Military officials have released new video footage of a recent encounter between a Russian fighter jet and a U.S. Air Force F-16 near Alaska. The video, released on Monday, shows the Russian plane swiftly passing by the U.S. jet, coming within feet of the aircraft.
This incident occurred on September 23, with the U.S. pilot responding under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). This release follows a series of Russian activities in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, just outside U.S. sovereign airspace.
Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, criticized the Russian Su-35's behavior as unsafe, unprofessional, and endangering. He commended the NORAD aircraft for maintaining a safe and disciplined interception routine.
Following this encounter, there were reports of eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels, including submarines, operating near Alaska during joint drills with China. While these activities did not breach U.S. airspace, the U.S. military responded by deploying soldiers with mobile rocket launchers to Shemya Island.
In a separate incident, Russian and Chinese bombers flew together in international airspace off Alaska in July, prompting concerns from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Additionally, a U.S. Coast Guard ship encountered Chinese and Russian naval vessels sailing in formation near Alaska's Kiska Island in the Bering Sea.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, emphasized the need to bolster America's military presence in Alaska and the Arctic in response to these provocative actions. He condemned the Russian fighter pilot's maneuvers as reckless and unprofessional, highlighting the escalating aggression observed from leaders like Vladimir Putin.
