U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska's western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. </s> The North American Aerospace Defence Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska’s western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. </s> ANCHORAGE, Alaska — U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska’s western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

The North American Aerospace Defence Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. </s> US F-22 stealth jets intercepted four Russian bombers and two Russian Su-35 fighter jets off the coast of Alaska on Monday, according to a statement from North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The Russian long-range bombers flew into the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends approximately 200 miles off Alaska's western coast.

US F-22s fighter jets and an E-3 Airborne Early Warning and Control System from North American Aerospace Defense Command "positively identified and intercepted a total of four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 20," NORAD said in a statement.

"Two of the Russian bombers were intercepted by two F-22s, and a second group of bombers with Su-35 fighters was intercepted later by two additional F-22s, while the E-3 provided overall surveillance," NORAD said, adding that "the Russian bombers and fighters remained in international airspace and at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace."

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident in a tweet Tuesday, saying the Tu-95 bombers "made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands."

"At certain stages of the route, Russian aircraft were escorted by #F22 fighter jets of the #USAF. The total flight time exceeded 12 hours," the ministry added.

"NORAD's top priority is defending Canada and the United States. Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens, vital infrastructure, and national institutions starts with successfully detecting, tracking, and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace," Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, the commander of NORAD, said in a statement. </s> ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska's western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. </s> US F-22 stealth jets intercepted four Russian bombers and two Russian Su-35 fighter jets off the coast of Alaska on Monday, according to a statement from North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The Russian nuclear capable long-range bombers flew into the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends approximately 200 miles off Alaska's western coast.

The Russian bomber flights are seen by US military officials as part of Moscow's effort to train its military for a potential crisis while simultaneously sending a message of strength to adversaries.

This latest intercept comes amid tensions with Russia on a wide range of geopolitical issues and a week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Russian Vladimir Putin in the resort town of Sochi where he warned Russia about interfering in US elections, taking a tougher public line than President Donald Trump on the issue.

US F-22s fighter jets and an E-3 Airborne Early Warning and Control System from North American Aerospace Defense Command "positively identified and intercepted a total of four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 20," NORAD said in a statement.

"Two of the Russian bombers were intercepted by two F-22s, and a second group of bombers with Su-35 fighters was intercepted later by two additional F-22s, while the E-3 provided overall surveillance," NORAD said, adding that "the Russian bombers and fighters remained in international airspace and at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace."

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident in a tweet Tuesday, saying the Tu-95 bombers "made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands."

"At certain stages of the route, Russian aircraft were escorted by #F22 fighter jets of the #USAF. The total flight time exceeded 12 hours," the ministry added.

US officials say Russian bombers and jets have flown in the area several times a year for the last few years and have similarly been intercepted by US or Canadian jets operating as part of NORAD.

"NORAD's top priority is defending Canada and the United States. Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens, vital infrastructure, and national institutions starts with successfully detecting, tracking, and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace," Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, the commander of NORAD, said in a statement.

"Patrols by Russian military aircraft off the coasts of the United States and Canada have grown increasingly complex in recent years," O'Shaughnessy said in written testimony submitted to Congress earlier this month.

He wrote that the bomber patrols were a "highly visible" message intended "to underscore Russia's capabilities" and develop "a new generation of air crews," adding that "NORAD fighter aircraft routinely intercept Russian military aviation missions inside the US and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones, and there is no indication that Russian leadership intends to reduce the number of these missions in the near future."

In January, a US E-3 aircraft, two F-22 fighter jets and two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets similarly "positively identified" two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers entering the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone.

NORAD is tasked with patrolling US and Canadian airspace and air defense identification zones. </s> WASHINGTON: US fighters intercepted six Russian military aircraft in international airspace west of Alaska, and shadowed them until they exited the area, the North American Air Defence Command said on Tuesday (May 21).

The Russian aircraft included two Tu-95 strategic bombers, which were intercepted on Monday by two F-22 fighters, the command said.

A second group of two Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters were also intercepted by a pair of F-22 fighters, it said.

An AWACS surveillance plane monitored the operations, NORAD said, adding that the Russian aircraft were in international airspace throughout.

They were picked up as they entered the Alaska Air Defence Identification Zone, a perimeter line that lies outside national airspace but within which air traffic is kept under constant surveillance to reduce response times in case of a hostile threat.

"Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens and vital infrastructure starts with detecting, tracking, and positively identifying aircraft in our airspace," NORAD's commander, General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, said.

"We are on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," he said.

The United States has four Air Defence Identification Zones. The Alaska zone extends about 320 kilometres from the state's coast. </s> Four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted near the coast of Alaska on Monday by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the organization said in a statement. The Russian planes were entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone when they were intercepted, but they remained in international airspace — never entering American or Canadian airspace, according to NORAD.

"Two of the Russian bombers were intercepted by two F-22s, and a second group of bombers with Su-35 fighters was intercepted later by two additional F-22s," NORAD said.

It said an E-3 "provided overall surveillance."

The interceptions come amid tensions between Russia and the U.S. As CBS News' Emily Tillett reported last week, a press conference by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, revealed a number of areas where the two nations could not reach a consensus following discussions.

Last September, two Alaska-based U.S. fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers over the Arctic Ocean and last May, a pair of Russian bombers were intercepted near the western coast of Alaska. </s> 6 Russian planes intercepted by US off Alaska coast

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska's western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands.
United States F-22 Raptors intercept four Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets off the coast of Alaska on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command.