Three US F-16 fighter jets intercept 4 Russian fighter jets near alaska

Three US F-16 fighter jets scrambled to intercept 4 Russian fighter jets near Alaska. Four Russian military aircraft were detected by the United States North American Space Defense Command (NORAD) over the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. Alaska Territory NIRAD detected, tracked, positively identified, and intercepted four Russian aircraft that entered and operated within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The Air Defense Identification Zone is a perimeter where air traffic is monitored beyond national airspace boundaries to provide additional reaction time in the event of hostile action. In response to the Russian aircraft’s actions, NORAD sent three F-16 fighter jets to intercept the Russian TU-95 BEARH-H and SU-35 fighter jets. NORAD also sent two F-35A fighters, an E-3 Sentry, and two KC-135 Stratotankers to assist. US warplanes stationed in North America have seen rare offensive action this month, shooting down a Chinese spy balloon