Just over two weeks after the first deployment of Russian aircraft into Alaska’s ADIZ in 2026, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) revealed yesterday that it detected and tracked two additional Tu-142 aircraft flying in the same area, which were later escorted in an operation that tested the response capabilities of the U.S. and Canadian Air Forces. According to the statement, this was once again a flight that was not assessed as a threat by Washington or Ottawa, as the Russian crews remained in international airspace at all times.
It is worth recalling that the ADIZ is a defined belt of international airspace that begins where a country’s sovereign airspace ends, in which aircraft transiting the area are required to promptly identify themselves to that country. In the specific case of Alaska’s ADIZ, NORAD says it relies on a broad, layered network to ensure the defense of both the United States and Canada, including satellites, ground- and airborne radars, and—of course—fighter aircraft kept on immediate standby if required.
In that context, it is worth noting that the U.S. Air Force opted to deploy four stealth fighters—two F-22s and two F-35s—supported by four KC-135 tankers and an E-3 AWACS. For its part, the Royal Canadian Air Force also deployed two CF-18 fighters to assist their U.S. counterparts, while a CC-150 tanker accompanied them to provide in-flight support. Taken together, this was meant to showcase NORAD’s wide range of capabilities to respond to potential incursions, rather than a proportional reaction to the two Russian aircraft themselves.
Finally, it is useful to mention that during the initially referenced deployment, the aircraft launched by NORAD were primarily American and did not consist only of stealth models. Specifically, it was reported that two F-35s and two F-16s were selected for the mission, with the E-3 Sentry AWACS and four KC-135 Stratotankers retained as support platforms. On the Russian side, the Aerospace Forces’ package reportedly consisted of two Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighters, and an A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, in what the Russian Ministry of Defense described as a flight lasting more than 14 hours.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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