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The U.S. military released a shocking video that captured the moment a Russian jet flew between two U.S. F-16s near Alaska. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said that two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets were identified in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone on September 23.
The Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone is a stretch of airspace 150 miles from the Alaska coastline that is tracked by NORAD. Any aircraft entering the zone must identify themselves or be intercepted by U.S. fighter jets.
After NORAD identified the Russian jets, two F-16s were dispatched to intercept them. During the intercept, one of the Russian jets flew within a few feet of the American aircraft.
“The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all — not what you’d see in a professional air force,” Air Force General Gregory Guillot said in a statement posted on X.
You can watch a video of the tense encounter below.