing policy of distributing part of the state’s Gross Domestic Product to the individuals, it would help to stabilize the economy by ensuring that every citizen receives a part of the state revenues, thereby making it an innovative form of universal/basic income.

Eligibility criteria: If you meet these requirements, you get an extra payment this month

The more important thing is, what must Alaska residents do to get that $1,300 stimulus check? It shows that the applicants must have physically been continuous residents of the state during the twelve consecutive months from January 1 to December 31, and they intend to establish and continuously reside in Alaska as residents for the foreseeable future. It is relative to the period from January 1 to March 31, which is the time of application for this year’s dividend.

However, there is an annual eligibility renewal, so those who first received the payment must apply afresh to receive another payment the following year, the next time being Jul-18-2024. The payment structure provides the next payout date to the applicants. Individuals who were enumerated as eligible-not paid by the census enumeration date of July 10 for the monthly basic salary shall receive their checks on this date. As for those who failed to meet this date, there is another payment date on August 15 for those whose status as of August 7 is the same.

How these stimulus checks positively impact Alaska’s economy and its people

These stimulus checks assume an essential place within the economic environment of Alaska, contributing about one billion USD to the Alaskan economy annually. It appears to positively impact local trade, primarily as an influx of money will help support local businesses and assist low-income households with their financial needs. Leading financial scholars differ, noting that the PFD program helps remove between 15,000 and 25,000 Alaskans from poverty each year, which underlines the worth of this welfare.

The payments are especially beneficial to people in rural areas, where there might be few profitable occupations. Moreover, they also offer slight job opportunities as people receive dividends they subsequently spend, boosting different economic sectors. Using royalty streams of wealth distribution, the Alaskan government displays its readiness to redistribute its resource wealth directly to the people, contributing to the knowledge wealth base.

Looking forward: The long-term benefits of Alaska’s permanent fund dividend program

Finally, as Alaskans eagerly await their $1,300 stimulus checks in the days to come, the legacy of PDO through Permanent Fund Dividend remains evident. It truly offers residents short-term social cash relief and a new model of wealth creation and financial stability. Alaska has a system that is different from the stimulus measures at the federal level. Still, it is possible to learn from the program and its impact on people through consistent and direct payments.

While other states and nations continue to calculate for fairness in addressing issues of the rising economic disparity and insecurity of the workforce, the PFD in Alaska presents a worthy subject for discourse. These fairly immediate payments provide much-needed pocket change for Alaskan residents during summer, thus helping to alleviate some of their economic concerns and maintain economic vitality in the state.