JOINT BASE ELMENDORF RICHARDSON, Alaska. – At 4:50 a.m. (AKST), the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Region, in support of NORAD, positively identified and tracked two Tu-142 Russian maritime patrol aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.
The Russian aircraft, which are currently operating in international airspace, have not entered United States or Canadian sovereign airspace.
As always, NORAD remains vigilant and ready to protect the sovereign airspace of Canada and the United States to deter, deny and defeat potential threats to our air and maritime approaches.
Despite COVID-19, NORAD has taken deliberate measures and remains fully capable of conducting our aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning missions.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information, please contact ANR Public Affairs at (907) 552-2341 or (907) 229-1807 or visit our website at http://www.norad.mil
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