Russia and Chinese nuclear-capable bombers entered the U.S. air defense identification zone near Alaska on Wednesday prompting North American Aerospace Defense Command jets to intercept the aircraft, the command said in a statement.
The bombers were identified as two Tu-95 Russian bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers. Both are missile-launching strategic bombers.
The four bombers flew within international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, the statement said.
Sen. Dan Sullivan said the joint bomber flight highlights growing military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
“Make no mistake, this is an escalation—the first time Russia and China have sent a joint bomber taskforce into the Alaska ADIZ,” the Alaska Republican said in a statement.
“Fortunately, our brave military members working closely with our Canadian allies were ready, conducting joint operations to intercept these bombers.”
Mr. Sullivan said the Arctic is a critical zone of strategic competition for the United States, Russia and China.
“As I have been warning our Pentagon leaders for years, these kinds of joint Russia and China incursions on the sea and in the air near Alaska will continue,” he said.
The Pentagon needs to build up military forces and infrastructure in the region to protect the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific region he said.
Russian bombers frequently fly into the U.S. and Canadian air defense zones in what military analysts say are attempts to test air defenses.
However, the presence of two Chinese bombers in the air defense zone is unusual and has not been reported before.
“NORAD fighter jets from the United States and Canada conducted the intercept.”
No additional details, such as the type of jets that conducted the intercept or a specific location of the activity were disclosed.
NORAD did not respond to an email request for comment on the bomber intrusion.
NORAD said in its statement that the bomber activity “is not seen as a threat” although it offered no explanation or reasons why.
“NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence,” the statement said.
The aerial intercept Wednesday coincided with the Navy hosting of the large-scale Rim of the Pacific international naval exercises now underway near Hawaii that involve military forces from 29 U.S. allies.
The intercept of the Russian and Chinese bombers also followed the Pentagon’s release this week of a major strategy report on the Arctic. The report stated U.S. military forces will continue to protect American sovereignty in the region from perceived threats, including Russian bomber flights in the region.
The report also said Russian and Chinese military forces are stepping up collaboration in the Arctic.
“PRC-Russia military cooperation, including joint exercises in the Arctic, continues to increase,” the report said.
The cooperation included joint naval patrols near Alaska in 2022 and 2023, and a memorandum between the Chinese Coast Guard and Russian Federal Security Service on maritime law enforcement.
“These activities could open the door for further PRC presence in the Arctic and along the [northern sea route,” the report said.
The air defense zone is an area beginning at the edge of sovereign airspace where the military requires conducting identification of all aircraft entering the zone to determine if it poses a threat.
The H-6 is a strategic bomber based on the Soviet Tu-16 twin-engine aircraft that has undergone frequent modifications in recent years as part of China’s large-scale nuclear forces buildup.
The [People’s Liberation Army Navy] is in the process of replacing its older variant H-6 bombers with the H-6J, a naval variant of the H-6K operated by the PLAAF,” the Pentagon stated in its most recent annual report on the Chinese military.
“This new and larger advanced maritime strike bomber has six weapons pylons instead of four, advanced avionics, upgraded engines, and can employ the supersonic YJ-12 ASCM (270 nautical mile range).”
In 2020, H-6 bombers were also photographed armed with YJ-12 missiles “significantly increasing the number of bombers available to the PLA for long-range maritime strike missions,” the report said.
The Tu-95 “Bear” bomber is a strategic bomber capable of firing nuclear or conventional missiles.
