WASHINGTON – The U.S. military says it intercepted two Russian bombers in international airspace off Alaska’s coast.
Navy Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, says a pair of F-22 Raptor aircraft intercepted the Russian TU-95 Bear bombers on Monday.
US fighter jets intercept Russian bombers near Alaska https://t.co/HhE7g7H5V9 pic.twitter.com/KIIz28MJ0Y
— The Hill (@thehill) April 18, 2017
Ross says the intercept was “safe and professional.”
North American Aerospace Defense Command monitors air approaches to North America and defends the airspace.
Fox News said Tuesday the Russian planes flew within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Alaska’s Kodiak Island.
It said the American jets escorted the Russian bombers for 12 minutes. The bombers then flew back to eastern Russia.
