input
correction
Russian bomber intercepted near Alaskan airspace
Russian military “part of routine flight training”
A Russian bomber has been confirmed to have been intercepted near U.S. airspace in Alaska. The Russian Ministry of Defense described the flight as a routine training flight.
According to Reuters on the 15th (local time), the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced the day before that a Russian strategic bomber had been intercepted while flying in the airspace near Alaska. It did not enter US and Canadian airspace, and there were no threatening movements.
According to NORAD, the intercepted Russian bomber was not related to a Chinese reconnaissance balloon that recently invaded US airspace. NORAD said in a statement that it “was aware of the movements of the Russian air force in advance” and that “two F-16 fighters scrambled to intercept the Russian bombers.”
Recently, NORAD has increased its alert posture. After Chinese reconnaissance balloons entered and exited the airspace, U.S. reconnaissance planes were put on standby. This is to shoot down unidentified objects when they invade.
The Russian Ministry of Defense explained that it was part of an exercise. It is explained that it flew over international waters, including the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia. It is claimed that two Tupolev Tu-95MS Russian strategic bombers and two Sukhoi SU-30 fighters flew in formation on a “routine” basis.
“On long-haul flights, it regularly passes over neutral regions such as the Arctic, the North Atlantic and the Black Sea,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not say whether the bomber was shot down.
The Russian military has previously conducted flight training near the Arctic, including the Bering Sea. When Ukraine was invaded in February of last year, concerns about the Russian military’s movements in neighboring countries increased. This is because the Russian army has expanded its military infrastructure by enclosing the Arctic. It was found that member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also increased the number of exercises in response.
Reporter Oh Hyun-woo ohw@hankyung.com
