In recent days, the United States Air Force (USAF) has been deploying combat and support aircraft with the objective of intercepting Russian IL-20 Coot signals intelligence planes, which, while operating in international airspace, are reportedly being used to monitor the Northern Edge Exercise currently taking place in Alaska. This development, disclosed yesterday, August 24, adds to other incidents recorded earlier this month involving the same aircraft, during which Russian Armed Forces have been detected in Alaska’s ADIZ.
At the end of yesterday, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed the presence of the Russian intelligence aircraft in international airspace, without entering U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace. The activity was tracked by the U.S. Air Force, which deployed two F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters, supported by an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft and two KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, to intercept and identify the plane conducting a flight within Alaska’s ADIZ.
At this point, it should be noted that the ADIZ should not be confused with sovereign airspace, “… but rather refers to a defined area that begins where sovereign airspace ends and extends into international airspace, established as a zone in which incoming aircraft are required to be rapidly identified as part of established security protocols,” as we have pointed out on previous occasions.
This incident should not be viewed as isolated, as it marks the third time in less than a week that a Russian aircraft has been detected in the aforementioned Alaska ADIZ. The deployment of signals intelligence aircraft by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) has coincided with the execution phase of the combined Northern Edge 2025 exercise, carried out by the United States and Canadian Armed Forces, which stands out for the scale of mobilized personnel, aircraft, and combat vessels, including a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
On the occasion of its commencement, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General and exercise director Rick Goodman stated that “Northern Edge 2025 brings together multidomain capabilities in high-end combat to ensure readiness to deter and, if necessary, defeat any adversary (…) One of the key objectives [of the exercise] is joint force command coordination between INDOPACOM and NORTHCOM. This highlights the importance of Alaska as a key strategic geographic location for national defense, as well as for power projection in the event of a conflict in the Indo-Pacific.”
To yesterday’s incident must be added the detections and interceptions that took place on August 20 and 21, involving IL-20 Coot-A SIGINT aircraft, which were deployed near Alaska, presumably to gather information on the combined exercise. On both occasions, F-16 fighters were dispatched, supported by KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft and, in some cases, even by E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
Nevertheless, it is important to mention that these flights are part of the routine deployments usually carried out by the Russian Armed Forces, including long-range patrols with Tu-95MS strategic bombers. One of the most recent recorded and reported took place in July, when a bomber, escorted by Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters, was intercepted by F-16 and F-35 fighters of the USAF.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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